Charles Gardiner, Antiques

It's a New Year in New England

2012-01-09T09:46:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I started off the 2012 show season at Jack Donigian's Milford Antiques Show in Milford, New Hampshire. I mentioned Jack's show in the last post (way back in October!?!) and it's better than ever. The hall was full, sellers and buyers both, and regardless of whether you are a seller or a buyer (or like most of us-- both) if you are in New England this is the place to be on a Sunday morning from mid-October through April 1. We were selling as soon as we started unloading the van, a little before 7 AM, and made our last inside sale within an hour of closing at noon. In fact, we were busy enough that I didn't have a chance to take any pictures until after 10 AM, and even then, only pictures of my own stand.

Be warned, there's a lot going on in this 3-1/2 hour (officially...) show, and a lot of very good, very fresh stuff changes hands. During the winter months, this is the only weekly, indoor, antiques market in New England, and I saw dealers I know from all five New England States, Quebec, New York, and New Jersey, and I even spotted an Alaska license plate there in the dealer parking, although I never did figure out whose van that was.

Here's some pix of my stand.

Come join us, get in on the fun!

2011-10-11T14:36:00.000-04:00

It's not that I haven't been busy... If anything, just the opposite. I've gotten a couple of nice rugs since I last posted.

This one is a small, 30 inch diameter, hand-braided 8-Spoke Shaker Spirit Rug which I've added to my DigAntiques shop selection.

And this one is a 19th century Daghestan Prayer Rug from the NE Caucasus. Neither is in a perfect state of preservation, but both are seldom encountered and I was not about to let either one go by.

I also found this small piece of hand-wrought iron about about 9 inches long and about which I know absolutely nothing...

save that it was pounded into the wall and held something, but what? and why? (Of course what I see is a ballet dancer on point, but that's just me.)

And then there is this painting

From a local estate, it's never been out of its original frame and I'm reasonably certain that it's a scene from somewhere here in northern New England. It too has a bit of a problem, that's a hole there in the lower right corner, but its a pretty impressive painting and will probably be well worth the time it will take to learn more about it.

Jack Donigian's Milford Antiques Show begins the season this coming Sunday, October 16, and every Sunday (except Christmas) until the first of April. It's a sure sign that winter is coming, but we're always glad to see it because it's a good place to both buy and sell.

Until next time.

This Ought To Clean Up Pretty Well

2011-08-23T09:48:00.002-04:00

I've spent most of the last few weeks enjoying visits from family, another wedding, and lots of nice summer weather, but I've still managed to get out some... And any time you can get out and rummage through New England, the nation's attic, there are always interesting things to find.

For example, a real-photo post card of the start of a motorcycle race, but not just any motorcycle race, this was the start of the 1946 National Championship Road Race, the first National Championship held after a hiatus during WWII, in Gilford, NH. Gilford doesn't ring a bell? Think Laconia... Gilford is just up the road, and after 88 years Laconia, in June, still means only one thing-- motorcycles.

Or how about what looks like a giant-sized piece of Tramp Art? It's about 30 inches in diameter and 40 inches tall... As near as we can tell, and it's just an educated guess, this is a Bee Skep built from strips of wooden lath. Not familiar with the term "skep"? Think "a man-made hollow tree". The bees have easy entry and exit, ample ventilation, and protection from rain. Inside the structure there are rods to support a foundation frame and the bees take it from there. Not built with any notion other than utility, if we approach it as sculpture it's folk art in its purest form.

And something we can relate more easily to while on the subject of art, a watercolor painting of a twelve-man jazz band, unsigned, which I find really surprising because it's so well executed. Imagine my surprise to stumble on this here in rural New England. It belongs in New Orleans.

And something else I shouldn't expect to find in New England save that they came from the estate of a long-deceased antiques dealer, two brass plates, 19th century, from the Near East. I'm no authority, but the engraving on these plates is so much more delicate and intricate than any we see nowadays that I'm certain the note attached to them was correct. I only wish it had gone into more detail about where they might have been made. (Don't forget that you can click on any of these images to enlarge them.)

Another pair of orphans or runaways are these candle holders from Sweden. Fully marked, they were designed by Ivar Alenius Bjork in the 1930s and manufactured by Ystad Metall.

More brass, this time an ash tray. Yes, an ash tray. Clearly marked Park-It-Safe, your cigarette was held in the space between the fingers. One set of fingers was even spaced more widely to accommodate your cigar! This same design was later manufactured from aluminum, turning it into a very Fifties product, but this one apparently was the first generation. About three inches in diameter, I had no idea what it was when I picked it up... maybe a coaster, or a very small crown?

