Dump score, who throws this out!?

Gridwalker306 · Aug 7, 2014

So I had to take a load of construction debris to the local dump today, and just as the bulldozer was heading my way, I noticed these paintings in a pile behind some old crappy office furniture. I threw them in my truck and brought them home. Some are unknown/amateur paintings, but a few are pretty good, and one might be great. The two paintings with the barns have comparable works by the same artist going for $100-$250. The small one in the middle has comparable works by the same artist going for $250-$650. The painting on the bottom right turns out to be a fairly famous local artist, born 1913. There was actually a government funded exhibition of her works at a large local gallery recently, and I believe it might be valuable. I emailed a pic and requested information from the gallery curator where this exhibit originated, hopefully they have good news. My wife is a professional artist, and I have always been interested in art, and especially local history...I couldn't let these get destroyed. I will update when I get more info on these paintings. Today I received information on one of the paintings, from the curator of an art gallery/museum in a city a few hours from me. It turns out I made a good save! The artist was Alice Macredie, she was famous for her paintings of her father's life working on railroads and bridges as a Canadian Pacific Railway engineer. She also did many landscapes and flower paintings. She lived 1913-2006, and was a positive artistic figure in our area. Her paintings are in the collections of Gulf Canada Resources, Westminster Theatre Art Centre in London England, The Canadian Railway Museum, as well as other museums and private collections. The comparable paintings by Macredie are all worth at least $1000, the curator congratulated me on the find! She also mentioned that they would be very interested in adding it to their permanent collection, if I was inclined to donate it. That's exactly what I plan to do, and I say "shame on you!" to whoever threw this out.

Trezurehunter · Aug 10, 2014

Those are some great "dump" finds.

dansalata · Aug 10, 2014

great saves..and a good eye...thanks for the post!!!

ivan salis · Aug 10, 2014

some folks have no sense -- my mom bought a famous sea painting from a going out of business "red lobster" found out later it was worth big bucks -- the old man and the sea sort of painting --had a old fisherman in oil skin slicker smoking a clay pipe in the foreground with a sea town type background ...red lobster contacted mom and told her that painting wasn't supposed to be sold when the place was emptied and offer to by it back at a nice price --mom said --no thanks ..

scaupus · Aug 10, 2014

Nice save, indeed. Before I read the text, and as soon as my eye scanned the thumbnail, I noted the painting at bottom right called for a closer look. You done good, I think.