1929 Sydney Laurence "The Northern Lights" Oil
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GUEST:
Now, my aunt had purchased it in 1929 when she was on a cruise to Alaska with her brother, my Uncle Harold. And she loved this painting. Loved it, and so did I. I was an executrix on my great-aunt's estate in California, and in her will, she wanted things to go to the schools and to relatives and so forth. I then put everything I could into certain galleries to sell, and I went over at the auction and I bought it back. And I paid $3,200 for it.
APPRAISER:
Right.
GUEST:
And the ladies asked me today whether I thought that was a lot of money. And I said, "I really didn't care." I wanted that painting, because it meant a lot to my aunt. And she liked Sydney Laurence, even though he was a scoundrel, as we all know.
APPRAISER:
How long ago was this?
GUEST:
1991.
APPRAISER:
I wanted to look at the back just for a moment. When you brought it in, you showed me the label on the reverse, and it is dated 1929.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And titled "The Northern Lights." This is a label that is Sydney Laurence's label. You know something about Sydney Laurence's life.
GUEST:
Oh... Well, that's why I was surprised that my aunt really liked him so much. He was a gentleman that left his family, his wife and children, in England. With nothing!
APPRAISER:
Right.
GUEST:
And moved to Alaska and became... (clears throat): ...quite a... gentleman. (laughing) Whatever you want to call him.
APPRAISER:
Right. (laughter)
GUEST:
If you'd forgive me, I'm trying not to say anything nasty. But he wasn't that good of a husband or a father.
APPRAISER:
Yeah, no. Well, he was born in Brooklyn in 1865, went to a military academy, trained at the National Academy of Design and married in 1889, I believe it was. And they went right off to England, to St. Ives in Cornwall, where he studied with the St. Ives group there.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
I believe his son was born there.
GUEST:
Yep.
APPRAISER:
And then off he went.
GUEST:
Leaving them behind.
APPRAISER:
1903.
GUEST:
Yes, yes.
APPRAISER:
And he is known as one of Alaska's great painters. There's not many people who painted up there at this time, and he really loved the North. In a gallery today, I would probably price it about $20,000 to $30,000. So, it's certain... There's been a tremendous growth in the interest in these Alaskan paintings, particularly...
GUEST:
Did you say $20,000 to $30,000?
APPRAISER:
I said $20,000 to $30,000.
GUEST:
Then I made a very good investment, didn't I?
APPRAISER:
You did.
GUEST (laughing): You bet I did.
APPRAISER:
You bet you did.
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