More metal, this time cast iron... A Wagner Ware No. 1508 Loaf or Baking Pan. This is a scarce piece of cast iron cookware and I'll have to have it cleaned up, but it should attract some attention both at shows (Brimfield is coming) and on eBay.

Finally getting around to what may turn out to be the best find (and also the title piece of this post)... Even though badly water stained, this ought to clean up pretty well. At least I hope so, because it appears to be an original lithograph on linen, in an Imperial Folio size, from “Le Jardin Potages,” published by Vilmorin, the illustrious Paris seed company, annually, one each year, by from 1850 to 1884. This one is No.28 (1877). These posters were later gathered and published as Album Vilmorin, now very rare, so rare that I cannot be certain whether or not it was published in a smaller format (of which I have seen examples for sale) or both large and small formats, late in the 19th century, and then in a facsimile edition late in the 20th century, in itself scarce and very collectible.

Although it too could be called an orphan or runaway, I guess what this tells us is that New England really is the nation's attic and that we should never be surprised by what turns up here.

And one last thing from the last few weeks, almost a postscript...

This is a tin boiling pot, complete with its original cover. Used to quickly heat water on the kitchen wood stove, then carried outside to the wash pot, it's a fine example of a country antique still in excellent condition. It's also an example of the bread and butter of this business up until ten or so years ago. And it's the only "country antique" that I found and came home with-- an illustration of where this business has been, and where it's going.

Getting Back on the Show Circuit

2011-07-28T21:22:00.000-04:00

As my shoulder continues to improve with physical therapy I'm slowly getting back on the show circuit. Although I skipped Brimfield for the second time this year, I did set up in Dorset, Vermont, in July, and then in New London, NH, the following weekend. My camera batteries failed to take a charge the night before the Dorset show, so I have no image record of that show, which is a biennial show on the lawns and marble sidewalks of the village... very picturesque. It was a hot day for us all, but the crowd turned out all the same and I think it's fair to say that the dealers held up their end of the bargain too. There were some gorgeous antiques for sale in Dorset that Saturday.

A week later, with brand new batteries in my camera, I made my way to the Garden Club Antique Show in New London, New Hampshire.

The town green was absolutely full of dealers, and despite the heat of that day, once again the crowd turned out. There was a strong shower just at the start of set-up, so probably only half of us were ready on time for early buying, but the upside was that we stayed cooler than expected for nearly all the morning, and although the afternoon got quite warm, the humidity was pretty much gone. I heard no one complain.

Making its first appearance at a show was a ca. 1800 Blanket Box that that I had bought at an estate sale while vacationing with the family on the New Jersey shore in early July. I really hadn't intended to buy anything at all while "on vacation" but so much for that resolution.

Five of the six boards are White Pine; the sixth, the bottom board, is Chestnut (now it could properly be called wormy Chestnut) and it retains its original hand-wrought iron hinges and its old green paint. Given my shoulder problem it's only the second piece of furniture that I've added to my offerings this year-- everything else has been small and light. I guess it's a sign that my shoulder really is getting better, that and my fondness for pieces still in their old paint.

So what else is new?

A three-legged Cast Iron Pot, most recently used as a plant holder, but what its original use was I really don't know.

A cast iron Radiator Cover that could be used as a trivet or hung on a wall for its interesting pattern.

A set of 1-1/4pound Wood Dumbbells, something any of us with shoulder injuries could still use.

And a Farm Tractor and Trailer. Sorry, but this one is not going to be for sale. Instead it will go to my 13 month old grandson, Finn, when I see him later in August. Every boy needs a tractor to drive around.

More on that Geiszel watercolor

2011-06-10T13:18:00.004-04:00

In the previous post I pictured a watercolor of a surf caster fishing near a sand dune and attributed it to Margaret Malpass Geiszel. Further consideration indicates that it may in fact more likely be the work of her husband, John H. Geiszel (1892-1973 or '74, Philadelphia, PA), listed in Davenport, Mallett, etc. Educated at the Pennsylvania Museum and School (now the Philadelpha Museum of Art) and a member and past-president of the Philadelphia Sketch Club, Geiszel was a well-known teacher but apparently not a prolific artist. His work is said to be held in public and private collections, but seldom comes up for sale.

I was able to find signature examples of both John and Margaret. All examples of Margaret's signature include her initials, M.M. The only example of John's signature that I have yet found is from an oil painting, but the form of the letters, especially the G, strongly resembles the signature of this little watercolor, and indicates that it may more likely be by his hand than by hers.

Margaret Malpass Geiszel

John H. Geiszell

The watercolor in question...

