Florida Highwaymen Paintings Continue To Sell Well

Demand for Original Florida Highwaymen art remains strong in 2010. As a Florida based auction gallery, Manor takes great pride in having sold more than 40 highwaymen paintings this past year! Topping the list was a Harold Newton selling for $2450 in the May Fine Art Auction. Manor will continue as a leading Highwaymen art dealer and auction gallery in years to come.

Looking to sell a Highwaymen Painting? Contact Manor for a no cost appraisal consultation.

The 26 Original Highwaymen Artists:

Curtis Arnett, Hezekiah Baker, Al Black, Ellis Buckner, George Buckner, Robert Butler, Mary Ann Carroll, Johnny Daniels, Willie Daniels, Rodney Demps, James Gibson, Alfred Hair, Issac Knight, Robert L. Lewis, John Maynor, Roy McLendon, Alfonso Moran, Harold Newton, Lemuel Newton, Sam Newton, Livingston Roberts, Willie Reagan, Cornell Smith, Charles Walker, Sylvester M. Wells and Charles Wheeler

About The Highwaymen...Florida's Natural Landscape Artists

In the early 1950’s A.E. Backus, a prominent white artist in S. Florida took Alfred Haire, an
unknown African-American art student under his teaching wing, and thus began the
Florida Highwaymen, an art style that has come to define itself as “The” Florida Landscape art.

Haire went on to tell his friends about the potential of making a living by painting and selling
Florida Landscapes, and 25 of them joined him in this new venture. Together the friends formed the group known as the “Original 26 Florida Highwaymen.”

Painting from garages in Ft. Pierce, the Highwaymen created a unique style of Florida landscape using bright vivid colors. Because the group did not have money to spare, their works were done on a heavy cardboard, known as upson and their frames were made of simple crudely painted white moulding.

From the 1950’s through the early 1980’s the group produced an estimated 250,000 works. The Highwaymen worked at such a rapid pace, that many of their paintings were sold while the paint was still wet. Most of these were sold door-to-door to businesses and offices throughout the local area. The average selling price was about $25.

The Highwaymen disbanded in the early 80’s when buyers’ taste seemed to change and their works were no longer selling.

The value of Highwaymen works climbed sharply with a resurgence of interest in the 1990’s. to this day Highwaymen Paintings are in demand and command great respect and interest throughout the art world. One can find Highwaymen paintings hanging in galleries, museums and for sale at any number of shows.

In 2004, the original 26 Highwaymen were inducted in to the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. They are:

• Curtis Arnett
• Hezekiah Baker
• Al Black
• Ellis Buckner
• George Buckner
• Robert Butler
• Mary Ann Carroll
• Johnny Daniels
• Willie Daniels
• Rodney Demps
• James Gibson
• Alfred Hair
• Issac Knight
• Robert L. Lewis
• John Maynor
• Roy McLendon
• Alfonso Moran
• Harold Newton
• Lemuel Newton
• Sam Newton
• Livingston Roberts
• Willie Reagan
• Cornell Smith
• Charles Walker
• Sylvester M. Wells
• Charles Wheeler