Anthony Frederick (Tony) Sarg (1880-1942) was born in Guatemala in 1880. He lived in Germany, England, New York and Nantucket. His early career as an illustrator for The Saturday Evening Post led to an incredible variety of artistic outputs such as children’s books, paintings, clocks, puppetry, puzzles, and music boxes. In 1935 Tony Sarg designed the first mechanically animated window display for Macy’s Department Store. Until his death in 1942 he created new designs for Macy’s holiday windows and he created the first hot air balloons for their Thanksgiving Day Parade. Sarg moved to Nantucket in 1921 and he opened the Tony Sarg shop at 38 Centre Street, and later in 1929, he relocated to the corner of Easy Street and Steamboat Wharf where it became Tony Sarg’s Curiosity Shop. Using his experience with the Macy’s hot air balloons, he fabricated a “sea monster” which magically appeared on the downtown shore to the delight of Nantucket children and adults alike.

Paul Madden Antiques is actively seeking items made by Tony Sarg. Please contact us for a complimentary evaluation.

Antique 1926 Map of Nantucket by Tony Sarg

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