Taking into account that the different media have to be handled differently, I think you'll agree that the similarity is clearly seen. Of course, what's also clearly seen is the similarity between Margaret's and John's signatures... So at this point, it's still an attribution, but I'm prepared to attribute it to John.

Is this drawing by Roland H. Clark?

2011-06-07T09:13:00.000-04:00

Maybe? Probably not? I don't know. It's well done, the signature is very similar (but is that middle initial really an H?), the date is right, but the subject matter is not at all typical. Still, artists have been known to dash off personal works for friends or family, or sometimes just for fun, that have little or no similarity to their "important" work.

Here's another one. Is this watercolor by Margaret Malpass Geiszel? Maybe... but I don't know. This one too is well done, the style is right, she worked in watercolors, the scene could easily have been found on the nearby New Jersey shore, and the signature is very similar but it lacks the MM that she usually used.

Both of these are recent acquisitions, both stand up well on their own, but can either of them be confidently attributed? Probably not by me, but maybe someone better equipped will come forward to buy them, or maybe they will simply be bought and enjoyed by someone who really isn't concerned about the identity of the artist.

And now for something completely different-- a mid-century industrial work station chair, completely original, well-used but not abused, with an adjustable seat height and back height. It might have been for a sewing machine operator, or someone who worked at a parts assembly bench, but what attracted my eye was it's anthropomorphic quality. I see a funny little creature standing there, looking out at me.

That's the fun of this business of collecting stuff, whether for ourselves or for others. There are unanswered questions, mysteries, and even the occasional intentional misconception and the smile that accompanies it.

Outdoor Antiques Show May 28, 2011, in Madison, CT

2011-05-24T21:37:00.000-04:00

It looks like I will be showing on the first outdoor Antiques Show of the 2011 season on the Town Green in Madison, CT, next Saturday, May 28, 2011. I'll be bringing a half dozen pieces of "stick wicker", Art Deco wicker from the 1920-30s. You won't often find a whole sun porch full of stick wicker for sale in one place at one time...

A chaise, two lounge chairs each with a magazine rack arm, an ottoman that can double as a low table,

and a pair of end tables!

The weather forecast is good, a little humid maybe, but a high in the 70s and any showers holding off until late in the day. Still, it's a good idea to get out early. Early Buying admission is between 8-9 AM. Regular admission is from 9-4, and unless stormy weather chases us out earlier, all 70+ antique dealers will be there right up until the end.

Want to save a dollar? Click here to get the discount coupon from the Madison Chamber of Commerce web site, good for a dollar off one or two regular admissions. Just print it and come on down.

What else might you see in my stand? A few recent finds shown in earlier blog posts, the prancing horse weather vane will be out for its maiden showing, the anatomy charts, the skirted trefoil top table, and some other pieces that haven't been seen here, bamboo and faux bamboo, maybe a piece or two of fancy Victorian wicker, and an assortment of interesting yet affordable smalls from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries.

See you in Madison!

Still Raining After All These Days

2011-05-22T15:48:00.000-04:00

We get the feeling that we've missed all of Spring, except April, and that when this rain finally stops and the overcast lifts we will find ourselves in mid-Summer. It will be better than this, but I really wouldn't mind enjoying some Spring.

Of course, three inches of rain last week isn't enough to stop the hunting expedition, and I managed to turn up a few neat things...

A set of six hand-painted, frosted juice glasses that I thought would make a nice addition in an upcoming Garden Show, but my wife seems to think they'll make a nice addition right here at home... So it goes.

An appliqued linen pouch, from the 1940s I think, about seven inches square. I've seen small mats of this nature from time to time, but this is the first pouch that I've come across.

And how about a sheet iron weathervane in the form of a horse. I don't think this has a whole lot of age, maybe 40 to 60 years, but probably not more. It was made to either be supported on a rod like any proper weathervane or mounted flat on a wall... it actually has the mounts built on the back side, which is what leads me to believe that it's not as old as we wish it were. But it has a great look, and the surface is right, not the result of artificial aging. It's been around for a while, but will not cost an arm and a leg like the antique vanes of this ilk.

That's it for now. I really have to get some tomatoes transplanted while I can-- before Summer goes the way of Spring.

A Rainy Day

2011-05-15T14:38:00.001-04:00

A rainy day, but things are looking up. My shoulder may not require a surgical repair after all. I've been directed to physical therapy instead, started last week, and we'll see what things look like in another month or so. No surgery and a quicker return to the show circuit would be good. Missed all of Brimfield, and I was told it was a good one, but there will be more.

So here's the other medical chart. This one is American, c. 1918...

And a 6 foot tall step ladder, c. 1900, labeled Paris Manufacturing Co., S. Paris, Maine. Still sturdy enough to be used as a ladder, it much more likely will end up being used in a store display. It's past owner (or owners) were painters-- that much is quite obvious, but who would want to erase such a provenance.

