What's It Worth?

Posted By whatsitworth on April 12, 2013

March has been Women’s History Month. The National Women’s History Project is a non-profit organization started in Santa Rosa in 1980.  According to its website, NWHP acts as a clearinghouse providing information and training in multicultural women’s history for educators, community organizations, and parents-for anyone wanting to expand their understanding of women contributions to U. S.   The theme chosen for 2013 Women’s History month is

Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination. 

I thought I’d commemorate the month by highlighting Anna Bissell’s contribution to innovation through imagination – and plain frustration – as America’s first female Chief Executive Officer of a manufacturing company.

Anna and her husband Melville Bissell owned a crockery shop in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The dust from the crockery, combined with the sawdust used to package the items, got embedded in their carpets and aggravated Melville’s allergies.  Frustrated, Anna was determined to find an effective and efficient way to achieve cleanliness and hygiene in her home.

In the mid 19^th century, the only way to clean a carpet was to take it outside and beat it – a springtime task performed annually in the best households.  However, the 19^th century also gave rise to the idea that machinery could and would make lives more pleasant.  To this end two separate carpet cleaning systems were developed.

The fist used large fans to blow the dust off the surface of the carpets: this was unsatisfactory as the dust just settled elsewhere.  In 1869 an English inventor improved on this by patenting the first “sweeping machine.”  This enormous hand pumped machine would suck dust up into a series of pipes and out into the street.  While popular, this invention was inconvenient and expensive; the noise was said to scare horses.

Unsatisfied with either of these systems, Anna Bissell encouraged her husband to design a better machine.  Melville’s machine used tufts of hog bristles inserted into rollers to pick up fine bits of dirt.  The dirt would then be confined in a small canister that could be emptied away from the home.  After bringing their invention to Philadelphia’s Centennial Exposition in 1876, the couple immediately secured orders for dozens more.  They patented their sweeper the same year.

For the first several years, neighborhood women doing piecework in their homes assembled the components and the sweepers – the factory was not built until 1883.  Melville died in 1889 leaving Anna with four small children.  Rather than sell her successful company after his death, Anna took control of the company, serving as America’s first female CEO.  She aggressively marketed the sweepers and had a hand in the development of new products.

The Bissell Company is still family owned today and the basic technology of their carpet sweepers has changed very little over the generations.  You can buy a new one today for about $30:  vintage wooden Bissell sweepers – with wooden canister and paper decals – sell for about the same price.

Bissell sweeper

I certainly hope Anna, as chief executive of the Bissell Company – was able to hire someone to sweep her carpets.

Jane Alexiadis
Michaan’ Auctions

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Posted By whatsitworth on March 14, 2013

For more than 40 years, The Gardens at Heather Farms has been a self-supporting non-profit educational garden in the East Bay.  Comprising 6 acres, The Gardens feature 24 demonstration gardens offering adults and children exposure and courses relating to all aspects of horticulture.

The butterfly garden delights preschoolers who identify useful bugs; the sensory garden appeals to visitors with low vision; the container gardens offer hope for urban dwellers and the trial gardens for fruits and vegetables act as workshops for seeds and plants under commercial consideration.  The entire site is certified green and is wheelchair accessible.

All of this is made possible by a very small paid staff and a very large contingent of dedicated and talented volunteers. Volunteers contribute over 6000 hours a year in every aspect of The Garden including much-needed fundraising.

One popular fund raising event every spring is the Antique and Collectibles Appraisal Event.  In its 14th year, the Spring Appraisal Event draws 300 to 500 people wondering what they have and what that item might be worth.

This year Michaan’s Auction of Alameda will graciously supply all of the expert appraisers for the day.  I’ll be there for my 14^th consecutive year evaluating decorative arts, textiles, silver and household treasures.  Joining me will be colleagues from other disciplines:  Thomas de Donker and Jeffrey O’Leary will evaluate fine art, paintings and sculpture; Elizabeth Dalton will look at furniture, rugs and decorative items; Harry Huang will examine Asian items; Joe Butorovich specializes in Sports Memorabilia; Michael Rosenberg knows coins, stamps and ephemera; Rhonda Harness is an expert on antique and contemporary jewelry.

Last year’s event brought exiting news for one Walnut Creek resident.  Andrew Dobbs was not aware of the event when he drove by The Gardens.  He stopped in and spoke to Harry Huang asking if he c old run home and get a few things.  Harry agreed and was thrilled with what showed up!

