THIS OLD THING
This is the eighth time This Old Thing is revisiting items submitted for appraisal some years ago, and seeing how their values have changed.
This week we look at a photograph, a porcelain dish and an early guitar, comparing their current values with those of 11½ years ago.
Q.
I have an oil-painted photograph that was presented by the Calgary Board of Trade to my great-grandfather, John G. Rutherford, when he left Calgary in 1919. The photo itself is 34 by 27 centimetres (13 by 11 inches). The photo was overpainted by H. Pollard. It’s signed in the bottom corner. We’re interested in knowing more about this presentation picture. •Stuart, Toronto
A.
Harry Pollard (1880-1968), born in Tillsonburg, Ont., became an avid and important photographer. One of Pollard’s specialties was photographing people of the First Nations. In 2007, Douglas N. Levis, owner of Levis Fine Art Auctions and Appraisals in Calgary, informed me that the Alberta Government acquired the Harry Pollard photographic collection in 1964. And a very similar photograph to this one existed in the provincial archives, entitled ‘Starting Prairie Fire, Blackfoot Reserve,’ is dated 1903. Levis estimated this photo at $1,300. Photography and history in any form of the peoples of First Nations continue to grow even stronger and with few pieces like this showing up since then the value is even higher today.
Q.
This china set, marked ‘Noritake,’ belonged to my grandmother. The large bottom plate measures 26 centimetres (10 inches). The diameter of the bowl is 18 cm (7 inches). I also have the matching ladle. •Joan, Grand Barachois, NB
A.
This is a porcelain mayonnaise set made circa 1920s. The Noritake Company was one of many Japanese firms that made porcelain and it captured a large part of the porcelain export market, which is why so much is seen in North America. Noritake was established in 1904, but really
rose to prominence between 1920 and 1940. The large underplate is not part of the set. This lovely set, quite desirable at the time (2007), was solidly worth $125. Today, as with many porcelains (including complete sets of dishes) this is worth a fraction of its value of 11 years ago — not likely to fetch more than $35 today.
Q. My mom bought this English guitar at a garage sale. The neck and fingerboard have ivory insets. The frets are brass. The neck curves up to a square bordered with ivory. The gold coloured round piece in the middle of the body is in great condition. The guitar is about 80 centimetres (31 inches) long. I can’t see any markings on the inside or outside of the instrument. Some of the finish on the front, back and sides has been scraped off. Is it worth anything? •Penny, Welland
A.
Back in 2006 I was led to Ray Nurse, a Vancouver-based collector and expert of early stringed instruments. He identified this instrument as an English guitar, which is a member of the cittern family and a close relation to the modern Portuguese guitar. Most guitars of this type exist only in museums or exclusive private collections. Nurse says this guitar is virtually identical to one dated 1777 in the Edinburgh University Instrument Collection, and signed W. Gibson (on the back heel of the neck, where the finish on this one has worn off). The bridge on this guitar also appears not to be the original, according to Nurse, but that’s not unusual. These instruments apparently have a limited market as playable guitars, but are sought after as collectors’ items and best left unrestored. This carried an estimated ‘as is’ value of $1,500 in 2006. Interest in guitars is solid today and it’s worth considerably more as a very rare treasure.