Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

It was given to me as a wedding gift by my father and stepmother. It's a Walter Baum. I know very little about the artist. My stepmother, I believe, was one of his students.

APPRAISER

Right, and they lived in the Philadelphia area?

GUEST

Yes.

APPRAISER

Well, Walter Baum was one of a group of Pennsylvania artists such as Edward Redfield, Walter Schofield and John Folinsbee, who painted in Bucks County. And they rejected what their New York contemporaries were painting which was urban landscapes, and decided to focus on the country landscape of Bucks County. And they painted it with a combination of realism and American impressionism. And Baum was well known for painting out of doors even in the worst weather. And his son tells a story that his father used to attach an easel on the front of the car, on the fender and a palette on the door of the car and drive off and paint like mad while his mother sat in the back seat and read novels.

GUEST

His mother was probably freezing to death.

APPRAISER

It's really a lovely picture. It's one of the nicest ones I've seen. I just want to point out on the back--it's wonderful that the artist has inscribed it "Pennsylvania Scene, Hosensack, 1955" which I believe has a certain significance for you.

GUEST

It was our wedding anniversary.

APPRAISER

The year you were married. Well I think at auction in today's market it might bring something like $8,000 to 12,000.

GUEST

Oh, my word.

APPRAISER

So that was a nice wedding present.

GUEST

It certainly was.