"[the] lawsuit accusing the Atlanta collectors of taking quilts more than 100 years old is baseless because the quilt fabric is half that age.
"Experts who evaluated the quilts in dispute said they were made in the 1950s and '60s, attorneys Greg Hawley and Gary Coulter said at a news conference in Birmingham."Peter Burke, attorney for plaintiff Lucinda Pettway Franklin of Mobile, responded by pointing out the written evaluations weren't done until after his client filed suit, even though the promoters had the quilts for more than two years."
There is a press release on the Tinwood blog which provides more details about the Tinwood response, including the quilt appraisals. From the press release:
"We have had these quilts appraised by certified appraisers from Georgia and California. The Georgia appraiser, Holly Anderson, appraised the two older quilts as created in 1965. Julie Silber, an appraiser in Albion, California, dated one of the quilts as made between 1950 and 1960, with a value of $250 - $450. Ms. Silber appraised the second quilt as made between 1950 and 1960, and valued at $100 to $250. (Copies of these appraisals are available upon request)."
Presumably the appraisals are available from Dindy Yokel (305) 632-455 dindy@dindycopr.com at the Miami Beach, Florida PR firm, Dindy Co, which issued the press release.
The press release goes on to explain that:
"Finally, these experts in the field of fabric and quilts indicate that these quilts are worth, at most several hundred dollars. They are not “priceless” as plaintiff claims, or worth $100,000 as was reported in one newspaper story.
"Because Ms. Franklin’s claims may have the effect of undermining the integrity and goodwill of Gee’s Bend Quilts, a motion was filed today by the Arnetts’ attorneys for the federal court to appoint its own expert in the field of quilts and fabrics so that these sensational allegations can stop before further damage is done.When public confidence in the integrity of this art is undermined, the ultimate losers are the women of Gee’s Bend who create these quilts.
"When the integrity is called into question, art galleries are less likely to represent the women and their quilts. Art museums are less inclined to promote tours of the quilts. Ultimately, the value of these art forms could decline and the demand for them will diminish. This is to the detriment of everyone involved with Gee’s Bend Quilts."
The press release was posted as a comment on one of the Black Threads blog posts at 3pm - just two hours after the press conference. I read that another blogger - Extreme Crafts - also had the press release posted on that blog. QuiltersMuse blog has the release - with photos.