It will be a while before I'm back on the show trail, but when I am, you'll see these and other new finds there on the ground instead of on the screen. Nothing big and heavy for a while, but that's okay, too.

Is Spring Finally Here?

2011-05-04T08:33:00.001-04:00

Well, it seemed like it a couple of days ago.

Although it's been some time since I posted here, it's not like nothing has been happening. I started off the new year by slipping on an icy Boston sidewalk and tearing my rotator cuff. Then, of course, I spent the next ten weeks shoveling snow, which probably didn't help it any. Bottom line is that I now am facing a surgical repair which will keep me off the show circuit probably all summer, perhaps into the fall.

Of course, that's not quite the same as saying I don't get out any more, only that the things I'm apt to bring home are smaller, or at least lighter...

For example:

A ca. 1905 Wicker Tea Cart

A ca. 1900 or earlier English Anatomy Chart

A ca. 1885 Trefoil Top Table with ebonized legs and a crocheted, ribboned, and fringed skirt

That's hardly all there is... there's another Anatomy Chart, American, ca. 1930, of the Skeleton, at least a half dozen pieces of ca. 1930s Art Deco style Stick wicker, pencil drawings and drypoint etchings, and lots more.

For all practical purposes I'll be forced to simply sell most things from my web site or other online venues, although I certainly hope to be back out on the field as quickly as possible. Might even have some things out on the porch of the Vermont house again...

CharlesGardinerAntiques.com

...on Dig Antiques

...on eBay

Winter Is Coming

2010-11-07T10:42:00.000-05:00

I've been busy the last couple of months, just not in the antiques business, buying or selling. I had hoped to do a show in New Hampshire today, but by the time I knew for sure that I'd be free, there was no longer any space available. So it goes.

Even without spending a whole lot of time searching for "new additions" I've managed to come up with a few neat things over the last eight or nine weeks-- nothing important, mind you, just some neat stuff.

A 19th century silversmith's gutta percha Christmas Ornament Mold.

A complete woven bagface, probably Anatolian.

A late 19th/early 20th century Bamboo Book Shelf.

A wagon Neck Yoke in old paint.

A string of Simulated Pearls, circa 1920.

Like I said, nothing important, just fun stuff to be able to offer once I get back on the show circuit, probably next year...

Even here in New England (we're told to expect 1-3" of snow tomorrow) there's plenty of opportunity to buy and sell good stuff. In Milford, NH, Jack Donigian presents the Milford Antiques Show EVERY Sunday from October 17, 2010, until March 27, 2010. In Concord, NH, Trisha McElroy presents a monthly Antiques Show on the first Sunday of each month until April 10, 2011. In Portsmouth, NH, Nan Gurley presents seven Antiques Shows on a somewhat irregular schedule, Sundays or Wednesdays, between now and April 13, 2011. In Bath, ME, Polly Thibodeau presents the Bath Antiques Shows on the second Sunday of each month, from now until April 10, 2011. And in Plymouth, MA, Lisa Davis will be presenting the winter "indoors" version of her very successful summer market, the Sandwich Bazaar, on the first and third Wednesdays from November 17, 2010 until April 6, 2011. These shows are, for the most part, "short and sweet" affairs, so plan to get there early.

End of the Summer

2010-09-21T08:30:00.000-04:00

Well, this is the last day of summer, but it's hardly the end of the antiquing season here in New England.

I didn't expect to be around last weekend to do any shows, but an abscessed tooth changed those plans, so I ended up in Amherst, NH, on the Village Green at the annual fall show organized there by the Amherst Historical Society. It was a picture perfect late summer day in a picture perfect New England village. This is a small show, about 40 dealers bringing good solid but affordable antiques. It's a show I've done before, so I knew what to expect, but if it's a show that's not on your radar, you really ought to add it to your list. It's always held on about the same weekend each September, and although it's not exactly a well-kept secret, it's not one of those heavily advertised (and therefore overpriced) shows.

For sellers and buyers both, it's a good opportunity.

Speaking of buying, I had managed to come up with a few tasty little things while dealing with that tooth problem...

Something that I otherwise wouldn't have even considered is this chain link ashtray stand.

It's got the age all right, probably 1930-40s, but what got my attention was that this is not simple log chain links welded together. It was made from flat, conveyor chain, the kind that you would have found on horse-drawn farm equipment-- hay loaders, manure spreaders, anything that was powered by its wheels as the horses drew it along. Once small tractors were firmly established on the small side-hill farms of New England, these implements were consigned to the back row of the field, behind the barn, and this little stand is a great example of adapting for reuse. I hope nobody smokes any more, but it's a perfect size for holding business cards, which is exactly what I had it doing last Saturday in Amherst.

