Does it seem like a long time since I've last posted? Well, yes, but I'm still alive, well, and poking around the nation's attic, New England.

At the end of this month I'll be showing at the Old Saybrook (CT) Historical Society's show on Saturday, May 30, at the Hart House, 350 Main St, Old Saybrook, CT 06475, from 10am to 4pm. Do I need to remind you that it's the early buyers who get the best selection?

In the last month or so I've brought home a number of interesting things, some old Caucasian Rugs, a box in old red paint that appears to have originally held a musical instrument of some sort (but not a violin), some interesting examples of mid-century lighting, and more than one odd industrial piece... In other words, I don't look for just one period or one style; I look for something that strikes my eye. I hope that some of it may strike yours as well.

 Early 19th C Youth Chair

 Late 19th C Caucasian Rug

 Another...

 And another...

 A 22" diameter Copper Cauldron

 Small Industrial Stuff and a 1930s Brass Candle Holder

 What more could I add?

 Mid-Century Desk Lamp

 Industrial Can re-purposed into a Table

Brass Art Nouveau Period Hanging Lamp

As I said, if something strikes my eye I'm going to try to add it to my pile of stuff to bring to you. I hope to see you in Saybrook!

Gardiner's Bay and a map of Orient, Long Island

As a rule I reserve the month of August for relaxation with the family, so it was with no expectations that I visited a small New England flea market, only eight or nine dealers set up, and while wandering around spotted the words "Gardiner's Bay" on a framed print hanging from a hook on an old oak coat rack. It turned out to be a lithograph map of Orient, New York, the town at the easternmost tip of Long Island's North Fork.

Click to enlarge

Signed in the plate, H.H. Hale, in the box at the lower right the design was dated 1935, the artist was identified as Herbert H. Hale, Orient, L.I.

Still in its original simple frame, 13-5/8" x 20-5/8", I think it's a very attractive example of tourist maps in similarly delightful styles being made in this period. This one, focusing as it does on the names of the early (17th Century) settlers of the tip of the fork, especially mirrors the interest sparked by the Colonial Revival of a decade earlier. Although printed in the depths of the Depression, people who could were interested in exploring, close to home if necessary, and experiencing the areas within reach. Nowadays the North Fork is the heart of Long Island wine country, but Orient, way out east, is still another country altogether.

It turns out the Southold (NY) Historical Society sells reprints of this map, but in a larger format than this one, which I have every reason to believe is a period print. Elsewhere on the site it is also noted that Herbert Hale was born in 1892 and died in 1968, but thus far I've been unable to learn anything more about the artist.

And yes, I will be set up at Brimfield next month, on Wednesday, September 4th, at Heart-O-the-Mart. Stop by.

Antiques in Vermont Summer Antiques Show July 13 Manchester, VT

I'll be set up in Manchester Center, Vermont, outdoors "on the green" in front of Riley Rink, Rt 7A, north of the village of Manchester Center, from 10am to 4pm. Like most summer shows in New England, we'll be under tents so the show will go on rain or shine.

Promoted by Carlson & Stevenson, this is their first summer show at the Riley Rink, site of their autumn show, Antiques In Vermont, which has wrapped up Vermont Antiques Week in October each year for the past 28 years.

I don't plan limit myself to country antiques (though I'll bring plenty); my offerings will span the Late Federal to the Art Deco periods (1815-1930) I plan to squeeze in some Garden items, a circa 1820 tiger maple chest of drawers made in Upper Canada, some Victorian Bamboo, Lighting, Rugs, a Quilt or two, Shaker smalls, some Stoneware, cast iron Kitchenalia, and a recent find, a Tramp Art Magazine Rack, never offered for sale before.

Who knows, if there's room I might bring some vintage Industrial Style pieces, and there's even a chance (if I can get some help) that I'll bring along the kitchen sink...not just any kitchen sink, mind you.

Hope to see you there on Saturday, July 13, 2013.

Summer Antiques Shows

I'm back from a busy couple of days at Brimfield and I'm happy to report that there was a lot of "good stuff" there on the field. The buyers seemed, in the words of one of my neighbors at Heart, to lack energy but the dealers obviously felt enough better about the economy that they brought better stuff, and more of it, than I've seen on the field in the last few years. Now it's time for the buyers to come 'round and step up, because that's what will actually make it happen.

I had hoped to be in Old Saybrook, CT, on June 1 to set up at the Old Saybrook Historical Society’s Inaugural Antique Show at the historic Gen. William Hart House, 350 Main Street. It opens at 9am and admission is free, yes, free! In addition to the dealers selling under tents, there will be several appraisers available between 10am and 1pm to give verbal appraisals of your antique and collectible items for a very reasonable fee that will help to support the Historical Society's projects. Alas, I won't be there... Instead I'll be in Chestertown, MD, at my wife's 50th college reunion where I intend to eat enough crab cake to make up for missing the Saybrook show.

