A dear friend sent me on a quest recently.

Don’t think she intended to….but a quest none the less.

She sent me a link to this piece of art at West Elm……

A 1884 map of Dallas land owners. Don’t she know me so well, folks?

It’s a little hard to tell, but I think the Cavender property is on that map. (it would be in the lower-middle-part of the left side)

My heart actually skipped a beat.

Then I saw the price, 169 bones, and my heart stopped entirely.

Just a little out of my comfort level for such a treasure……..espcially sine we don’t have any available wall space anyway, and pictures are just leaning on the floor right now.

Hello Google….

Gallery Direct had them,

Printed on canvas and stretched over a stretcher frame, like this

Gallery Direct also offers them framed, or even mounted on plywood. Unfortunately, those prices are anywhere from 93 bucks to 120.

Ouch,

Good news, they also sell just the prints on paper. But 46 dollars for a 21 X 22 inch print? That’s still a little high.

(insert heavy sigh),

But there was hope, If I was willing to give up on the indigo color (and, I think I am) there are still options…

Like this one from Amazon….

Only 67.99 on matte art paper.

Or even better, this one from the dealer, Maps of the Past, on eBay….

31.99….with free shipping.

Ladies and Gentleman, we have a winner.

Sure, it’s just the print, and unframed.

I might have an unused frame for it in the hoard…….. I grab frames at garage sales all the time (and usually just spray them black).

If not, I know my framer can throw one together for me for about 40 bucks.

Done, and done.

Thanks, Kay….I just love the hunt.

(BTW, I’ve been following Kay’s blog, Red Bird Vinatge Home, since day one. She’s been remodeling an absolutely charming Dutch Colonial and cautiously picking paint colors, siding, the kitchen and bathroom fixtures and all the other bits of Pinspiration to fill it with. I feel very fortunate to have been along for that ride……..Check her out)