I had also found a small number of tin cookie cutters since I last posted. My favorite was a horse.

It appealed to someone else, too, because it found a new home Saturday, on its first time out.

The real prize of the last few days of the never-ending antiques hunt, however, is a small Shaker Fancy Box. Only 4-3/8 inches long, and lined with silk (which distinguishes it from a pantry box), this little oval fingered box was probably made in the Canterbury, NH, community, likely "for the world" but its unusual feature is its Cherry top.

I had never seen a box with that feature before, but then again this is the first "fancy" box that I have ever owned. It may not be all that unusual for this kind of product of Shaker hands. It's a sweet little thing!

I don't know where my next show will be. I had planned to be in Lebanon, CT, this coming weekend, but the work that I had to postpone now has to be done, so I'll not be available for that Saturday show. (You should still go!) On the old schedule I hadn't expected to be available for any of the southern Vermont shows on the first weekend of October, and I don't know yet whether I will be or not, but none of those shows are the kind you can expect to be able to squeeze into, so if I am not otherwise engaged, I may just have to be content to set up a "yard show" of my own at the house on in the village of Jamaica, close to the heart of the southern Vermont action. If so, I'll have signs all along on Routes 11 and 30 and 100, and post on Craigslist and all that good stuff. The Alice Peck Day show in Lebanon, NH, is coming up in November, and that's another one that I'll be there for if I can be, but I won't know for a while, and then it will simply be a matter of whether or not Lee has a space available.

So even though things are up in the air at the moment... See you at the shows!

Brimfield Bound

2010-09-04T07:03:00.003-04:00

The Madison, CT, Historical Society Show last Saturday turned out to be a good one, and at that point I thought it might be my last show for a while, before my "real job" takes me out of the country for a few weeks (right at the height of the Fall show season, grumble, grumble...) but the schedule got shifted at least until the middle of next week, so here I am running around to get ready for Brimfield. I'll be set up on Tuesday afternoon at Brimfield Acres North, space # 51, in the middle of the field. Tuesday is the first day at Brimfield, and the show opens at 1 PM. This is a one-day show, so don't dilly-dally.

Whether or not I'll be able to set up at May's on Thursday, as usual, remains to be seen.

I don't have time to post a lot of pix of the things I've come across this past week, but this Silver Gilt and Lemon Gold frame, beat up though it may be, is good grist for Brimfield, and that's were it will be on Tuesday afternoon, for the first few minutes of the show... Oh, and the engraving is by Herbert Bourne (b. 1825) and titled The Family of Charles I, but for me it's about the frame.

See you at the show.

So What Have I Found

2010-08-22T20:52:00.002-04:00

So what have I found in the last couple of weeks? Well, I was able to buy several Finnish-American Hand Loomed Rag Rugs, of which the best of the lot is an 11'-6" runner. It was made by the grandmother of the woman selling the rugs, who is my age (shall we say politely, over full retirement age...). She estimated that the rug was at least 80-100 years old, and I concur.

It's strong enough to go on the floor, but bright enough to be hung on the wall as textile art, especially in a room with a cathedral ceiling.

On a much smaller scale is an ironstone platter, c.1870, bearing the seal of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Apparently these were used to display fresh cut flowers and produce and fairs and displays sponsored by the Society. Like most ironstone, this piece will need to be cleaned to be presentable, but that's an easy enough task. By the time I offer it for sale it will look a lot better.

And here's another nice little thing, a spinner from one of the many woolen mills that could be found all over New England prior to the Civil War. At one time you could find these by the thousands, probably by the tens of thousands. They're not that common any more, but normally I still wouldn't bother with one, but this one was turned from figured wood, either Curly Birch or Curly Maple, I can't be sure which. It's highest and best use now, probably a candle holder.

Last week I found a c. 1949 serigraph by Harry Reeks, a New Orleans born man who became a combat artist during WWII, then spent a couple of years in San Francisco after the war ended. His work was, frankly, tourist art, lively, colorful, and intended to be a souvenir, an inexpensive reminder of one's visit. I have a number of similar pieces, in both intention and period, by Vermont artists. They've become very collectible, and I'm willing to bet that Reek's views of postwar San Francisco will prove similarly popular. This one has never been out of its original frame. It really should be rematted in acid-free materials, but that's another day.

Only a few weeks before I had found a watercolorist's field easel to display it on. Easels like this one were built to lie flat, if you were painting washes, or at angles, usually in 15° increments, all the way up to 90°. I've owned several, and they seem to be popular both with painters and displayers.

