He said it became one of the largest picture companies in the South, distributing artwork worldwide. He said the company was around from the 1940s to 1960s, and reproduced artists’ works as both serigraphs and lithographs. Others had prints of Cubans, Mexicans, Jamaicans, some of them artist-signed.Īrtist Jack Amorosowrote that Ray Witt reproduced several of his paintings in the 1960s. Another had a still life with fish signed by artist named Robert Lyons(I found an artist with that name whose works were similar to the ones at auction). Another had an image of a series of kittens another, some cockatoos. Another said his grandparents had purchased a painting of flamingos at a department store in Miami about 60 years ago. One person had two prints that had been passed on by a great aunt, while another found a picture in an attic. Ten vintage prints by four companies were up for auction. Sometimes, people have a lot more information in their hands than they realize. Up popped the same inquiries, so I started reading each one to see what I could learn from them and to see what types of images Witt reproduced. But I was still curious, and later spent some time with Google. I wasn’t interested in buying any of the pieces, so I moved on to preview other items at the auction house.
The first thing I came across were inquiries on an antiques and arts forum dating back to 2003 from people who were trying to find out about their own prints and the value. I Googled right there in the auction house to see what I could learn about the company. The others were also in slightly wrinkled plastic, indicating that someone had likely stored them away and forgotten about them.
The Witt prints were among 10 by companies with such names as Catalda Fine Arts, NYC Billy Snel and B&M. The print-maker on several was identified in small type at the bottom of each: Ray Witt Picture Co., with cities listed as Coral Gables and South Miami, FL. The images in some of the pictures were elongated stylized people and animals, but I could find no artists’ signatures beneath the plastic in which they were still wrapped. They were intriguing, so I answered their call and drew closer for a better view. The prints on the picture racks at the auction house had a decidedly 1960s look.
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