Watts Family Buys a Picture for Ten Dollars in 1972.....

What percentage is it that your going to find an original hand signed piece of art, (in pencil Still!) by an artist in 1921, O' to none. Unless your Noel and Betty Watts.
The couple with their two sons went on a vacation in 1972, they packed needed supplies loaded their vehicle and headed out.
In a flea market type store outside of Laramie, Wyoming the couple bought a set of identical paintings of a skier going down hill. They purchased the pair for less than $10.00, something about the artwork drew them, it just seemed a great memento for our trip.
The paintings were kept on the wall of their bedroom for years, the couple moved from fulton, ms to Oxford, Ms where the paintings were stored in the attic.
But right after Christmas of last year, 2009, Noel and Betty decided to clean the attic, they pulling out several boxes, Betty discovered the paintings. She and Joel took them downstairs and placed them on a table, one of the frames fell away from the picture disclosing another paper behind the painting. Carefully removing the glass they made another discovery, an exquisite piece of art, sketched by hand and signed in pencil. 1921, Edward Hopper. Shocked by their find, Betty called a local artist Janet Barnes and was referred to William Andrews director of the University of Museum of Fine Arts of Ole Ms.
After a careful examination of the artifact it was confirmed to be an original,. Edward Hopper '˜ was considered by many to be Americas finest realist, the picture called "Night Shadow" back in the 1900's, Andrews said, I've used this drawing in my teachings for years, when I laid eyes on this, I knew it was an image by the masters hand.
We'll never know why the previous owners placed the print behind another print, but we're so glad they did, we may never would have made this discovery.
The watts family loaned the masterpiece to the Museum at the University of Modern Art, Andrews said, It's just incredible that we could hang this original "Edward Hopper" painting in our Museum along with, Georgia O'keeffe, Marsden Hartley and John Martin. The signed etching of "night shadows" is worth $35. 000 dollars.
This discovery has drawn world wide attention and the Watts family says they're just grateful to have found the priceless work of art and able to display it for all the visitors to view and enjoy.
Everyone loves a mystery story and this is certainly one of them, Betty says, the Edward Hopper etching is so intriguing and mysterious in itself, but the chance of us finding it and whats more ironic, the two paintings we bought was less than $10.00