But I think the prize of what I've come upon in the last few weeks is an Herb Dryer. I almost missed seeing it, folded up flat. It hangs on the wall, flat when not in use, but lifts and folds when used to dry bunches of herbs.

It's very well designed, the rods nearest the front are offset, upper and lower, so that herbs can be hung from every rod. To put the frame into use, the pieces unfold and the ends are slipped into hand chiseled channels. It's ingenious and simple, and, of course, the question everyone asks is, "Is it Shaker?" Well, it might be, I don't know. I do know that many auction houses, even the ones that specialize in Shaker sales, would be likely to attribute it to them, but that doesn't make it so. I guess it will just have to be left to others to decide.

And finally, one last thing...

Remember these?

They were featured in my May 30th post. I didn't sell them that next weekend at the Cape Cod Antique Dealers Association as I expected, but they did sell a few weeks later, and they did sell down on the Cape. I made my money-- I was happy.

Imagine my surprise when I spotted them again in a Kaminsky Auction catalog for the August 28, 2010 sale featuring Nautical Antiques. They've got an estimate between three and four times what I sold them for down on the Cape... Am I upset? No. I don't know yet what they will sell for, but Kaminsky's is a quality auction house here on the North Shore of Massachusetts and I'd like to hope that they're right, and that their current owner meets his or her expectations, just as mine were met. No, my message is to you, and what I want to tell you is that you shouldn't assume that the things offered at antiques shows are too expensive for you to buy, and even make money on!

Next outing is in Madison, CT, on the Village Green, Saturday, August 28, for the Madison Historical Society. Under tents, rain or shine, it'll be a good show.

So don't be shy, there's money to be made at antiques shows, for sellers and buyers both! See you at the shows.

Come and Gone

2010-08-10T07:36:00.006-04:00

Early Sunday morning at a nearby flea market I spotted a pair of handwrought andirons. The seller said they had come from the Malden, MA, estate of an ironworker.

Both, of course, are right handed, and one is smaller than the other. I have no way to know if they were made as a pair or not. Nor, apparently, does it matter. This is Antiques Week in New Hampshire, and some of the best dealers in the country have gathered for the several shows in and near Manchester this week. The andirons visited Manchester yesterday and sold immediately. Come and gone.

From a different seller at the same market I got a cast iron stove door with a floral decoration that strikes me as quite unusual.

I know nothing of the maker, and can only estimate that it dates to c. 1875, but I like it, and it will find a place on my wall as a painting or drawing might, a cast iron drawing, as it were.

And from a third seller (still at the same market) a pair of Lomax Oil Guard lamps. These are the smaller size of the upright model, nicely scaled for use in the bedroom. Since the original Lomax burners are gone, I'll have sockets and wiring added, find a couple of nice shades, and take them out on the show circuit.

I turned out to be a good day at the flea market.

See you at the shows!

Another Spider

2010-08-05T11:56:00.011-04:00

I've managed to come up with a few interesting things in the last week or so...

Totally unlike what I usually find, or even notice, this drying rack and its pair of waders caught my eye, more as sculpture than anything else.

I've never done the show, never even been to it, but I'll see if maybe I can arrange for them to hitch a ride over to the Adirondack show next week. The crowd might like them over there, or maybe some of the "object" sellers in Manchester, NH... I'm going to sit out Antiques Week in Manchester, too, although I might have to go over to see the NHADA show, grab a glimpse of the really good stuff before it flies out the door.

I picked up a nice little Tiger Maple Masher, one with distinct tiger stripes on the handle that, when you get down to the wider diameter of the masher itself turns into a quilted pattern, quite unusual.

A pair of hand wrought scissors was a nice find in a New Hampshire shed. I don't run into these nearly as often as I did when I was younger. Of course, that was quite a while ago...

From over in New York state I uncovered the base (just the base, I'm sorry to say) of a child-size chair table.

It hasn't very sophisticated construction, and of course there's a lot missing altogether... believe me, I wish it wasn't... but what's there I love, and I think it will turn out to be a great starter piece for a collector of children's furniture.

And, saving favorites for last, I chanced upon another spider, this one originally found near Canterbury, NH. There's nothing to suggest a connection with the Shaker community there, although there's nothing to argue against it either. This is something that I bought from a collector, so I have no knowledge of its original context, save that it was originally found in the area.

This is another nice early example (see the last post), late 18th century or perhaps very early 19th century, and although it will be offered for sale from time to time, it will spend the rest of the time on my kitchen hearth.

My next scheduled show is still on the last Saturday before Labor Day, on the Village Green in Madison, CT, for the Madison Historical Society. Of course, until then I'll still be poking around to see what else I can find.