A week later, however, on June 8, I plan to be in Cheshire, CT, set up at the Historical Society Antiques and Collectibles Sale on the Church Green across from the historic Hitchcock-Phillips House. This is a show I've never been to, even as a visitor, so I can't tell you what to expect (from anyone else, that is) but the antiques sale shares the green with the annual Strawberry Festival, so you know you really can't go wrong.

This is the "garden" time of the year, so among the things I'll be showing this spring (subject to prior sale) are a circa 1900 Rotating Bench that was originally intended to hold potted plants in your attached conservatory. It can still fill that purpose in your sunroom, or you may find an entirely new use for the three shelves, perhaps a server for an alfresco luncheon...

I also have what was touted as a "man-made hollow tree"...

It was designed as a working bee skep, but proved problematical because it took a long time to build out of strips of wood lath and because there was no efficient way to remove the honey when the time came except by following the custom of a bear, clawing it out in large chunks. Although it could still function today as a skep, it might better be seen as a wonderful sculpture, and if you were to add a light inside it, a most interesting nighttime addition to your garden.

And more, both large and small.

Then for July I am already planning what I'll take to the first Antiques in Vermont Summer Antiques Show to be held July 13 on the grass in front of Riley Rink in Manchester, VT. No question about what this show will be like. Tim Stevenson and Phyllis Carlson have been running the Fall Antiques in Vermont show for almost thirty years to wrap up Vermont Antiques Week each October and it is, hands down, as good a one-day show as you can expect to find, anywhere. We're all quite excited about being a part of this new show. More about that next time...

Mid-January Thaw

I had planned to be set up at Jack Donigian's Milford Antiques Show in Milford, NH, show on December 30, but we had not one but two decent snows late that week and I had to spend enough time clearing the driveways, paths and roofs that I didn't have time to pack the van to go to the show, so I missed what has been reported as a very good show for both buyers and sellers. So it goes.

Now, just two weeks later, we've had a January thaw and although the snow isn't gone by any means, there is less of it on the ground, and what's left isn't very pretty to look at, as you will see. All the same, I've managed to get out and find some interesting things in these New England attics and sheds.

 This spelter eagle, gilded and mounted on a walnut flagpole, is wonderfully sculpted front and back, and that rondel at the base is hand-carved ivory. It's a nice touch, something that I would only expect to find on a pole used in a Courtroom or other important public building. I have only the top half, five foot tall, of the pole itself, which makes it possible to get close to the eagle to admire its fine detail.

This is a paper mask, folded along the profile edge seen on the right, the forehead, nose, mouth, and chin. As a result when it's unfolded for use, it's a three dimensional mask Marked "Made in Japan" it was surely a Taishō era (1912-26) product. Clearly aimed for the Western market, what we know as Art Deco was almost as popular in Japan, prior to the increasing militarism of the 1930s, as it was in America.

 Often attributed to the Shakers, there is no substantial reason to suggest that these bentwood lapped knife trays actually we made or sold by the communities, which by the end of the 19th century were in decline, but it is nonetheless an attractive and useful object, two qualities which were certainly important to the Shakers, qualities which make it a desirable object to this day.

 And finally the picture of that dirty snow... which was also soft enough that this Bamboo Stand sank right in for two or three inches, so had had to resort to some plywood scraps to support it. The stand is a 19th C example that was probably made somewhere in southeast Asia: the Spanish East Indies (the Phillipines), Indo-China (Viet Nam), or the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). The hot tool decoration on the legs and belt trim of the top and the shelf is especially attractive and indicative of the stand having been crafted by a village artisan rather than in a factory-type shop in either Europe or America.

I wasn't able to catch a last minute space at Marvin Getman's Boston Antiques & Design Show in Wilmington, MA, show this last weekend, about which I've also heard good things, so what's next? I don't know yet, but when I find out, this is where you'll see it. Until them, happy hunting.

Milford NH Antiques Show December 30

Once again I plan to set up with a few choice things at New England's Weekly Winter Antiques Show, Jack Donigian's Milford Antiques Show at the Hampshire Hills Sports and Fitness Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford New Hampshire 03055, just an hour out of Boston. The doors are open from 8:30 until 11 o'clock every Sunday morning through March 24, 2013.

I just spoke with Jack this morning at the show and he expects a full house of fresh picks to usher in the new year. It's only a two and one-half hour affair, so I don't need to tell you to be there when the doors open.

