1938 Ansel Adams-signed Photograph
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GUEST:
It was given to me as a gift. I saw it in a home for an individual that had passed away, and people that were caring for him had this on the wall, and I just commented that it was a nice picture. They said that if I liked it, I could have it, and I took it with me. And it'd been in my house, and I didn't know anything about it. I noticed there was a signature on it.
APPRAISER:
Yes, in fact there is a signature. It's Ansel Adams' signature. Ansel Adams is the world's most renowned photographer. He spent most of his time in Yosemite Valley. This is a photograph of "The Monolith Face of Half Dome and the Merced River." This photograph was taken in 1938.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRASIER: The print itself was probably made in the late '60s to the mid '70s. At the time this was acquired, it was probably purchased for $25.
GUEST:
Really?
APPRAISER:
And Ansel's wife's family owns the gift shop in Yosemite Valley where this was acquired.
GUEST:
Really?
APPRAISER:
He established a museum here at the University of Arizona called the Center for Creative Photography, and it's now the repository of archives of the greatest photographers who ever worked in the medium, all their negatives, their papers. All of Ansel Adams' negatives are housed in Tucson at the Center for Creative Photography. A photograph in this format, it's eight-by-ten inches, was done as a special edition print for... ...sale in Yosemite Valley to people who visited. What makes this print special is that it has his signature. Most of these prints were done by assistants and they were not typically signed by Ansel Adams. So while this is a fairly common occurrence insofar as it was sold through the gift shop, it's very uncommon to have a signature. In a gallery, a retail price for this photograph would be between $4,000 and $6,000.
GUEST:
(laughs) That's amazing. I had no idea that it would've been...
APPRAISER:
So your good deed in befriending these people has rewarded you very nicely.
GUEST:
That's wonderful.
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