APPRAISER: You brought in what appears to be a fishing book, "A Collection of Right Merrie Garlands for North County Anglers." What made you think this might be of interest to us today?
GUEST: Not so much the book, but who had owned the book. The book comes from Eugene Field, who had it for a long time, and who, prior to that, from Frederic Remington.
APPRAISER: Eugene Field, the American poet.
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: Most famous for the poem, I think, "Little Boy Blue." He did have an extensive book collection, and you're right, on the front flyleaf, here, we see his signature, Chicago, and the date of September 14, 1895. And then these wonderful Frederick Remington sketches and then a little watercolor drawing, as well. What made you think that these were what they purported to be?
GUEST: I have no idea, other than in the back of the book, there's a notation from Field's son saying that his father had had it and also that they had original watercolors from Frederick Remington.
APPRAISER: You're quite right. So you do have, essentially, a statement of authentication here from Eugene Field II, and also a bookseller's price of $350.
GUEST: Yeah, I have no idea when that was, because the book was given to me about 25 years ago.
APPRAISER: Eugene Field, Jr., was something of a ne'er-do-well, and he sold most of his father's books after his father's death in 1895. When those books ran out, he started to invent books from his father's library, I'm afraid. He was a skilled forger, and he often found that by adding another famous name besides Eugene Field, particularly when, in the '20s and '30s, Field's reputation started to fade, he could get even more money. So you find Mark Twain in Eugene Field books and Frederic Remington in Eugene Field books. And I'm afraid the real giveaway that this is not authentic is in fact the authentication, which serves, in this case, as a dis-authentication.
GUEST: I see. I'm glad I didn't buy it.
APPRAISER: It's still collectible. As a forgery, a collector would probably pay $200 to $300 for it, so it's not a complete loss.
GUEST: (chuckling) Right, okay.
APPRAISER: And I hope it's not too disappointing.
GUEST: No, not at all. Thank you.
APPRAISER: Thank you.
