Featured Thrift find - Joe Selby maritime painting + nude Burt Reynolds poster!

What a day at the thrift store today! I found a BIG Botero exhibition poster, a Miami Grand Prix first poster, a framed nude Burt Reynolds poster -
And a 1952 maritime painting by Joe Selby, a peg legged, African American, artist who painted ships as they docked in downtown Miami, then sold his work to the ship owners!
He kinda reminded me of the Florida Highwaymen painters, one of their paintings I found in the same thrift store!

The only problem. Is the painting is Dirty! I think it's just dried mud or dirt, but I don't want to take a chance hurting it - his ship paintings have sold for several thousands - what should I do?
Thank you




My Other Finds Today - I'd forgotten about the Burt Reynolds poster, but it caused a stir when it came out!

 

Don't touch the Selby. A new owner will want to restore herself/hisself. The Burt Reynolds was a Cosmopolitan magazine centerfold from 1972. Yours appears to be a reprint.

Debora

 

And the pic of the poster, is very small

 

I remember the people went crazy when Burt was in the magazine. Looking back, it was tame compared to today.

 

Nowadays the cigar is more shocking than the nudity.

Debora

 

Or the real bear skin rug!

Miami? Someone is going to want that poster.

 

I'm going to defer to Debora's cleaning suggestion for the painting... however maybe you could try cleaning just the frame a bit?? I'd try carefully with a damp rag. It looks like it was splashed with mud that might just wipe off easily. Might also give some info as to the material on there.

 

I'd take a damp rag to the frame too. Leave the picture to a restorer for certain. Burt in his birthday suit on a bearskin doesn't do much for me, but then Burt didn't any other time either.

 

I remember this Cosmo issue!

 

Peg-Legged Joe and Bareskin Burt-You nailed it amigo ! I remember a bunch of us guys and gals sitting around drinking Tequila and smoking something cracking up over how racy Cosmo had gotten !
Think we'd been skinny-dipping with a herd of hippies earlier that day,ole Burton seemed pretty tame.

 

Great finds! That maritime painting is very cool and I really dig the Grand Prix poster..Careful then with that damp cloth (damp not wet)

 

Lol

 

It looks like a pirate's peg legged!
Thanks everyone!

https://images.app.goo.gl/cJxo81L9EEYMFPjz8

 

I found a cruise ship metal tag on the Botero - has anyone seen this before?

 

I think a lot of artwork gets sold on cruises. That said I’d be more inclined to think this piece was on board a ship advertising this exhibition. The ship then docked in that market and folks who had seen the poster were inclined to go see the exhibition when on an excursion. That or that liner just sailed Latin America and was decorated with the artists work from that region.

 

Here is a photo of Joseph (Joe) Selby - this is what an old maritime / nautical painter looks like!!

 

Definitely a cataloging tag for it's display on the ship. Wherever it was, it received a lot of sun damage.

The painting is a great find! Good luck with it!

 

Thanks