Mr. Dobbs great great aunt Alice Amelia had worked as an English language teacher in the Chinese Imperial Household of Emperor Guangxu at the turn of the last century.  During her tenure she acquired and was gifted a number of examples of Chinese art and craft.  One item, a pair of 19^th century hardwood flower stands with scenic porcelain inset panels, was handed down through the generations until it came to Mr. Dobbs.  Mr. Dobbs brought the stands to Michaan’s appraiser Harry Huang who was able to identify and evaluate them.

A pair of 19th century Chinese hardwood plant stands discovered last year at the Heath Gardens Appraisal event brought $9000.

To everyone’s delight, Harry valued the stands conservatively at $5000-7000.  The thrilled owner consigned the stands, as well as a photograph of his aunt in the Imperial Household, to auction where they realized $9000!

Alice Amelia Evans was one of a few westerners allowed into Emperor Guangxu’s Imperial Household in 1900.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about your treasures.  The Spring Appraisal Event at Heather Farms will be held on Sunday, March 10 from noon until 4:30. Entrance is $15.00 and includes evaluations of up to three items; each additional item will require a $5.00 donation.  The Gardens at Heather Farms is located at 1540 Marchbank Drive, Walnut Creek.  For information or reservations call 925-947-1678.  I look forward to you coming by and introducing yourself!

Captions:

Alice Amelia Evans was one of a few westerners allowed into Emperor Guangxu’s Imperial Household in 1900.

Jane Alexiadis
Michaan’s Auctions

Category: Asian Art, Furniture, Photography | Comments Off
Tags: Asian Art, plant stands

Posted By whatsitworth on February 15, 2013

My colleagues and I recently held a fundraising “Appraisal Event” in Moraga for the Moraga Women’s Club. While we all dread these events, (What’s going to show up?) and look forward to these events, (What’s going to show up?) we are always surprised and sometimes puzzled by things brought into us. I was delighted when a woman brought in this unusual lamp.

Spirit lamp

I was a bit confused by the way the lamp’s owner had it configured:  she worked in all of the elements she had into sort of a chimney. After fiddling with various ways of combining the elements, I realized she had an early 20th century patent sick room lamp!

I’m way behind on my viewing of Downtown Abbey and just saw the episode last night where half of the household succumbs to the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918.  In that episode we see O’Brien applying ice to Cora’s forehead and neck to reduce fever.  At the time, this was the best and only method.

Before modern medicine, someone suffering from an illness – flu, quinsy, pleurisy, ague or consumption – would be expected to either get better or to die.  Those suffering from chronic complaints – gout, dyspepsia or palsy – might alter diets or resort to patent medicine.  In either case, when a person was unwell the most that could be done was to keep the patient comforted, nourished and hydrated.  To help with this task a well stocked home would have patent medicines, invalid feeders, gruel spoons and spirit lamps.

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw an explosion of healing devices and patent medicines.  These store bought remedies were advertised heavily and promoted in stores and by salesmen who capitalized on the notion that an antiseptic home was the safest and that antiseptics had to be produced scientifically and sold by knowledgeable healers.  We know now that likely more than half of patent medicines were primarily alcohol and that devices such as electronic baths, battery operated corsets, lung panels vibrators and phrenology caps were hugely popular frauds.

The lamp pictured here, marketed as a “Vapo-Creolsene Lamp” was used to alleviate symptoms of respiratory illnesses and, later, to disinfect sickrooms.  The lamp consisted of an alcohol based heat source beneath a dish of coal tar, which would evaporate when heated.  According to period magazine ads, the Cresolene Lamp was beneficial in the treatment of “Whooping Cough, Spasmodic Croup, Nasal Catarrh, Colds, Bronchitis, Coughs, Sore Throat, Pneumonia, The Paroxysms of Asthma and Hay Fever, The Bronchial Complications of Scarlet Fever and Measles and as an aid in the treatment of Diphtheria and Certain Inflammatory Throat Diseases.” When allowed to burn all night in a closed room the lamps were thought to disinfect the air and linens of the sickroom.

Vaporizing lamps like this one were used well into the 20th century.  Ads appear for the Vapo-Cresolene lamp as late as the 1950s. While they can be found in antique shops and in the medicine cabinets of older folks, the liquid coal tar should be treated as a toxic substance!  Don’t inhale it!

Lamp collectors as well as collectors of quirky medical devices are very fond of these little lamps. They are fairly common, many even retaining their original boxes and instructions, and can be had for $25-50.

