Each week, I post questions from readers about items that they own, and guide them in finding out more about the items and determining their value. Here are this week’s questions.
This one is in reference to a blog post I wrote last year about the extraordinary price that a 1971 Huey P. Newton poster yielded at Swann Auction Galleries‘ African American manuscript sale. The iconic poster of the Black Panther leader sold for $16,000, and was purchased by a museum. However, a similar poster that came up for auction at Swann in February sold for $2,200, according to the auction-house website.
According to the Oakland Museum of California, which has a copy of the poster, the photo of Newton was shot by Panther Eldridge Cleaver in 1967 at the home of the party’s attorney Beverly Axelrod. Cleaver made the original posters and gave them to the party to sell, according to the museum, quoting a statement from the donor. They were part of a “Free Huey” campaign that began after Newton was charged in the killing of a white Oakland police officer.
Question:
Are you kidding me? I have a trunk full of documents that fall into this category. How do I get rid of them for top value?
My Answer:
That sale price was amazing. The poster was bought by a museum, and the well may run dry soon.
Swann has one of the largest African American manuscript auctions, and that’s the first place to start by contacting Wyatt H. Day who coordinates it. You could also check for a major auction house in your city or town that handles high-end sales. Remember that auction houses charge a commission for selling your items. Also, don’t forget eBay; it’s a good place to find out whether your items are selling and for how much. Googling the items is another alternative.
The following question is in reference to a blog post I wrote about eight watercolors by Haitian artists, including Gervais Emmanuel Ducasse and Raoul Dupoux, that I bought at auction.
Question:
I have at least 6 paintings by Haitian artists that I am trying to decipher the signatures. Do you have any suggestions on how I might (decipher) the signatures? Thanks for any help.
My Answer:
It’s tough if you can’t figure out the signatures. That was the case with some of the Haitian artwork from the auction, as well as some paintings I have hanging on my walls. I guess artistic people are more concerned with the image on the canvas rather than their name below it.
Auctioneers and their staffs have the same problem. I’ve gone to many auctions where they’ll acknowledge that they can’t figure out the artist’s name. Sometimes, they just guess at it.
I usually pull out my magnifying glass and look as closely as I can until I can figure out some part of the signature. Then I try Googling to see if a name pops up similar to my guess or an image with a style that resembles the artwork I have. This site offered some other tips – including checking the back of the artwork for a name or label, which I always do – along with a listing of some artists’ first and last names to help in your deciphering.
I came across several websites that offered help, and learned about arts researcher John Castagno who has compiled thousands of legible and illegible signatures in a series of books. His “Artists’ Monograms and Indiscernible Signatures, An International Directory, 1800-1991” has about 5,000 names, according to one website, and even that is incomplete.
In a 2007 interview in Artnews, this is what Castagno had to say about the process:
“You need complete silence, to be completely alone. At some point, now and then, you feel mentally burned out. I stop and take a nap and start again when I wake up. I do this 95 percent of my waking hours at home. I’m obsessed. I admit to it.”
As for me, when I’m unable to identify the artist, I just give up and enjoy the work. It’s frustrating and maddening, though, because I’d love to be able to learn more about him or her.
If you have other suggestions for either of these readers, please drop me a line.
