Owner Interview: 1873 W. G. Chamberlain Photo Album
Hear more from the owner of the 1873 W. G. Chamberlain photo album, appraised during Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Hour 3.
GUEST: I was twelve years old. My grandfather gave it to me for my birthday. And I had already started collecting Native American artifacts, my dad got me started when I was six years old. That's what I got for my birthday. Other kids got bikes and things like that, I got arrowheads and and books. But I'm very glad now that that's what I got because I still have my stuff and them kids, they don't have their bikes no more.
APPRAISER: These are albumen photographs by a photographer named W.G. Chamberlain. He took pictures of Yellowstone but he focused on Native Americans. On a retail basis, I would value this at about $25,000.
GUEST: Well, that's better than twelve. (laughs) Wow.
GUEST: I was pretty surprised that it was- that he said it was worth 25,000. I had thought maybe 1,000, even 1,500, but I sure never thought that. So it'd be interesting to see if it really is worth that. I don't know how I'd ever figure that out. I'd have to sell it, wouldn't I? Probably not gonna do that. We've always kept it in the living room, right there on a shelf, but we keep it up real high cause we've got grandkids who have grubby little hands and and we don't want them to get it so we only get it down to show people and now I think I'm going to keep it in a safe. I don't know. No, I won't do that. It was handled more here, today, probably than since I got it. Really, in all honesty, yeah. I'm looking forward to seeing the show cause I want to listen again to everything he said.
[Music]