Jane Alexiadis
Michaan’s Auctions

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Tags: lamp, sick room lamp, spirit lamp, vaporizing lamp

Posted By whatsitworth on January 30, 2013

I have an original WWII era watercolor by Arthur Beaumont and I’m curious to know the estimated value.  The dimensions are 14.5 by 19 inches.

Arthur Beaumont watercolor painting

Interestingly, two WWII era artists by the name of Arthur Beaumont worked in watercolors and my correspondent did not send an image.  Arthur James Beaumont was born in Cornwall, England in 1877, moved to Paris to study art and then, in 1907, to Staten Island, NY where he remained until his death in 1956.  Though his home base was Staten Island, he traveled frequently to Europe, Boston, Cape Cod, Cape Ann, Maine and to the Eastern Canadian Provinces.  Most of his works are ports, ships and seascapes.

My correspondent eventually sent me an image of his painting and I was able to identify his watercolor as being by the other Arthur Beaumont.  Aurthur Edwaine Beaumont was born in England in 1907 and, at 19, he moved to Canada to work on a cattle ranch.  He then moved to the San Joaquim, California, Valley where he began to paint images of cattle ranchers.  I have seen only one example of this genre.

Arhur Beaumont artist signature

He soon moved to San Francisco where he studied art at the Mark Hopkins Institute, the San Francisco Institute of Art and UC Berkeley.  He continued to study art in London and in Paris in the 20s and early 30s.

In 1932 he began his five decade career as an artist with the US Navy.  His first commission, a portrait of Vice Admiral William Leahy, impressed his superiors.  Beaumont was then commissioned to paint images of the US fleet, ports and officers.  Beaumont continued to produce paintings of naval ships, ports and battles from WWII through the Vietnam War.

The Beaumont image pictured here is clearly a naval battle from WWII.  We can identify the styles of ship hulls as wells as the Zeppelins (in the US referred to as Airships) in the sky above the battle.  The US used airships during WWII for photographic reconnaissance, convoy escorts and anti submarine patrols.  The airships had no offensive capabilities.  The boat on the right, waving the American flag, is also displaying the white flag with the red X indicating “assistance needed”.  I have not been able to identify the precise meaning of the maroon and gold signal pennant and would be happy with help from any reader!

My Dad, a WWII era vet, died two years ago.  The Greatest Generation is leaving us but we are still able to treasure the documentary artwork Arthur Beaumont did for military documentation, National Geographic Magazine and countless private commissions.

If your Arthur Edwaine Beaumont watercolor of a WWII naval battle were to come up for auction it would have a pre-sale estimate of $3000-5000.

Jane Alexiadis
Michaan’s Auctions

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Tags: Naval, painting, ships, watercolor, WWII

Posted By whatsitworth on January 25, 2013

I am sending some photos of two small ornaments that belonged to my uncle for as long as I can remember. Uncle George died in 2003, he was about 83. These little horses survived south London during World War II (as did the rest of us), and a number of moves after that. By the time my uncle died I had moved to the U.S. (in 1968). The horses were mailed to me in a large box with other memorabilia in 2003.

It isn’t really a question of value, but I hope you may have some information as to their history. The small, dapple-grey horse is so beautiful. It is 3″ long by 2.5″ high, really small. The surface is a matte finish—I am sure it has a better description. It is hollow inside, but not thin, with no identifying marks.

Snow glaze horse

The instructions say to send just three photos so you may not be able to deal with the other. However I will send it, just in case.  It is a little bigger, a shiny surface, and was given by my grandmother to her son (Uncle George) when he was very young. He did become an artist.

Art pottery horse

Both are secured to the mantlepiece with museum putty so should continue to be safe.

I’m a pushover for a sweetly written story but was at a loss about the origins of these horse figures.  Luckily, we in the Bay Area have no shortage of people passionate and knowledgeable about ceramics.

I forwarded your letter and photographs to Colin and Patricia Knight, founders of the San Francisco Ceramics Circle, a Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco support affiliate.  The ceramics circle, now in its fifth decade, promotes the study and enjoyment of ceramics by hosting curators and collectors to give lectures and seminars and is one of the oldest and most respected ceramics organizations in the US.

Colin and Pat examined the photographs and came to the following conclusions:

Pat thinks they are probably individual pieces rather than production.  We are not aware of anything similar from factories. The white horse is much more accomplished and is reminiscent of Staffordshire figures in the way the body is supported.  The thick white glaze on a red body is unusual and the fact that it does not cover the entire figure makes us think it is an artist piece.  Around 1936 Charlotte Rhead developed a thick slightly matte “Snow glaze” which caused quite a stir in the potteries and may have been imitated by others.

