Help valuing a Frank V. Chaka etching. Found on cross country drive.

Over the spring I drove across the country and back. Well MN all the way East and back at least. I stopped at thrift stores, antique malls, and an estate sale and auction or two along the way. At a thrift store in Kansas I believe it was I found an etching by Frank V. Chaka of the White House & other D.C. scenes. It was very well done and like $3-$5 so I grabbed it. Other than the fact that The Library of Congress has one of his etchings and a Worthpoint result (which I don’t have access to) there’s not much info on him. There’s a couple images of watercolors he did. I could have sworn I found more about him back in the sprint but now I’m not getting much. I’m wondering if anyone can help me place a value on this signed etching? Just for curiosities sake. Thanks

 

Must have been a very interesting trip! Unfortunately, the images you attached are too small for us to get a good look at the details and condition. Any chance of larger ones?

 

Dang! I had to email them to myself in a small size in order to get them to show up here. Where do y’all host photos now that tinypic is gone? Here’s a link in the meantime. https://imgur.com/a/OtfYNoh

 

Even when signed, 'most' etchings are not going to worth much since they're just prints. Unless, of course, they're signed by Rembrandt or someone of that ilk .

There are many exceptions to this, but I don't see anything here that makes me think there's much value. It's a neat piece of American history, though. If you do decide to sell it, the history buffs/collector market may have interest in it.

 

@J Dagger I "host" my own pictures on my computer. I use Microsoft Office 2010 to edit and resize images as necessary.

 

I don't know. It's so small, I can't see it, it looks like a postage stamp.

 

i just ran across this post. I am actually a cousin of this artist. The art you may find online that "sold" are probably my purchases. Frank was a amazing lifelong artist. I own several works passed down from family. He, in later years lived in florida. When he first immigrated to the US he made a living traveling and drawing/etching. From coast to coast. He spent much time sketching buildings in DC. I do believe 17 works are in the library of congress. One was reproduced and sold through a department store. His work has never really been valuable, which is a shame because it is very good. Thanks!
Gayle Johns
Edited email address and offer to buy not allowed.

 

From what small amount I can see, this is good artwork, thanks, Gayle Johns.

 

Gayle, I have about 17 of Frank's etchings, some hand colored. My grandfather, who was from Czechoslovakia was friends with Frank. Frank sent him these, many were in form of of cards, through out the years. Many of these had the original envelopes too. My dad came across them in my grandparents house and gave them to me. I've tried to find out more info through the years and was unsuccessful until I came across your post

 

Isn’t that interesting! Second time I’ve heard from the relative of an obscure artist! Your relative was definitely a talented guy! Maybe you could post photos of other work you have by him? I know I would like to see and I’m sure others would too. I believe I have this piece in storage. I only go down that way a few times a year. Next time I’m there I’ll dig it out. You can message me if you want to talk about anything that’s not permitted on the public forum. I like this piece but I’m drowning in framed artwork so I wouldn’t mind letting it go. Thanks for posting.

 

Wow, talk about a coincidence!

 

This post must have slipped my mind back in 2019. I never posted better photos. Next time I am reunited with this piece I’ll get new photos for the record.

 

My parents owned and Art Gallery/Framing Studio in Florida and I have a very large number of his prints. The really interesting stuff is 8 or so original oil paintings of an Armageddon like nature painted during the Cold War "Duck and Cover" nuclear weapons era. Incredible artist and the detail and imagery is amazing. They were all painted on press board like material during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

 

Interesting! Any photos?

 

I have an original painting he did of my grandparent's house & yard in Ohio plus the painting of the Charles Bridge in Czechoslovakia that hung in my grandparents' living room for years plus an etching that must be one that was sold because of a partial tag in the upper corner. Glad to see some information about him, the artist.

 

Very cool! Any chance you can share some photos? It’s Interesting that after four years people are still popping up with artwork by a guy who there was otherwise very little evidence of his work out there.