APPRAISER: Well, I'd love to know how you acquired this painting.
GUEST: I was at the Hillsville Flea Market several years ago, just walking around. I noticed it and just liked it, and... And asked the guy what he wanted, and I bought it from him.
APPRAISER: How much did you pay for it?
GUEST: $20.
APPRAISER: At that time, did you just take it home and... yeah?
GUEST: Yeah, and, and-- and answered, why did I buy it? Why did I part with $20 for that?
APPRAISER: And that's why you came to the ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
GUEST: That's right.
APPRAISER: All right. We're looking at what I think is a very rare Hawaiian volcano painting. This is an oil on canvas. It's signed Jos., for Joseph, Strong. And under that, it says "HHI," and then "88." Joseph Dwight Strong, Jr., was born in Connecticut, but by 1879, he moved to California, where he became affiliated with an important group of artists and writers and actors called the Bohemian Club. In 1881, I believe, they had entertained Oscar Wilde in this crazy party in San Francisco. And he was really in danger of drinking away his talent. So right at that time, he got an important commission and he moved to Hawaii. It's when he moved to Hawaii that he and Tavernier and some other artists formed a group. He, they were later known as the Volcano School. And this painting is a view of a crater of a volcano. Hawaiian paintings are rare, and I don't mean to make a pun, but they're kind of hot right now.
GUEST: (laughs)
APPRAISER: Which is great. We have damage in this painting. We have a hole right here. It's, it's bad damage. We have insect issues here. Accretion is what we call it. We have crackle. It's not in great condition. I would say that right now, his work is so rare, that despite all the damage, that this painting could bring at auction $8,000 to $12,000.
GUEST: (laughing) That's good.
APPRAISER: Better than $20.
GUEST: Yeah, a lot better than $20.
