• Connect with us
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Our Sponsors

Discovering America’s Hidden Treasures ™
On Tour
Watch
Special Features
Appraisals Archive 
Appraisers 
 Shop
    Quick links
  • Learn more about ROADSHOW's 2022 Tour
  • 2022 Tour Complete Rules
  • 2022 Tour FAQs
  • Nashville, TN — May 10
  • Boise, ID — May 31
  • Santa Fe, NM — June 14
  • Woodside, CA — June 22
  • Shelburne, VT — July 12
On Tour

On Tour

Things We Commonly See at ROADSHOW

Things We Commonly See at ROADSHOW

FAQs

FAQs

    Quick links
  • Watch Episodes Online
  • TV Schedule
  • Best Moments of Season 25
  • Best Moments of Season 24
  • Best Moments of Season 23
  • Best Moments of Season 22
  • Cities from Past Seasons
  • About Executive Producer Marsha Bemko
  • Roadshow's Editorial Policy
Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

Watch | Portland, Hour 1

Watch | Portland, Hour 1

Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 1

Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 1

    Quick links
  • Detours Podcast
  • Video "RoadShorts"
  • Roadshow Topics — Endangered Species
  • Roadshow Topics — Sports Appraisals
  • Roadshow Topics — Best Moments
  • Roadshow Topics — Staff Picks
  • For Teachers
  • AR "Extras" Newsletter Sign-up
Related | 1919 Howard Chandler Christy "The Spirit of America"

Related | 1919 Howard Chandler Christy "The Spirit of America"

Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

Related | Playboy "Womb Chair" Spread

Related | Playboy "Womb Chair" Spread

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Early-20th-Century Lucian Bernhard Original Art

Value (2019) | $30,000 Auction – $40,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
Well, it's by an artist by the name of Lucian Bernhard. When I graduated art school-- I'm from Manhattan-- I worked for his son Carl Bernhard. Towards the end of working for him, I had done some personal favors for Lucian Bernhard, and who wanted to pay me monetarily, and I did not want to accept that. In turn, he said, "Here, take this portfolio of things and enjoy." He also wanted to give me some of his paintings, and foolishly, I, I did not accept that, but I accepted this.

APPRAISER:
These are the original artworks. His influence on graphic design and on typography is, is almost undefinable. He personally designed 36 different typefaces.

GUEST:
I didn't know that.

APPRAISER:
Lucian Bernhard began his poster career in Germany. He created something called the object poster, where, when he was making an advertisement, he chose only to illustrate that object. And in fact, we have a copy of his first object poster. It's for Priester matches, this is...

GUEST:
That's his first?

APPRAISER:
It's his first object poster, done in 1906.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
And it seems so obvious to us that on an advertisement for matches, you illustrate the matches. But in 1906, which was at the heart of the Art Nouveau movement, to do something so simply, so plainly, so without ornament, was absolutely unheard-of and revolutionary. In 1923, he came to America, and you began working for his son in what year?

GUEST:
In the '60s, when I graduated art school.

APPRAISER:
And he gave you these original works of art, some of which are maquettes for posters.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
They're the studies for posters. We have here Excelsior Tires.

GUEST:
Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER:
Which is a gouache. You can see his signature in the lower left-hand corner. We also have, close to you, a study for a poster for Bleichert Conveyors. Again, his signature is visible in the upper left-hand corner here. You also have a watercolor here for Manoli Cigarettes, which is another one of his big clients, and then we have... this would probably be from his German era, because it's a German company. Rahn Biscuits. Not only is it a gouache, but if you look very closely, you will see that it's also a collage, that he cut and pasted certain elements onto the background.

GUEST:
I never noticed that.

APPRAISER:
The top here of the coffee pitcher has been pasted on. His original artwork rarely comes on the market at all. His posters come on the market every now and again and sell for a fairly pricey sum, but the posters are obviously much larger. The worst-case scenario, an auction estimate for the group that I would be very comfortable thinking they would sell...

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
...would be $15,000 to $20,000.

GUEST:
Whoa! Okay.

APPRAISER:
Now, that's the worst-case scenario. The best-case scenario, which is if they are as rare and as exciting and as important as I believe them to be, I can see $20,000 to $30,000. Now, when you said you made a mistake not taking his paintings, you don't realize what a big mistake you made.

GUEST:
Now I do. (laughs)

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Nicholas D. Lowry
Prints & Posters
Swann Auction Galleries
New York, NY
Update (2019)
$30,000 Auction – $40,000 Auction
Appraised value (2005)
$15,000 Auction – $30,000 Auction
Featured In
Providence, Hour 1 (#1013)
Vintage Providence (#2321)
Event
Providence, RI (June 18, 2005)
Category
Prints & Posters
Period
20th Century
Form
Maquette
Material
Gouache , Paper

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.

More from PBS

Benjamin Franklin

Get to know one of the 18th century's most influential figures.

Now Hear This | Great Performances

Discover the secret histories of some of the greatest music ever written.

Putin's Road to War

Explore what led to Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine.

"I know there's a lot of envious people hearing that story..." Antiques Roadshow on Facebook

What’s inside the case?

@RoadshowPBS on Instagram

William Austin Burt patented the U.S.'s first "typographer” on July 23 in 1829. 110 year later came this "The Gold Royal" typewriter… @RoadshowPBS

We're soaking up the story behind this @LeslieKeno appraisal! #antiquesroadshow @RoadshowPBS

  • Connect with us
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • ABOUT ROADSHOW
  • Schedule
  • Contact Us
  • Credits
  • Press
  • For Teachers
  • Telephone Scam Warning
  • Roadshow Imitators Warning
  • Doing Business with Appraisers
  • Our Sponsors
  • Our Funders
  • Corporate Sponsorship

Funding for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is provided by Ancestry, and American Cruise Lines. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.

Produced By

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is a trademark of the BBC and is produced for PBS by GBH under license from BBC, Worldwide. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. ©1997 – 2022 WGBH Educational Foundation.

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Copyright
Subscribe Hide  ×

A weekly collection of previews, videos, articles, interviews, and more!