Old Art Print Authentic? Poker Dogs Collection by CM Coolidge (heirloom) antique
Hello! I am SO hoping you can help me! I cannot seem to find what I have online anywhere for sale or otherwise and I am trying to find out about it and it's value. I have an awesome collection of prints of paintings passed down from my grandmother, as they were my late grandfather's. They were antique collectors, had money to spend on them, and took METICULOUS care of every possession. They were wrapped, and wrapped again in a box for decades now. My husband and I just discovered them. It is a collection of at least 5 CM Coolidge Pokewr Dogs series. We carefully removed the backing of the frame (which we will have put back on by an expert) to see what was at the bottom of the print and see the paper quality. It appears that they are indeed quite old. The paper surrounding the print is somewhat ivory, not the brighter white you see on prints nowadays. It is more a yellow toned white. The paper is excellent quality, not thin and not card stock like current reproductions. The bottom of the print shows the title of the actual painting and then at the very bottom in tiny print (which we had to de-frame to discover) it reads: PUBLISHED BY ARTHUR A. KAPLAN CO. . NYC. NO. PD 8 PRINTED BY BROWN & BIGELOW DIV. OF STANDARD PACKAGING CORP. U.S.A. I was told they were very valuable by my mother from her knowledge of them growing up (they were my grandfather's obsession). I have been able to find out that there are many mass produced copies. The few I have found that sounded legit ended up having a different Printer or publisher and the expert had told them they were worth a couple hundred, but the originals would have another name. I have done exhausting searches on authenticating these prints with no success, nothing for sale anywhere with the exact phrasing at the bottom of my collection. Which tells me they may in fact be of the original prints. Might you have any input? I know for certain that I have: Pinched by Four Aces, His Station and Four Aces, Poker Sympathy, A Friend in Need, and Waterloo. They measure 16"w x 12"h. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!