"New Republic Portfolio" Prints, ca. 1924
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GUEST:
I like to yard sale, but I get a lot of grief from my sons all the time, so I've been trying to, like, not do it as often. (laughing) But I saw a sign and I stopped, and I saw these and I liked them.
APPRAISER:
Okay.
GUEST:
And the price was right.
APPRAISER:
Can I ask what you paid for them?
GUEST:
For all of them, $25.
APPRAISER:
How long ago?
GUEST:
Just a few months ago.
APPRAISER:
Really? When you came in, you had these all in a folder...
GUEST:
That I bought last night.
APPRAISER:
That you bought last night. (laughs) Probably for almost the same amount.
GUEST:
Yeah-- yeah, it was $20 for the folder, yeah.
APPRAISER:
Yeah. And the top one was this one up here.
GUEST:
Yes. I really liked it and I'm familiar with the artist, but I wasn't sure if it was real or not.
APPRAISER:
And it's signed Edward Hopper underneath.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
So then I flipped the page in the book and this piece showed up. This is by Kenneth Hayes Miller, who is, was, in his day, a very important artist and instructor, but isn't somebody who's really withstood the test of time. But what's interesting about seeing these two together is, the Hopper was in a portfolio called "Six American Etchings: The 'New Republic' Portfolio." That was published in 1924. This was also in that same portfolio.
GUEST:
Oh...
APPRAISER:
So just by having found the two together, that strengthens the provenance even more.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
To tell me this looks very good. Also in that same portfolio of six prints was a John Marin print, an Ernest Haskell print...
GUEST:
Ah!
APPRAISER:
And a Peggy Bacon print.
GUEST:
And I left one behind.
APPRAISER:
And that was by John Sloan?
GUEST:
I don't know, because I didn't have enough money. I only had, like, $25, so I left one behind. (laughs) And I just took the one that I didn't...
APPRAISER:
So that was probably a print by John Sloan called "The Bandits Cave."
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
So the fact that you have all these together is wonderful proof that this is indeed what it purports to be. The Hayes Miller, also pencil-signed, also an etching-- lovely print. Not in terrific condition. Realistically, were you to sell this at auction, you might expect it to bring about $80 to $120.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Not a tremendous amount.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
The Ernest Haskell, also signed, called "Sentinels of North Creek"-- another lovely etching, but again, not very important-- $200, $300. Peggy Bacon, a fairly unusual female artist, this is a more important print, it's called "Promenade Deck." At auction currently, you're probably looking about $500 to $700 for
it.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
The John Marin is interesting. When the portfolio first came out, it included this John Marin print, which is called "Brooklyn Bridge 6 (Swaying)." Okay. After just a few of the edition was published, he changed out that print for another print called "Downtown, the El." This is the more rare and desirable print.
GUEST:
Oh!
APPRAISER:
So, this is a fantastic etching and it's in lovely condition. So at auction for the John Marin, you're looking about $15,000 to $25,000.
GUEST:
Oh, my God. (chuckles): Oh, my God! I'm glad I didn't leave that one
behind. (laughs)
APPRAISER:
The Hopper is possibly one of his best-known prints, and at auction, you're looking $30,000 to $50,000.
GUEST:
Crazy. Absolutely crazy.
APPRAISER:
Are your kids going to give you grief after this?
GUEST:
No, they better not. (both laughing) They better not. No, not at all-- they better not.
APPRAISER:
The one you left behind, the John Sloan, $500 to $700 at auction.
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