posted on July 2, 2005 09:09:41 AM new
check towards the end of the "valuable postcards" thread. i found a swanberg silhouette that sold at auction and thought you might be interested in the info.
posted on July 2, 2005 11:04:01 AM new
Vintage,
It does seem better to take this matter to a new thread.
Ladyjewels,
As promised I looked up Swanberg in a number of silhouette books. It does not help that most of them have no index! I did not find any reference to that name.
Found 2 listings on the internet. One was the auction reference mentioned in the other thread. I suspect that is an original hand cut or painted silhouette. This one appears to be a photo postcard copy so the value would be different. The second was a no longer listed eBay auction for "Vintage Silhouette Woman by Ed. HL SWANBERG, $9.89". I wish there was some way to filter out the old eBay listings since I have yet to find one of them that was not expired and useless.
Good luck with your search.
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“The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as of the pen.”
Maholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, 1947
posted on July 2, 2005 11:26:18 AM new
photosensitive is right, ladyjewels. was tired when i posted. the artist is of course of interest but especially without any town or name of the person on the postcard, it probably won't bring as much as a formal silhouette would. if you list it, add anything you might know about the oral history of the card - as to location it might be from, etc. - to the listing.
posted on July 2, 2005 05:41:35 PM new
There are a few postcard artists that command great prices if the cards are in good condition but I don't think Swanberg is one of them. The other possibility is that maybe Swanberg is a European artist (Scandinavian?) with a following. I sold a damaged artisit signed card by one of the French art nouveau postcard artists (missing corner) for $25 - with the corner intact the price should have been more like $150 +.
I cited that auction earlier in the postcard thread, vintagepc, so maybe ladyjewels already read about it. As Photo said, that was for the silhouette itself and not a mass produced postcard of a silhouette. Still, it is a charming image and if she uses the keywords a/s (artist signed) postcard silhouette of child (or boy)it might do well enough - would have cross appeal to silhouetts collectors and people who collect images of children.
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posted on July 3, 2005 02:10:33 PM new
Hi all - I was out having fun for a change and didn't catch this until now.
Thanks you guys - I really appreciate the help. Like I said I got this by accident years ago and just hung on to it just in case.
This is a real silhouette - I can feel the edges. So it would be my guess that it was not mass produced, if that makes a difference.
[ edited by ladyjewels2000 on Jul 3, 2005 02:22 PM ]
posted on July 3, 2005 02:25:52 PM new
I always felt it was something that someone had done while traveling to send home or save as a souvenir of the trip.
At least I know it was a known artist and have a closer date.
Thanks again for all the help
posted on July 3, 2005 03:35:49 PM new
Neat Ladyjewels if the image is cut from black paper and glued onto the card. From the picture it could be a real photo postcard of a cut out. A cut out should be more valuable but since it is on post card stock it would not be really early. My observation is that the silhouettes that get the biggest bucks are pre-1839 because they are pre-photography. With the undivided back this would, I assume, be c, 1900.
When I was a child in the 1930s there where itinerant silhouette cutters who traveled around small towns in Texas cutting silhouettes. Maybe Swanberg was also.
Good luck if you list it.
-----o----o----o----o----o----o----o----o
“The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as of the pen.”
Maholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, 1947
[ edited by photosensitive on Jul 3, 2005 04:40 PM ]
posted on July 3, 2005 06:16:43 PM new
I just wanted to share with all of you my first ebay sale. I listed a postcard and it sold for $1.82 plus shipping. I was delighted and jumping up and down for what seemed like hours!!!! I got "2" bids so that was the good old days! Could not believe this wonderful new era in antiques and collectibles!!! I had sold in Antique malls for a few year and this was just so different and I loved it!!! That was 7 years ago and I have not sold another one since. Maybe I should just frame this one for old time sake!!!
posted on July 3, 2005 07:01:14 PM new
I dunno lady - when you say it's a REAL silhouette and not a picture or printing of a silhouette then it probably is worth more like the 2004 price (listed at $100-200 - no data about final price) - the pictures had been removed so who knows? the size is right - maybe this artist produced silhouettes on postcard backs. Very cross collectable and worth more than a mass produced postcard.
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