See you at the shows!

Guilford, CT ~ July 24, 2010

2010-07-25T12:20:00.009-04:00

Guilford was hot yesterday, hot and humid. One of the show organizers admitted that when prospective dealers ask her what the show is like, she always says it's hot. It was, and with a date near the end of July, it usually will be, even though Guilford sits right there on the Connecticut coast.

It's not usually this humid, though, and it seemed to me that the crowd, understandably, was down some... Most of them certainly came before noon, though I admit I was surprised that there were still some new faces even as late as half past three in the afternoon, by which time a thermometer that I had for sale was reading 97° in the shade. However, no one really wanted to know just exactly how hot it was, least of all me.

I plan to take most of August off, just relax with the family at the Vermont house. Maybe I'll run over to Manchester, NH, to see friends at the shows there, but I'm determined not to join them this year. For once I want simply to sit around in August.

That said, I'll make a liar out of myself, because I do plan to show in Madison, CT, at the end of August, Saturday the 28th, from 9 to 4 on the Madison Town Green. Rain or shine, we'll hope for shine, but with a little less heat than we've had in the July outings. If forecast is a good one, I'll bring some tiger maple furniture that I don't normally bring to outdoor shows, and a 10' diameter braided rug. Rain or shine, I'll bring some cast iron cookware, not the Griswold or Wagner stuff that you can find every day, but early and mid-19th century examples like this griddle, called a "spider" because of

its legs. These spider pots, pans, and griddles were made at a time when most of the cooking was done on an open hearth; the legs held the pans above hot coals piled beneath. Spider frying pans, hard enough to find, are much more common than a griddle like this one above, or the pot seen below, used to heat water.

Pieces from the period of this pot, just a little bit later, still have the spider legs (as well as the handle which allows the pot to be suspended on a trammel) for use on the hearth, but the base of the pot was sized to fit on the stove top (inside the holes found on all kitchen stoves) in order to gain maximum heat.

I'll also bring a couple of unusually large pieces that I bought from the estate of a man who worked as lumber camp cook.

A 14 inch pancake or stew for 24 anyone?

See you at the show!

Bridgehampton Bound

2010-06-20T11:05:00.006-04:00

Vintage Cut-out Wood Fence Decorations

On Saturday and Sunday, June 26-27, I'll be set up in Bridgehampton, Long Island, on the grounds of the Corwith House for the Bridgehampton Historical Society Antiques Show. Early Buying begins Saturday at 8AM, and if you're serious about it, that's when you'll be there. The show runs until 5PM on Saturday, and on Sunday from 10AM until 5PM. Right now, the weather forecast for Sunday doesn't look all that good, but I'll be there on Saturday, under my own tent, rain or shine. There's plenty of time to go to the beach some other day.

Among other things, I'll bring along a couple of good garden pieces like this c.1900 Conservatory Stand. It rotates freely and was intended to hold potted plants in the sunroom.

I'll also bring a great Cast Iron Garden Bench with an oak top, interesting because it's tall enough to be used as a bench, but low enough to serve as a table next to or in front of chairs. I had it soda blasted to remove many, many coats of paint from the iron without dulling the edge of the casting itself, and I had to simply replace the top altogether. As a result what we have is a piece ready to go into your yard, on your deck, or in your sunroom-- for another lifetime of use.

Finally... a vintage Hat and Scarf Display Stand, Bamboo, a 20th century piece that is simply "outa' sight". It stands some 75 inches tall, 58 inches wide, and given its size was probably originally a store display piece. If you need a pair, you're just "outa' luck!

See you at the show!

2010-06-09T20:53:00.004-04:00

Despite a threatening weather forecast on Sunday we made it through the entire CCADA Spring Antiques Show in Sandwich, MA, with no more than a drop or two of rain, but placid as it looks in this picture, taken just before the gates opened, the wind did blow as the day progressed.

By early afternoon small tents like mine were taking a terrific beating. One of my immediate neighbors had to literally stand by the corners of their pop-up tent to constantly reset the pegs holding it down. With the help of other dealers I finally removed the top sheet of my tent, packed away the most breakable pieces and the small, light weight pieces that were being dumped on the ground by every gust, and made it through the rest of the show with no major problems, having sustained only minimal damage to two or three items. Others were not as fortunate. Whole tents were lifted off the ground, tables blown over, and too many sounds of breaking glass to make anyone comfortable. Dealers were given permission an hour before the show ended to start packing, since the wind gusts were strong enough to have pretty well emptied the field of buyers.

So it goes with outdoors antiques shows. My next scheduled outing is not until the end of the month, June 26 and 27, in Bridgehampton, Long Island, for the Bridgehampton Historical Society. We'll all hope for better weather.