The small horse looks like someone having fun with some left over clay.  The flat base is reminiscent of Yorkshire or perhaps even Chinese.  It is quite primitive so it is hard to tell from the photo if it is early or later worked in a primitive style.  It could also be the work of a child with pottery connections.

Perhaps your grandmother saw early artistic promise in Uncle George and the gift of this horse inspired his later artistic endeavors.  The story, and the figures, are priceless.

For information about the San Francisco Ceramic Circle visit www.patricianantiques.com

Jane Alexiadis, ISA
Michaan’s Auctions

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Posted By whatsitworth on January 23, 2013

I found this hippo (3″ tall, 5″ long and 3″ tall) at a garage sale years ago and have always been curious as to its origin and value. The bottom is marked “Made in Italy.”

Italian hippo shaped planter

What a charming little planter!  Italy has a history of producing fine porcelain extending back to the Medicis in the 16th century.  Still today, Italy produces fine tiles, decorative elements and tableware in porcelain.

The late 1890s saw the McKinley Tariff act require that goods made outside of the US and imported into this country be labeled with the country of origin.  We know, then, that your hippo was made after 1898.  The tarriff act was revisited and reworded after the first world war and by 1920  items imported into the US had to be labeled with the country of origin using only English terms and characters.  Therefore, we now know that your hippo was made post 1920.

Italy has a long history scientific inquiry and preservation.   In Florence, the Museum of Zoology and Natural History contains a taxidermied hippopotamus that is said to have roamed in the Boboli Gardens as a pet of the De Medici family.

So I cannot say for certain what it is you have: what I do know is that you have a delightful hippo shaped planter made in Italy in the 20th century.  If you paid less than $10 for it you got a good deal.

Jane Alexiadis
Michaan’s Auctions

Category: Art Pottery, Porcelain | Comments Off
Tags: import, Italian

Posted By whatsitworth on January 17, 2013

I am emailing to inquire as to the value of a Shoji Hamada, 9 inch diameter, ceramic plate with signed box, circa 1950.

In 1956, when my father was stationed in Kobe, Japan, my mother became friends with a Japanese lady who wanted to practice her English. In 1958, my father was transferred to Tokyo and my mother’s friend gave her this plate as a going away present.

Shoji Hamada plate

Shoji Hamada (Japan 1894-1978) was a hugely influential craftsman and is considered a seminal element in the Japanese crafts revival of the 1950s and 60s.  Hamada studied ceramics at Tokyo Technical college and graduated in 1916.  He then spent several years traveling and studying traditional Japanese ceramic and glazing techniques with master craftsmen and potters.  In 1920, he met British potter Bernard Leach who was also studying Japanese ceramics.  The two moved to Cornwall, England where Hamada worked for three years.

Shoji Hamada signed box

After his return to Japan, Hamada continued to integrate Japanese pottery and glazing techniques with the arts and crafts revival philosophy he learned in England. Like many of his fellow craftsmen, Hamada did not sign his work:  he believed that his technique, glazing and decoration should speak for themselves.

Hamada’s work was so valued in Japan that he was made the government of Japan named him as a “Living National Treasure” in 1955.  Those individuals or groups named as Living National Treasure preserve important intangible cultural properties including music, dance, theater, Ceramics and metalworking.  In 1962 he was appointed as the second director of the Japanese Fold Craft Museum.  Hamada continued to teach, travel the world and demonstrate ceramic techniques throughout his lifetime.

Your lovely plate with its temmoku iron glaze and drip decoration, together with its signed box and provenance  would have a pre-auction estimate of $1000-$1500.

Jane Alexiadis
Michaan’s Auctions

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Tags: ceramics, Japanese

Posted By whatsitworth on January 16, 2013

While unpacking a box of military memorabilia from an estate, one of our receivers came across this ribbon and wondered, “Why is this ribbon from Honolulu commemorating the Civil War?”

Grand Army of the Republic ribbon

The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization of Union Veterans formed in Illinois in 1866.  It was an active political advocacy organization and the common belief was that without the backing of the GAR no republican could be voted into office.  The GAR was disbanded  in 1956 when its final member died.

Although Hawaii was an independent kingdom during the American Civil War the islands boast many Civil War Veterans.  Most of these men were of European decent and many were family members of missionaries sent to convert the native population.

