Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

Now, my aunt had purchased it in 1929 when she was on a cruise to Alaska with her brother, my Uncle Harold. And she loved this painting. Loved it, and so did I. I was an executrix on my great-aunt's estate in California, and in her will, she wanted things to go to the schools and to relatives and so forth. I then put everything I could into certain galleries to sell, and I went over at the auction and I bought it back. And I paid $3,200 for it.

APPRAISER

Right.

GUEST

And the ladies asked me today whether I thought that was a lot of money. And I said, "I really didn't care." I wanted that painting, because it meant a lot to my aunt. And she liked Sydney Laurence, even though he was a scoundrel, as we all know.

APPRAISER

How long ago was this?

GUEST

1991.

APPRAISER

I wanted to look at the back just for a moment. When you brought it in, you showed me the label on the reverse, and it is dated 1929.

GUEST

Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER

And titled "The Northern Lights." This is a label that is Sydney Laurence's label. You know something about Sydney Laurence's life.

GUEST

Oh... Well, that's why I was surprised that my aunt really liked him so much. He was a gentleman that left his family, his wife and children, in England. With nothing!

APPRAISER

Right.

And moved to Alaska and became... (clears throat)

...quite a... gentleman. (laughing) Whatever you want to call him.

APPRAISER

Right. (laughter)

GUEST

If you'd forgive me, I'm trying not to say anything nasty. But he wasn't that

good of a husband or a father. APPRAISER

Yeah, no. Well, he was born in Brooklyn in 1865, went to a military academy, trained at the National Academy of Design and married in 1889, I believe it was. And they went right off to England, to St. Ives in Cornwall, where he studied with the St. Ives group there.

GUEST

Yeah.

APPRAISER

I believe his son was born there.

GUEST

Yep.

APPRAISER

And then off he went.

GUEST

Leaving them behind.

APPRAISER

1903.

GUEST

Yes, yes.

APPRAISER

And he is known as one of Alaska's great painters. There's not many people who painted up there at this time, and he really loved the North. In a gallery today, I would probably price it about $20,000 to $30,000. So, it's certain... There's been a tremendous growth in the interest in these Alaskan paintings, particularly...

GUEST

Did you say $20,000 to $30,000?

APPRAISER

I said $20,000 to $30,000.

GUEST

Then I made a very good investment, didn't I?

APPRAISER

You did.

GUEST (laughing)

You bet I did.

APPRAISER

You bet you did.