header

header

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

An Auction Surprise


I got this old bird print from an auction this week.
I opened it up today to clean is up and found a surprise inside!



This curly haired handsome guy was hiding behind 
 the birds!  And what do you know, it's Franklin Pierce,
the 14th President of the United States!




I cleaned up the birds, washed the old wavy glass
and painted that brass strip on the frame.
The backing needed to be replaced, too.
Now it's freshened up and hanging in the foyer.



Maybe I can help President Pierce find a home
through my etsy shop!


33 comments:

  1. Don't you love surprises? :)Great bird print.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice surprise! Maybe it's worth a lot.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have no idea yet. He looks very young here. I'll have to see what I can find out about him!

      Delete
  3. Fun to find surprises! Someone will want it I'm thinking:) Betsy, you cleaned up that bird picture real nicely!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That thing was filthy! And inch of dirt sitting on top of the frame. I can't imagine how long it would have to sit to collect all of that. It was probably sitting in an attic or cellar.

      Delete
  4. Wonder if there are any Franklin Pierce collectors out there. Good luck. :)

    That's a nice bird print, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The guy that commented after you thinks there is!

      Delete
  5. I have a friend in Maine who is a direct descendent of Franklin Pierce. Let me contact them before you put in Etsy. They might like to buy it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Life sure is full of surprises . . . Hope you find an enthusiastic buyer willing to part with a load of bucks . . . :)
    Like the birds too . . :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Now THAT'S what I call a real find! Looking forward to seeing the birds hanging in the foyer. It will be interesting to see how quickly President Pierce finds a home through your Etsy shop. Just may not have him too long. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope someone wants him! It's a lovely lithograph!

      Delete
  8. Beautiful, soft bird print. What do you use to remove the build-up?
    Interesting about the President. Sounds like he may already have a home... social media can be amazing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just dusted it with a dry cloth. All the dirt was on the glass!
      Tons of engravings and lithographs of him but none as young as this....I've searched for an hour!
      Maybe it is more rare than I originally thought! That would be fun!
      Thanks for the info on the Downs, too....sounds beautiful!

      Delete
  9. That's so cool! What a fun surprise.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Betsy - how fascinating ... and at least you know who he is ... and yes, more information coming forth .. love the birds though ... cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, the birds are great! They have a new home across from the woodpeckers!

      Delete
  11. How fun is that?!?!?! I love little surprises like that!! Good job on refreshing that lovely old print!! You know that makes me smile. blessings ~ tanna

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hey, could be a gold mine
    Finding the right collector to align
    I guess you just never know
    What is behind the birds at show

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now I'll be thinking what could be hiding
      and behind the obvious might be abiding!
      People will wonder what's with the obsession
      with the framed art and want a confession! hahaha....

      Delete
  13. That was a surprise. Maybe a Pierce collector would like it...

    ReplyDelete
  14. These ARE treasures. Glad to meet you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello! I've seen you around blog land a few times! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  15. You just never know what you will find, do you? I'd say yours turned out very well indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh how wonderful! I love getting surprised like that.

    ReplyDelete
  17. That is a fun find and Franklin looks pretty dashing!

    ReplyDelete

I'm serving coffee! Stay and chat!
And no awards, please! Your comments are my awards!