1970 Thomas W. Benton Colorado N.O.R.M.L. Poster
Watch
GUEST:
Well, this is from the 1960, mid-'60s. I was director of the U.C.L.A. Drug Abuse Training Center at the time. And we had this mission to train people who worked with drug abusers all over the Western region. And Tom, um, really liked our work. And he came and visited us, and he's one of the principals of, of NORML at that time. And he and I talked a little bit, and he said, "Would you like a poster from me?" I said, "I would love one." And so he gave me one.
APPRAISER:
Yeah, we should point out that NORML is the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
GUEST:
Yes, yes, exactly.
APPRAISER:
And you say you got this poster in the 1960s.
GUEST:
Yes, uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
Um, and the 1960s were kind of a wild time...
GUEST:
Oh, yes. (laughs) Well, I have this joke because I'm from the '60s: "If you remember the '60s, you weren't there."
APPRAISER:
(chuckles)
GUEST:
And so I am a product. I'm lucky I have some synapses left in my, in my own head. So yes.
APPRAISER:
That's fantastic. And I'm going to actually give you a living example of that right now, because I'm very familiar with this artist, Thomas W. Benton.
GUEST:
Oh!
APPRAISER:
And the poster was actually designed in 1970.
GUEST:
Ah, really?
APPRAISER:
Really.
GUEST:
So...
APPRAISER:
So you were so out of it, you got the date completely wrong.
GUEST:
Exactly, exactly.
APPRAISER:
So Benton fought in the Korean War, and afterwards, I think in 1963, he relocated to Aspen, Colorado.
GUEST:
Huh.
APPRAISER:
Where he lived for the rest of his life.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
He was very friendly and worked for many decades with Hunter S. Thompson.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
And in fact, Benton helped Thompson when Thompson was running for sheriff of Aspen County in 1970.
GUEST:
Amazing.
APPRAISER:
And they organized the Freak Power Party. It just, it was an incredible time. Benton did incredible art. But it wasn't just for this narrow group of people. Benton also designed posters for national politicians like George McGovern, for Gary Hart.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
And here in California, for Willie Brown. So he was a very established artist. And it's wonderful, too, if you read the sentiment by Spinoza, the great philosopher: "He who seeks to regulate everything by law is more likely to arouse vices than to reform them." It's a fabulous sentiment.
GUEST:
Yeah, yes, yes.
APPRAISER:
It's signed by the artist, and it's inscribed to you.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
Which is very personal and nice. His work has come up at auction with some regularity, not that frequently. And his work generally sells in the $700 to $1,000 range.
GUEST:
Ah, okay.
APPRAISER:
But it's my belief that because this is such an exciting topic, because it's such a timely issue...
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Because it's an issue that really reflects and reverberates so well with so many people, I would think that at auction, an estimate for this piece would be between $2,000 and $3,000.
GUEST:
Wow, that's, that's nice, very nice. Wonderful, thank you.
APPRAISER:
It's also so great to see, like, the marijuana leaf here with all the star jasmine plants.
GUEST:
Yes, exactly.
APPRAISER:
It's, like, natural. I feel like taking off all my clothes and dancing.
GUEST:
Just don't breathe too deeply, and you'll be fine.
Appraisal Details
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.