Hawaii’s GAR Post was established in 1882 with 110 members.   At that time national membership was about 400,000 soldiers.  In 1884, King David Kalakuana land for a commemorative cemetery plot; the 34 Civil War veterans already buried were not moved.

The GAR continued to be active in the Kingdom of Hawaii, the Republic of Hawaii and the Territory of Hawaii but disbanded in 1930, well before Hawaii became our 50th state in 1959.  The scarcity of the badge combined with its great condition will give it a pre-auction estimate of $150-300.

We hold free weekly appraisal events in our Alameda gallery every week.  Last Wednesday one of our regular customers came in and stumped me with a 3 inch tall carved wood figure in a top hat.  The top of the hat screwed off too reveal dice about a quarter of an inch on each side.  Joe, the owner of Mantiques in Fremont had done some research about the trinket and was able to introduce me to the wonderful world of Kobe Ningyo.

Kobe Ningyo doll

In Japanese Ningyo refers to a doll.  Japan has a rich doll making tradition dating back to the Edo period (1603-1867).  During this time Japan had very little international trade so the country developed very stylized form of art, writing, poetry and dance.  Each form was associated with a particular trait, form or festival.  Among dolls you may see Hino Ningyo – figures from the Imperial Court traditionally given as Girls Day presents; Isho Ningyo – fashion dolls and even Karakuri Ningyo – mechanical puppets.  Kobe Ningyo is a much younger doll form.

No one seems to know for sure, but folklore sets the beginning of the Kobe fad towards the end of the 19th century when Japan finally opened to foreign trade.  Sailors landing in the port city of Kobe wanted small inexpensive souvenirs and local artisans began producing these little dolls.

Kobe Ningyo are usually pocket sized dolls with simple mechanical features. Typically they are someone ghoulish and may depict musicians, doctors, monks or sailors.  Unlike most Japanese dolls, Kobe Ningyo are simply carved or hardwood, are not painted and are not embellished with any textiles.  They are embellished with bits of ivory or contrasting wood and the mechanics may involve turning a wheel, lifting a lid or merely shaking the figure.

Kobe Ningyo doll with dice

Joe’s Kobe Ningyo doll, pictured here is a simple standing form.  The ivory eye and lacquered tongue protrude when the doll is tilted but the fun part of this doll is that his stovepipe hat unscrews to reveal a pair of ivory dice – useful for passing time on ship.  Kobe Ningyo figures show up at auctions with regularity but when they do the sell in the $100 – 200 range.

Category: Collectibles, Dolls | Comments Off
Tags: GAR, Grand Army of the Republic, Kobe Ningyo

Posted By whatsitworth on December 20, 2012

A few weeks ago my son and I were fishing in the bay at low tide.  He  found a small cave and inside the cave he found these figures.  They  are white metal and range from about two inches to eight inches.

What did he find?  Will his find finance the braces he is going to need?

Group of talismans

Wow.  In the fifteen years I’ve been doing this job I have never come  across figures like these.  I’m still not sure I know exactly what you  have and what their origin is:  if any of you readers are folklorists,  anthropologists or world travelers perhaps you can help?

My only guess is that you have a collection of votives or talismans  deposited in the cave by a person or group of people who were seeking  protection or abundance.  Every culture has a combination of creation  myths and stories about deities governing the forces of nature and the  fortunes of man.  These myths and deities are usually associated with  specific iconographies, attributes, colors, foods and seasons.

I’m not given a very large time budget to research and write so I was  not able to come up with one culture to which I can attribute all of  your votives.  You have two ship’s wheels, three oars, two keys, two  crutches, an anchor, a mermaid, a serpent, a mask, a sun and moon, two  dogs and a standing nude female.   They must have belonged to someone  in a fishing community.

You have a collection of Milagros or religious charms.  Milagros are  folk ornaments associated with a particular saint, a specific body  part, an ailment, a thanks or a petition.  Frequently sold outside of  churches, Milagros are most often left on altars or shrines.  A charm  depicting a foot could indicate someone hoping to recover from  lameness; another foot charm might act as a petition for protection  while on a journey.

Your collection leans toward nautical myths and seagoing folk are more  superstitious than even ball players.  The anchor, ship wheel and oars  suggest a prayer for a safe return from a seagoing journey.  A woman  on board ship is bad luck and will anger the sea but a woman’s naked  breasts calm the sea – this explains your two female figures.  The sun  and moon are embodiments of life and death, night and day or male and  female.  The key could be tied to a hope of unlocking wealth.

