Antiques Roadshow

GUEST: I, uh, seen it sitting on the floor at a garage sale.

They had $25 on it, so.

Of course, I want to talk them down.

I hollered at them and then I asked them if they'd take $20 bucks for it, and they said yes.

APPRAISER: Well, that's quite a buy.

So the artist is Robert Riggs.

It's initialed with an R. He is known for his depictions of prize fighting and circus scenes.

He was born in 1896 in Decatur, Illinois, and as a child, he ran away from home and joined the circus.

So that kind of tells you a little something about his upbringing and his affinities.

This painting was a-an illustration for the Saturday Evening Post.

The title is The Fall Guy, and that's on a label on the back.

And it illustrated a story by W.C. Heinz, "The Fixed Fight."

This was a fictional story, and it was a snippet from Heinz's novel titled The Professional.

He received some formal art training.

He went to the Art Students League, and then had to go and join the army in World War I.

He stayed in Europe for a little while and went to the Acadmie Julian.

And then after a few years, returned to Philadelphia, where he stayed on as an advertising illustrator.

He was a very successful artist...

GUEST: Mm-hm.

APPRAISER: ...as an illustrator.

The medium is tempera on panel, but this this particular scene is like an explosion.

GUEST: Yeah.

APPRAISER: I mean, you look at this and everything is flying.

You've got hats and newspapers and cigarettes and cups, and you've got the hot dog, the police officers, and the chairs about to smash on someone's head.

GUEST: It's something else, wow.

APPRAISER: I mean, all of these elements are fantastic, full of energy, and that's what Riggs was known for.

So the highest price at auction paid for a Robert Riggs painting, one of Joe Louis, the Brown Bomber..." GUEST: Yeah.

APPRAISER: ...is $277,000.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: So this is a fictional character.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: So unfortunately, it doesn't have Joe Louis...

GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: ...or someone notable as its subject matter.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: But at auction, I feel easily, this could bring between $70,000 and $90,000.

GUEST: Holy cow!

APPRAISER: Yeah.

GUEST: (chuckling): Wow!

(chuckling): I never dreamed of that!

APPRAISER: Yeah, I know.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: So...

GUEST: That's amazing.

I know, I know, it-it really is something.

You got such, you made such a find.

And this is the best find that I've ever witnessed.

GUEST: Phew.

APPRAISER: I'm so happy that you brought it in.

And you did say that your wife got you tickets to ROADSHOW.

GUEST: Right.

Yeah.

APPRAISER: And you have a picture of her.

GUEST: I have it here.

She just recently passed.

So I wasn't going to come, but my son talked me into coming because my wife got the tickets for me, so.

APPRAISER: Well, it's so wonderful that she did that.

GUEST: Yes, it is.

APPRAISER: And it's so wonderful that you're honoring her with the picture, and she would probably love the fact that this all happened today.

GUEST: Oh, yeah.

That's great.

Great news.

APPRAISER: Yeah.

GUEST: I can't believe it.