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1890 Frank Henry Shapleigh Oil

Value (2017) | $30,000 Auction – $50,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
My mother bought it because of the frame. She thought it had a lovely frame. She bought it from a gallery in Knoxville, Tennessee, and that's all I know.

APPRAISER:
Do you know about when she might have purchased it?

GUEST:
Oh, probably 60 or 70 years ago.

APPRAISER:
And how long have you had it?

GUEST:
Oh, 30 years at least.

APPRAISER:
And where has it been in the house?

GUEST:
On a wall in the hall.

APPRAISER:
It's by an artist named Frank Henry Shapleigh, and executed in oil on canvas. Where had you surmised it was?

GUEST:
My mother told me it was Charleston Harbor, and having visited Charleston, I didn't think Charleston Harbor quite looked like that, but...

APPRAISER:
Well, it's a place called Fort Marion in St. Augustine, Florida.

GUEST:
Oh. Hmm.

APPRAISER:
That fort was built by the Spanish. It started in 1672. It's one of the oldest buildings in America. And Shapleigh started in Boston. He took training there, then he fought in the Civil War for the Union. And then he was off to France, did some more training, then back to New Hampshire, where he's mostly known for White Mountain scenes, Mount Washington.

GUEST:
Oh, okay.

APPRAISER:
But the important thing about this picture is that, from 1877 to 1894, he was in St. Augustine. So you said your mother liked it because of the frame.

GUEST:
The frame, that was the reason she bought the picture.

APPRAISER:
I'm afraid your mother was dead wrong on that one.

GUEST:
Oh, my God. (laughter)

APPRAISER:
So this is what we would call a molded composition frame.

GUEST:
Oh.

APPRAISER:
It's not actually carved. It's made out of compo. And it's not actually gold, it's metal leaf. And the frame has absolutely zero impact on the value of the work.

GUEST:
Well, I'm surprised.

APPRAISER:
At auction right now, I think an appropriate value would be $50,000 to $70,000.

GUEST:
Really? I'm surprised, shocked. (laughing) I may take it off the wall in the hall and put it out where I can see it more.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Aaron Bastian
Paintings & Drawings
Bonhams, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Update (2017)
$30,000 Auction – $50,000 Auction
Appraised value (2013)
$50,000 Auction – $70,000 Auction
Featured In
Richmond, Hour 3 (#1818)
Our 50 States Part 1 (#2128)
Event
Richmond, VA (August 17, 2013)
Category
Paintings & Drawings
Period
19th Century
Form
Painting , Seascape
Material
Oil

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.

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