Henry Creange Fashion Illustrations, ca. 1930
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GUEST:
They belonged to my neighbor growing up. She was an older woman, and my father helped take care of her. And when she passed away, we received a lot of the things in her home, and she knew that I liked fashion, so she wanted me to have them.
APPRAISER:
They were designed by Henry Creange, who worked for the Cheney Silk Company. And he was an artist who studied under Rodin in Paris. He was the representative of the United States at the French Exposition in Paris in 1925. These fabrics were designed for the 1930 collection, these patterns on the fabric. And he called the collection "Staccato," because he felt there was so much rhythm and movement in the fabrics. He was inspired by Picasso, Chagall, all the contemporary art of that period. It was a time when everything was changing, becoming much more vibrant, hemlines were going up. The one right next to you with the lawn chair and the one here at the top right, where she's in her bathing costume with the anchor on the front, they're sort of absolutely perfect for Newport.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
It's very "Great Gatsby."
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
I would put a retail price on these of $100 to $150 each. And you have 46 more in the book, so I would value them between $5,000 and $7,500 for the group.
GUEST:
Wow. They're beautiful, I love them.
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