C. Peet: Do You Know the Artist's Name?

Even to poster expert Nicho Lowry, the first name of artist "C. Peet" has always been unknown. When a guest brought a poster maquette of Peet's work to ROADSHOW, the question arose once again. Now ROADSHOW wants your help in finding the answer — do you know C. Peet’s first name?

Mar 30, 2020

BY Melanie Albanesi

During ANTIQUES ROADSHOW’s April 2019 visit to the Desert Botanical Garden, in Phoenix, Arizona, a guest named Belle brought in a ca. 1945 Sun Valley poster maquette by an artist about whom relatively little is known, and who signed his work "C. Peet."

The image originally belonged to Belle’s father-in-law, who hung it in his office in the Union Pacific Railroad outlet in Sun Valley, Idaho — home to the first destination resort for skiing in the United States. According to Belle, the artist was commissioned by Union Pacific to create marketing posters for the ski resort in Sun Valley. The maquette artwork Belle brought to Phoenix was a mock-up for one of those now-famous posters.

Although Belle referred to the artist as “Creighton Peet,” Prints & Posters appraiser Nicho Lowry was quick to clarify his own uncertainty:

“It’s a very known poster. It's a poster that I have handled many times before. Nobody who I know in the entire poster industry — nobody I know throughout the entire world of Sun Valley collectibles — was ever able to identify for me what this artist's first name was. I am certainly aware of another poster that he did for Union Pacific. But not more than that. To my knowledge, what research I could do today, there is no reference of anybody named Creighton Peet. So, in my mind, he will remain "C. Peet."

Lowry then did what anyone at ROADSHOW would do if they were stumped — he asked the audience.

“If somebody out there who's watching now knows more about it, this would be a great way for the entire community to learn.”

So, on behalf of Nicho Lowry and the Prints & Posters community, ROADSHOW wants to know:

Do you know the artist’s first name?

Comments below!

(Editor's Note: This article originally used "Crayton" as the spelling of the artist C. Peet's possible first name. It has been changed to "Creighton" to reflect the more common spelling.)

Appraisal: C. Peet Sun Valley Poster Maquette, ca.1945

Transcript

GUEST: This beautiful piece of artwork actually was hanging in my father-in-law's office in the Union Pacific Railroad outlet in Sun Valley, Idaho. Um, Sun Valley, Idaho, interestingly, was the first destination resort for skiing in this country. He was a ticket agent, and he joined Union Pacific in 1950. And he was with Union Pacific from '50 till about '64, when the Janss Company came in from Southern California and bought Sun Valley, Idaho-- period, lock, stock, and barrel. So they made him a travel agent instead of a ticket agent, and he was a travel agent there from '64 to '75. And some time in between there, a dear friend of his who was an artist came in and said, "You know, Wes, you think that's a poster, but I really think it's the original art." Come to find out that Crayton Peet was commissioned by Union Pacific to create these gorgeous, iconic posters for Sun Valley to bring people in, to promote Sun Valley, and they, they displayed them throughout their line. Apparently, this is from 1938.

APPRAISER: And when did you inherit it?

GUEST: Uh, we inherited it probably about ten to 15 years ago.

APPRAISER: This is a maquette artwork for a poster, for a very famous poster, done for Sun Valley. It was done by C. Peet.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: It's a very known poster. It's a poster that I have handled many times before.

GUEST: Oh, my gosh.

APPRAISER: That I've seen my colleagues handle. Nobody who I know in the entire poster industry-- nobody I know throughout the entire world of Sun Valley collectibles-- was ever able to identify for me what this artist's first name was.

GUEST: Oh!

APPRAISER: For us, he's always been "C. Peet." How do you know his first name?

GUEST: It's just been part of the story, Crayton Peet, so...

APPRAISER: I'm certainly aware of another poster that he did...

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: For Union Pacific. But not more than that. To my knowledge, what research I could do today, there is no reference of anybody named Crayton Peet.

GUEST: Oh, okay.

APPRAISER: So in my mind, he will remain "C. Peet."

GUEST: C. Peet.

APPRAISER: If somebody out there who's watching now knows more about it, this would be a great way for the entire community to learn.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: You're saying it's 1938, and I'm wondering why you think that.

GUEST: That came from my father-in-law, and that was probably part of the story that he heard.

APPRAISER: As much as this poster has ever been sold at auction, it is generally considered to be from the 1960s. And every time you see it come up at auctions, it's dated 1960s.

GUEST: Oh, that's interesting.

APPRAISER: Now, I do believe that to be incorrect. I think 1938 is wrong. And I'm pretty certain 1960 is wrong. I was conferring with some of my colleagues at the sports table, and we were looking at the clothing that some of these people are wearing. And the ski outfits really bespeak the 1940s.

GUEST: Mm-hmm, okay.

APPRAISER: Certainly, Sun Valley came into existence in 1936. I don't think this would have been a poster that they would have done two years after the resort was founded.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: So I believe this poster to be in the post-World War II era.

GUEST: Okay. Got it. Also,

APPRAISER: Sun Valley was very famous for the movie Sun Valley Serenade.

GUEST: Love it.

APPRAISER: Starring Sonja Henie.

GUEST: Absolutely love it.

APPRAISER: And it's weird because everybody who looks at this poster is, like, "Oh, my God..."

GUEST: "That's Sonja."

APPRAISER: "Look at the ice skater in the middle."

GUEST: Yeah.

APPRAISER: But, in fact, she's not ice skating. She's dancing, which is weird. So when the poster was printed, it was printed photolithographically. But this original one is actually what we call gouache on illustration board. I will say that generally, in the world of ski poster collecting...

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: Sun Valley posters are considered the most desirable of American posters.

GUEST: I can't believe I'm hearing this.

APPRAISER: I'm going to qualify that by saying...

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: Among the world of Sun Valley posters, this is one of the least popular because it doesn't focus on the skiing.

GUEST: Well... okay.

APPRAISER: It focuses on the myriad of other events.

GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: The dog sledding, the ice skaters, the, the people who are swimming, the polka band. There is some skiing, the torch light parades, uh, but it doesn't focus on the skiing, so it's always been considered one of the lesser appealing posters. But it is so rare to have the artwork for one of these things. My estimate at auction, were this to come up for sale, would be between $3,000 and $4,000.

GUEST: Oh, my gosh. Awesome! All right! I'll take it. (laughs)

APPRAISER: There are several collectors driving the whole field. That market has softened a bit. Many years ago, this would have sold for $4,000, $5,000, or $6,000.

Melanie Albanesi