GUEST: My husband and I were known for theater in San Diego. We were a dance team, a director, and choreographers. And we did the charity ball right at the Hotel del Coronado, and the large ballroom is where we did that ball. My husband and I did the entertainment portion,
APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.
GUEST: so we got members of the committee, who are all benefactors for this city,
APPRAISER: Right.
GUEST: and we had them do a dance. And then we had regular entertainment,
where my husband and I performed, and others too.
APPRAISER: So how does it feel to be right back in the action, where you were in 1966?
GUEST: I love the Hotel Del, it has been-- and my husband and I came and stayed here every year.
APPRAISER: When we open the program, we see your name right here, Bonnie.
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: Bonnie Ward, assistant choreographer, and Don was your husband?
GUEST: Husband.
APPRAISER: Very cool. This whole thing has been Seuss-ified. You have Sneetches, you have from "Horton Hears a Who," you have "Cat in the Hat." But while the illustrations in the book are very interesting, this is what we're here to talk about today.
GUEST: Oh, okay.
APPRAISER: So how... tell me how you got the drawing.
GUEST: This is several years thereafter.
APPRAISER: Okay.
GUEST: My husband and I became artistic directors of Starlight Opera. And during that time, Ted Geisel came into our office, and would talk to the people, and he was a benefactor of Starlight as well. We said, "Would you like to make us a little thing?" And he was always drawing on things-- napkins and things at lunches-- and our staff adored him. And when Starlight closed down, my husband and I said, "Well, we're going to take that home," because it's so adorable.
APPRAISER: I love how you refer to him as Ted because, I mean, growing up, he's the Doctor. Dr. Seuss.
GUEST: Yes, Dr. Seuss.
APPRAISER: He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts.
GUEST: Really?
APPRAISER: And then he hopped...
GUEST: yeah,
APPRAISER: and then he moved and became a West Coast guy. He began his illustration career right around 1930, going into the '40s.
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: But once World War II hit, he took a break from child's illustration, and he did a lot of work for the military. But once you get out of World War II is where all the fun happens. You have "Cat in the Hat," "Horton Hears a Who," "Green Eggs and Ham." I mean, "Sam I am, green eggs and ham," that was my bread and butter growing up. That was my favorite Dr. Seuss book.
GUEST: Right. Right.
APPRAISER: And when it comes to an illustration by him, when it comes to determining a value, there are a lot of different factors that you have going on here.
GUEST: Uh-huh.
APPRAISER: So, it's not signed by him, but what's really interesting is the annotation here: "Best wishes from an old Starlight fancier." So he was a contributor to the Starlight.
GUEST: And an audience member, always.
APPRAISER: Talk about a nice homage to the Starlight, because you have Cat in the Hat waving to a sky full of stars.
GUEST: Isn't it lovely? Our theater's an outdoor theater.
APPRAISER: Oh, that's perfect! So, why not, under the night sky, right?
GUEST: He didn't miss a trick. And he did all of the illustrations in here for each company.
APPRAISER: I mean, that's what's honestly very impressive. Each ad is Seuss-ified.
GUEST: Seuss-ical.
APPRAISER: That's the word of the day, Seuss-ified.
GUEST: Seuss-ical, yeah.
APPRAISER: You have every page just loaded with great illustrations for every advertisement, which is unbelievable. So, in today's world, as a collectible, the book's worth about $200 to $300 on the market. But the drawing, on the other hand, even though it's not signed, the fact that it's on actual Dr. Seuss Foundation letterhead is huge.
GUEST: Yeah, yeah.
APPRAISER: That is very crucial. That just adds to the whole package of what you have going on here. The subject matter of Cat in the Hat, you can't get any better. It's one of his most iconic characters, that he ever created.
GUEST: Absolutely.
APPRAISER: And even though it's not an illustration, something directly adapted from one of his books, it's still a full figure, it's full color, and it's a great subject matter. In today's world, at auction, a conservative estimate would be $1,000 to $1,500.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: With the book being 200 to 300 as a total package, I could see it potentially reaching $2,000 at auction. When you brought this to the table, I wanted to take you for a twirl!
APPRAISER: I honestly... and I would love to see you bust a move like it's back in 1966!
GUEST: I would twirl with you!
