Katharine Wireman Illustration, ca. 1925
Watch
GUEST:
This painting was in a high school in Illinois, and the high school was built in 1918. The first principal of the school felt that the students should be exposed to the humanities. And part of the plan was to incorporate art-- mostly reproductions, because it was cheaper. The high school was there until about the 1960s, at which time the county, which was very small, consolidated its schools. And this building basically just went into neglect. So an alumni association got ownership of the items, and they started a small museum. Unfortunately, in 2004, it was hit by a tornado, and the building was destroyed. And they dispersed these things to other institutions or individuals. My mom was on the association, and I'd heard her say that some of them they were thinking about just maybe even tossing. And I'm like, "Don't let them throw them away, you can't do that." Don't let them throw them away. So that's how I came to have this in my possession.
APPRAISER:
So did you pay anything for it?
GUEST:
No.
APPRAISER:
Well, the piece is by an American woman illustrator named Katharine Wireman. And she was born in Pennsylvania in the late 19th century. A woman illustrator in the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century had kind of a hard road because once you got married, it was usually over. Katharine Wireman continued working after her marriage, doing covers for the Saturday Evening Post, for lots of children's books, and also for Procter & Gamble, where she used her children as the models for their tremendously successful Ivory soap advertising promotion. The piece is oil on artist board. You have some dings, as one might imagine, from just a piece being alive for that long. Probably done in the '20s or '30s. But it's ultimately in quite good condition. It's in its original frame. The combination of her being a woman artist, a successful woman illustrator, and also the fact that it's a really wonderful example of her artwork that has a child-- one of her children, maybe-- it has a bit of value. On the retail market, I would value it between $7,000 and $9,000.
GUEST:
Great.
APPRAISER:
Yes. So it's quite a survivor.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
Appraisal Details
Current Appraised Value: $3,000 - $5,000 (Decreased)
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.
