Warren E. Rollins Sketchbook, ca. 1894
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GUEST:
I brought my great-grandfather's pencil sketchbook that he took with him to Oregon when he was 33 years old, approximately. It was sort of a working vacation that he made with his wife and two daughters, and it's just a record of his trip up the Oregon coast.
APPRAISER:
And who is your great-granddad?
GUEST:
My great-grandfather was Warren E. Rollins.
APPRAISER:
Warren E. Rollins, the famed Western artist. I think it's great what you brought in, and it's particularly relevant, because here we are in Oregon.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
We start out as a rather simple sketchbook. And tell me what we've got here.
GUEST:
These are family photographs taken in and around Oakland, California. He lived primarily in Oakland and commuted from Oakland into his studio in San Francisco. He was also the president of the San Francisco Art Institute for a time.
APPRAISER:
Now, of course, Warren would go on to become the dean of the Santa Fe Art Colony, and is really best known for his views of the Southwest.
GUEST:
Correct.
APPRAISER:
But as we said, particularly relevant today, we are looking at sketches done right here in Oregon. This one is, in the lower left, clearly dated, "July 7, 1894."
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
And we have a location of Clatsop Beach in Oregon.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
The sketches are wonderful-- the quality's very, very good. Some of the other sketches that I think are worth looking at... Another one of Clatsop Beach, again from July of 1894. There's Warren's signature. Warren really came into his own, arguably, in the first quarter of the 20th century. So we get to see the sort of thinking process and the way that a young artist, a very gifted, talented, and very driven artist, who traveled extensively down the west coast, extensively in New Mexico, extensively in Arizona, California, teaching, etc.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
We get to sort of see how he worked as a draftsman. Another particularly nice one... Is this. Which is, again, entitled "Life on the Beach," Clatsop-- located-- Warren's signature, and dated July 21, 1894. It's so rare to get a sketchbook like this that hasn't been broken up, and I think from an artistic standpoint, and from an historic standpoint, I really love the fact that you've kept it not only in great condition, but that it's stayed together. The book is actually-- encompasses 30 drawings, most on single sheets, a few on double-sided sheets. So the very last page... This is terrific, I think. We've got the words "sand" and "light," and the drawing is really much more than a sketch. It's really a fully realized coastal view with hillside.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
It's terrific. We believe that, given that some of the drawings are more fully realized than others-- most are signed, some are not signed, although all are unquestionably by his hand...
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
Taken in the aggregate, all 30, at auction, we believe would have a value of $6,000 to $8,000.
GUEST:
My goodness.
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