Milagros are usually associated with Central and South American  cultures but the crutches and two dogs point towards Africa and Babalu- Aye, an Orisha of the Yoruba people.  Orisha are deities of the  monotheistic Olodumare religion of the Yoruba population of Africa.   Babalu-Aye is associated with infectious diseases and healing,  protection from evil and cleansing.  When Yoruba people were brought  as slaves to the new world their religion came with them and –  particularly in areas like Cuba, Puerto Rico and Trinidad – the  African mythology was woven into the indigenous and Christian belief  structure already amalgamated.

From the earliest days, fishermen and merchant marines traveled the  world and brought their superstitions, customs and religions with  them.  We see in fishing communities (as in baseball!) reluctance to  not take advantage of any possible means to safety and abundance and a  true tendency to embrace any type of good luck charm.

Your figures appear to be made from either lead or pewter.  While  fascinating, their monetary value is about $100.  Their value as  talismans against harm and for abundance, however, can’t be beat.   Perhaps your son could hang them from his braces?

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Tags: milagro, seafaring, talismans

Posted By whatsitworth on December 17, 2012

A.C. Bradley or Anne Carrie Bradley was a longtime resident of my home town of Fryeburg, Maine. As a youngster growing up in Fryeburg, I remember seeing her riding a women’s bicycle down Main Street on her way to work on her paintings. She usually was seen in a long dark gray or black flowing dress; broad brimmed hat tied down with a scarf; and often wore her painting smock. In the bicycle racks were her art supplies; canvas, paints, brushes, and easel.

A.C. Bradley painting

The attached photographs show the front and back of the painting. The artwork is approximately 18 inches by 24 inches in size and depicts my Grandfather’s original fruit store in Fryeburg.  I am unable to find the date of its origin. However, my Grandfather did close this particular store in 1930 and opened Solari’s Store two buildings away in that same year. My presumption is the completion year of the painting likely predated 1930. I do not know if my Grandfather or my Grandmother commissioned Anne to do the painting or if it was purchased by them at the local studio or at one of the summer exhibitions held outdoors during that time period. Judging from the information on the back with the scribbling of prices it was more likely bought at an exhibit.

A.C. Bradley painting – verso

The painting resided in my Grandparent’s house until 1989 when we brought the painting to our home here in Concord. The frame was in very bad condition so we had it re-framed. While in my grandparent’s home it was subject to a tobacco smoke environment which probably has darkened the paint.

So this is the best information I can garner for what was asked for in the article if contacting you. We look forward to your reply.

What a great story and a l history!  It’s the type of information I usually try to dig up in family and town histories, so thank you for doing my work for me!  Anne Carey Bradley was born into a well-to-do family in Fryeburg, Maine in 1884.  The family’s relative wealth meant that Anne, even at a very early age, could afford the costly oil paints and prepared artists’ boards she used; also, unburdened with chores, she was free to paint every day.

Anne studied for a time at the Portland (Maine) School of Fine and Applied Art bur soon returned to Fryeburg where she remained until her death in 1956.  She exhibited in Portland, Ogunquit and Fryeburg; her work was included in a group show of members of the Society for Independent Artists in Philadelphia.  I find no records of her ever marrying.

Your painting of a shopkeeper next to gas pumps in front of his store is typical of her colorful, homey style.  Though she painted local landscapes such as the White Mountains or the Saco River, it is her quirkily identifiable paintings that are aesthetically and monetary her most popular.  With titles such as “A Corner of Albion Perry’s Garden” or “Laura Wiley’s Tea Room Garden” and my favorite “Monday Afternoon” depicting a clothesline full of laundry Anne Carey Bradley captured, with her Impressionistic eye, a small town America in the 20th century.

Your ability to pinpoint both the location and the likely date the painting was done can only add to the historic and monetary value of the piece.  I’m leaning towards the thought that she may have painted the storefront knowing your grandfather would likely buy it.

EIther way you have a wonderful family story and a very attractive painting.  Monetarily, it would have a pre-sale estimate of $600-800.   A good painting conservator can get you a quote on cleaning the nicotine off; I’m sure you’ll be pleased at how luminous the restored work will be.

On a personal note, I went to Outward Bound School in October of 1981 in Penobscot Bay, Maine.  At the time I had long braids and I remember that in the 28 days of the course they were never dry and I was never warm.

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Tags: Maine, painting