Antiques Roadshow

APPRAISER: Now, when I saw you approaching# me at the paintings table with this chair,## I thought possibly you'd been misdirected,## but it seems there was a reason.

GUEST: The chair kinda goes with the collection,## because the chair belonged to Norman Rockwell,# and the, the paintings are by Norman Rockwell.

APPRAISER: And then you produced# this little painting here... APPRAISER: ...inscribed, "My# best wishes to Chickie Pelham...

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: ...from Norman Rockwell."

APPRAISER: And she looks# somewhat familiar.

(both laugh) GUEST: Yeah, I was supposed to be on the cover of# the Kellogg's corn flakes box.

And so Norman did## two paintings, my brother and myself, and he sent# them out to Kellogg's.

And they didn't choose them## because they said we were kinda too pretty, that# they wanted more wholesome, all-American-looking## kids.

They wanted red hair and freckles.# So they sent the paintings back to Norman.

APPRAISER: Aw.

GUEST: And he gave them to my dad,# 'cause.. APPRAISER: You look very wholesome there,# you know.

I'm sorry you didn't make the cut.

GUEST: (laughs) APPRAISER: And you mentioned# ..

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: And here we see this is you# an..

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: Oh, right.

GUEST: That's me and## Norman, yeah.

APPRAISER: And you did other modeling?

GUEST : Yes, I was the baby in the# babysitter painting.

My mom .. many years later how bad she felt because they# had to stick my feet with pins to make me cry.

GUEST: And she just thought that was wrong,# but they couldn't figure out any other way## to make me cry, I guess.

Then I posed for some# Christmas cards and then the DuMont television ad.

APPRAISER: What was it like being# a model for Norman Rockwell?

GUEST: It was wonderful.

I went there so often# that I just became very familiar with his studio,## and he had a Coke machine in his back room.

And# we weren't allowed to drink soda in my home,## only on special occasions.

So when# I was modeling, it was like, okay,## this is great.

He was very kind, and he was# soft-spoken, but he was very detailed in## the way he wanted you to sit, and so you had to# sit very still once he got you into a position.

APPRAISER: Right.

GUEST: And then the photograph# would be taken.

But he took many,## many photographs.

For instance, for# this sitting, I sat over 15 hours,## but it wasn't constant.

There would be# breaks in between, but it was a long day.

APPRAISER: Right.

Now, there's# a little, uh, letter that...

GUEST : Yes.

APPRAISER: ...your father# received from the ..

GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: Can you maybe# read what that say..

GUEST: Sure.

It says, "Dear Gene, At long# last, everything in connection with the## DuMont television film are settled, and enclosed# is a check for $15.50 to reimburse your daughter## for her long session of posing.

Give her my# thanks for helping me out.

Sincerely, Norman."

APPRAISER: Have you any thoughts about# what the value of these pieces might be?

GUEST: About 30 years ago, I, I acquired the# painting, and at that time, I had it appraised.

APPRAISER: Right.

GUEST: And I think they said it# was a, worth a.. APPRAISER: Right, which I think back then# was most likely an, an insurance figure.

GUEST: Probably.

Yeah, I don't know.

APPRAISER: Yeah, I think you have# in that.

I would say, for insurance,## you're probably looking at somewhere# in the sort of $80,000-$90,000 range.

APPRAISER: The record is now# around about $15 million.

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: And t.. is a reproduction print.

And# there's no intrinsic..

GUEST: No.

APPRAISER: The letter with it adds value to ..

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: For a signed letter from Rockwell.

APPRAISER: The chair.

Now,# how did you come by the chair?

GUEST: My dad was always bringing stuff# home that Norman was throwing out.

APPRAISER: And here, interestingly,## there's a chair there.

And here it is again# here, in, in one of his best-known works.

GUEST: Yeah, right.

APPRAISER: How much do you# think the chair might be worth?

GUEST: I have no idea.

APPRAISER: Well, candidly, nor do I.

GUEST: Yeah.

(laughs) APPRAISER: So I sp.. and they told me it would make at least $50,000.

GUEST: You are kidding.

Oh, my goodness.

APPRAISER: Well...

It's pretty# iconic, really, from this painting.

GUEST: Oh, my... (laughs) APPRAISER: And to think of the amazing paintings# that h..

GUEST: (exhales) I thought maybe# a couple of thousand dollars.

APPRAISER: A little bit more, apparently.

GUEST: (laughs) So... (chuckles) Oh, my gosh.