Rediscovering Texas History at Vintage Texas Paintings
For owner Charles Morin, each piece of early Texas art in his sprawling inventory tells a unique story that uncovers the forgotten voices of Texas’ past. “I’m selling history, not just art. My galleries are like a museum, but you can take the items home,” Charles says.
With two locations on Austin Highway and on W. Main Street in Fredericksburg, Charles specializes in early Texas paintings, fine antiques, and select pieces of contemporary Western art. While his galleries focus on assisting novice, advanced, and corporate collectors, Vintage Texas Paintings also offers framing and estate sale services.
Charles traces the success of his galleries to an early passion for “old things.”
“When I was fourteen years old, my father and I would go out buying antique cars. I would buy them, fix them up, and sell them. If you look at it that way, I’ve been in business about fifty-two years,” Charles says. His enthusiasm for historic cars grew into an interest in other types of antiques. Eventually, he opened his first store in New Braunfels. “It was a general antiques store, and I was there for about twenty-five years,” Charles says.
Charles’ location on Austin Highway doubles as a gallery and a framing shop, where customers can pick from a range of hand-manufactured frames. “The Austin Highway location is packed with handmade Texas furniture from the 1800s, along with the frame shop, and almost seven hundred paintings. It’s a warehouse of fun stuff. If we don’t have what you’re looking for in Alamo Heights, there’s a good chance we have it in Fredericksburg,” Charles says.
A Focus on Early Texas Art
Charles transitioned to a specialization in early Texas Art when he came across a rare piece of furniture made by Franz Stautzenberger, official cabinet maker to the Duke of Nassau, who emigrated to Texas in the mid-1800s. “It was a handmade closet. Eventually, I sold it to a friend, who suggested that we make a trade for it: my cabinet for his wall of early Texas Art,” Charles says.
This trade cemented Charles’ concentration in early Texas Art. “That was when the lightbulb went off. I didn’t need to only sell pieces by Julian Onderdonk. I could also sell more obscure Texas artists, whose works are still available at estate sales, but are still very much in demand. Dealing in these artists’ work became my bread and butter,” Charles says.
When asked about specific pieces in his inventory, Charles is full of tales that bring these objects to life. He owns an Engelbert Krauskopf shotgun from the 1890s, manufactured just across the street from his own gallery in Fredericksburg.
“During the Civil War, Robert E. Lee visited Krauskopf in person to commission a pistol. Lee also hired Krauskopf to manufacture blasting caps for the Confederacy during the Union blockade,” Charles says.
Among Charles’ other treasures is a large collection of silver parade saddles and spurs made by Edward Bohlin, who famously designed Western-style accessories for Hollywood productions starting in the 1920s. One of his most prized items is Roy Rogers’ spurs made in 1941, along with a pair of his boots, signed by Rogers himself.
A Collector’s Spirit
At the root of Charles’ enthusiasm for his work is the sharp eye of a collector. His favorite finds are the works of lesser-known artists. “It doesn’t happen every day, but I love to put these artists on the map. You never know what you’re going to find,” Charles says, and his discoveries are not limited to paintings.
Charles also deals in early Texas pottery. About a year ago, he bought a collection of rare East Texas pottery from the mid-nineteenth century. “A friend sold me about seventy, beautifully-glazed pieces made by Joseph Ruston and other East Texas potters. It was the pottery find of a lifetime,” Charles says.
Above all, Charles has one piece of advice for a new collector:
“More than anything, you should love the piece,” Charles says.
Charles Morin is available for speaking engagements on early Texas Art by request.