See you at the shows.

2010-05-30T11:35:00.008-04:00

I didn't get to do a whole lot of picking during the last week since my son and his girlfriend were visiting at the Vermont house, but I did manage to come up with a couple of things to take to Cape Cod next Sunday.

A pair of hand-forged iron and brass folk art andirons, probably about a hundred years old judging by the undisturbed patina.

And I also found a nice set of bronze bookends of a clipper ship flying the American flag, a late 19th C engraving of the America's Cup yacht "The Defender", a very small brass mast head lamp still with its original burner, a copper-bodied outdoor thermometer with a good bit of age, and a few other odd bits, but no pix of any of it yet. Along with the Butternut Stand I picked up a week or ten days ago, it will all be down on the Cape next Sunday, June 6, in Sandwich, MA, at the Cape Cod Antiques Dealers Association show at the Heritage Museum.

I hope the weather turns out as good as it did in Madison, CT, on the Village Green, yesterday. The rain held off all day and long enough for us all to get packed up, too. An easy show, a good crowd, and the Chamber of Commerce will do it two more times this season, so check it out.

Oh yes, one other thing...

How it made its way to rural New Hampshire I'll never know, but I picked up a nicely framed set of three pen and ink drawings of St. Tropez this morning at the Peterborough Antiques Market. I guess Peterborough, home to the MacArthur Colony, isn't really like most of the rest of rural New Hampshire, is it? This one will wait until the end of the month to make the trip to Bridgehampton, NY. Folks in the Hamptons are much more likely to be familiar with St. Tropez than those in New Hampshire, even Peterborough.

See you at the shows!

www.CharlesGardinerAntiques.com

2010-05-23T20:24:00.004-04:00

Peterborough (NH) Antiques Market, every Sunday from now until early October. Today was a light day, only about a dozen dealers set up, and selling was soft... but the show is friendly, easy, and often a lot more busy than it happened to be today. For me, 90% of sales happened after 1PM as I was packing up. I'm not complaining.

Buyer or seller, if you're in the area I suggest you check it out, Route 202 South of the village of Peterborough (on the way to Jaffrey). Dealers begin to set up at the very civilized hour of 7AM and most don't start packing until 1PM. As I said, it's a friendly and easy show. You can call Otto ahead of time at 603-547-5832 or you can just show up. It is an Antiques Market, so no socks and t-shirts or yard sale leftovers, please!

Fewer than a half dozen of the things seen here will be taken to Madison, CT, next Saturday, so as always, see you at the show.

www.CharlesGardinerAntiques.com

2010-05-22T15:56:00.000-04:00

People have been after me for some time now to blog my latest finds and my show schedule, so I guess I'll try to add it to my list of things to do or at least to catch up with...

This week I found a nice little One-Drawer Stand, early 19th C, Butternut with White Pine secondary and Black Walnut knobs. 28-1/2 inches tall, 18 inches wide, 17-1/4 inches deep. Quite some time ago it apparently got stripped; on the underside of the top is a single coat of black paint over the original red wash. Too bad, because otherwise it's pretty much untouched. They knobs may or may not be original, but if they're not they replaced a very similar knob.

I'll have it cleaned up and ready to go in time for the June shows.

I also picked up a nice little Knife Box, also 19th C but later than the stand, White Pine, blue paint over the original red. It's 10x14 inches, 6-1/2 inches tall at the top of the handle, and also is in good shape. The sides are canted, not square as they appear in the pic, but it's late enough, or simply primitive enough, that it's not dovetailed. Still, it's a good surface in a good color.

Tomorrow morning I'll run up to the Sunday Antiques Market in Peterborough, NH. I have a small load of inexpensive antiques packed in the van, a Post Office Sorting Station, a J.R. Bunting steel Lawn Chair from the 1930-40s, and the like. Next Saturday I'll be in Madison, CT, on the village green for the first of the summer shows in Madison, and on the first Sunday in June I'll be in Sandwich, MA, for the CCADA Spring Antiques Show at the Heritage Museum. HOWEVER, we're expecting a grandchild at some point in the next couple of weeks, and when the baby decides to make his or her appearance (Mom and Dad decided they didn't want to know ahead of time) we'll be there, regardless of the antique show schedule. Later in June I may set up at Farmington, CT, I will set up at Bridgehampton, NY, and I might run up to Keene, NH, late in the month to see what that's all about.

No promises, but I'll try to add pix of stuff I come up with from time to time, and post at the beginning of each month during the summer and fall with the show schedule.

Until next time, see you at the show.

http://CharlesGardinerAntiques.com