Q: Any info on my picture of Martha Washington?
- Wendy
Q: My E.C. Middleton "oil portraits" of George and Martha Washington are dated 1861. Value?
- Sue
Q: My lithograph of Washington and his family is very old. Is it valuable?
- Sandy
Q: My William E. Marshall etching of Abraham Lincoln is so old the glass cover appears to have bubbles in it. I would never think of selling it, but can you help with value?
- Constance
Q: In 1960, John F. Kennedy stayed in a hotel where my husband owned the restaurant. JFK ordered dinner in his room and my husband delivered it. I have the bill he signed for the meal, also a note from Ted Kennedy confirming it as his brother's signature. Is the signature valuable?
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- Jane
A: To put the first few letters in perspective, it is important to know that interest in popular presidents has peaked in waves. Around the turn of the last century, a surge of interest in Colonial America resulted in every schoolroom and many homes having a print or two of (especially) the first president on the wall.
The trend continued for decades. I'll bet that many readers grew up spending hours staring at prints of Washington and Lincoln (as well as the clock) on the schoolroom wall.
The rise of chromolithography in the mid-1800s made art in the form of printed paper available to people who could never afford a real oil portrait. Print copies of famous paintings were churned out in huge amounts, and sold for as little as 10 to 20 cents. Lithography meant that iconic Gilbert Stuart head-and-shoulders portraits of the first president could be had by all - as a print.
The first reader's Martha Washington print from a Gilbert Stuart portrait was done by the National Chromo Company in Philadelphia. So many copies of the print were made that it is neither especially rare nor valuable. I suggest a look on eBay for similar prints. When we checked, almost 40 were listed, from $10 to about $50. A few were listed for more.
The Elijah C. Middleton portraits were made by a pioneer in American chromolithography. His Cincinnati business later grew into Strobridge and Co. By 1861, Middleton began printing "oil" portraits, including one of George Washington, which became state of the art for the industry. A companion print of Martha soon followed.
Because of Middleton's status as a pioneer, and because his portraits were quality when made and are highly regarded today, the reader's set with original frames and early, possibly original, glass are very collectible.
Key www.philaprint shop.com for the Web page of the Philadelphia Print Shop. Look for the original Middleton George and Martha set with original frames and the framer's label on one. Price is $800 the pair.
The Washington family print needs to be seen by a print expert. Colonial painter Edward Savage painted a portrait of the family that included her two grandchildren and black servant William Lee. In 1798, Savage published an engraving of the painting. The Savage print is valuable. Print copies that came later are much less so.
The reader's litho of Washington's family was done by Henry Thomas and Henry Eno, who were in partnership from 1862 to 1867. Their print of the family was distributed by a New York company. Value depends on condition and the original art on which it is based.
The Lincoln engraving based on a portrait by New York artist William Edgar Marshall (1837-1906) shows the president in middle age, with a short beard, in a melancholy pose, chin down and contemplative. It is a familiar rendering.
A steel engraving, this large print is sharper than a lithograph, and it is in shades of black and white. Auction results of the engraving on www.liveauctioneers.com, a free site for auction results, reports several sales from $2 (in bad condition) to $950.
The JFK signature seems wonderful, but it must be seen by an autograph specialist. On the up side, the reader's husband may have witnessed the president-elect's signing. The corroborating note from Ted Kennedy is also good.
On the other hand, though unlikely, a staffer could have signed the receipt. Another possible negative is that the signature is on a bill, not a campaign pamphlet or other frameable paper.
Swann Galleries in New York (www.swann galleries.com), has regular auctions of signed material. Specialist Marco Tomaschett will take a look if you send clear photos or images of the paper. If all checks out, value could be $600 to $1,000.
AUCTION ACTION
The first Energizer bunnies (there were four) were 2 feet tall and remote controlled. The original mechanical bunnies were retired around 2000. Called A, B, C and D, each model had a nickname. Rabbit C ("Clint") sold recently at Heritage Auction for $17,925. Created by a film industry special effects artist, the rabbit is animatronic and operated by three people, each with a controller. He still works. The ad campaign went digital about five years ago, and new mechanical rabbits were commissioned. As ad icons, the very first rabbits have become collectible.
Danielle Arnet welcomes questions from readers. She cannot respond to each one individually, but will answer those of general interest in her column. Send e-mail to smartcollector@comcast.net or write Danielle Arnet, c/o Tribune Media Services, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60611. Please include an address in your query. Photos cannot be returned.)