Guthman, William H. 1924–2005
Guthman, William H. 1924–2005
(William Harold Guthman)
OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born October 22, 1924, in Chicago, IL; died of lung cancer, December 28, 2005, in Westport, CT. Businessperson, historian, and author. Guthman was a noted antiques dealer who specialized in military and other artifacts from early American history. Graduating from Northwestern University in 1951, he worked as a purchasing agent for a manufacturer for fourteen years. By 1966, his interest in antiques led him to quit his regular job and become a full-time dealer. Specializing in items from the Colonial and Federal periods, he founded Guthman Americana in Westport, Connecticut, and became well known for his expertise. He was also considered by his colleagues to be one of the first people to see painted items such as canteens as a type of folk art. Guthman published several books over the years, including March to Massacre: A History of the First Seven Years of the United States Army, 1785–1791 (1975) and Drums a'Beating, Trumpets Sounding: Artistically Carved Powder Horns in the Provincial Manner, 1746–1781 (1993). Toward the end of his life, he sold much of his collection to the auctioneer Sotheby's.
OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:
PERIODICALS
New York Times, January 9, 2006, p. A22.