I have no pictures ready to go up at the moment, but I've been out and about, and I'll bring bring my share of the "not yet been seen" stuff that I've been able to find in the last weeks. Look for at least a few pictures to be added yet this week.

Milford NH Antiques Show Opens October 21

New England's Weekly Winter Antiques Show begins its 37th season on October 21, 2012, at 8:30 am. I'll be there with a few choice things... On its maiden outing, a Shaker Work Table, birch, circa 1840, Canterbury or Enfield, NH. I'm sorry to say it was stripped forty years ago or so, got rid of all that nasty paint... but what's left is real and right.

Also on their maiden outings, a pair of Odd Fellows Crozier Staffs,

 a vintage painted metal Barn Star,

and a Two-Sided Stop Sign, unmarked but may have originally marked a Trolley Car stop.

In addition (after all, winter is coming) a vintage men's size 42 or 44 full length Bearskin Coat, and more!

Don't forget that this coming Saturday will find me at the 8th Annual Celebration of the Arts and Antique Show on Saturday, September 29, 2012, in the village of Dunstable, Massachusetts. If you haven't already, put both shows on your calendar right now, and we'll look forward to seeing you on the road.

September Shows and New Additions

First things first, I have yet to decide if or where to show at Brimfield in a couple weeks. If I decide to go down, I'll let you know in a new post, right here.

Moving along, I will be showing later in the month at the 8th Annual Celebration of the Arts and Antique Show on Saturday, September 29, 2012, in the village of Dunstable, Massachusetts. The show will be held rain or shine from 10am to 5pm and features about 25 artists and dealers of antique and vintage goods, along with live music and food. Admission is free!  The artists and dealers showing are personally selected by the show organizer, Mary Dacquino, and more information, if you need it, may be found at her web site, Seasons at Calmore.

Of course I am constantly poking around in the attics and sheds of New England to find more things to offer for sale, often unique objects that you simply won't find anywhere else, among them...

A hand-built Blueberry Rake, probably an experimental attempt,intended to improve on the common open design.I don't think it ever went into production.

A framed Needlework Exotic Bird, silk on linen, circa1930-40 by my best guess.

An unusually slender Arts & Crafts style Bookcase,about 44 inches tall, built primarily of thin slats.

A primitive Cant-Sided Box, probably made to hold fruit as it was being pickedin the orchard, a nice size for the table top.

A brass Odd Fellows Jewel, featuring symbols of the fraternal orderand suspended on a fancy chain attached to a belt loop.

A Watercolor of a Lake or Pond scene with one boat on the beach and another out on the water, American School, signed Campbell, [18]'94 in a frame perhaps fifteen or twenty years newer. 

And a lot more besides, including a circa 1920-30s Bearskin Coat in a mens' large size (no picture yet, sorry). I'll bring just a couple pieces of furniture, maybe a garden piece or two, but mostly small things... all priced reasonably and many under $100. As always, everything is subject to prior sale, so if there is something you have to have or simply want to know more about, email me.

Charlestown NH Antiques Show June 16 2012

On Saturday, June 16, 2012, I'll be set up at the Charlestown NH Historical Society Antique Show and Sale, from 9 am to 4 pm on the lawn of the historic Olcott-Paris House on Main Street, Charlestown, New Hampshire.

Two hours north of Hartford, CT or southeast from Burlington, VT, and about than two and a half hours from Albany, NY, Boston, MA, or Portsmouth, NH and nearby Maine, the forecast is for a pleasantly sunny day in the mid-seventies-- a perfect day for a day trip to an outdoor antiques show in picturesque New Hampshire.

I'll be bringing a broad selection of antique furniture and smalls from New England houses and barns, including what is shown below.

 

Several pieces of 1880-1900 Bamboo Furniture, and

a three-ring Braided Rug, and

a hand-colored photo of a Country Lane, and

a small painting of another Country Lane, and

a small cast iron Eagle, and

the Blood's Patent Sifter, 1861, and

a wood lath Bee Skep, and

a carpenter's Toolbox in old red paint, and

a signed print of a Setter named Chief Topics,

and much, much more. See you there!

March Madness

I was set up again last Sunday at Jack Donigian's Milford Antiques Show and business was good. Spring is coming early here in New England, people were out and they were buying, whether for themselves or for the upcoming show season. So that meant that I had to get out on the trail myself.

Among other things I came home with four small wall cabinets. It's funny how things turn up that way, in groups but in different places and on different days. Still, the rule is "Buy it when you see it because someone else will need it or want it."

So far I've only got pictures of one of them, but I'll follow up with views of the others, probably sometime this week.

The one that's ready to go right now is a corner curio cabinet, I think French (rather than French Canadian, which I also like when I can find it) and probably late 19th/early 20th century, I'm sure no newer than the 1930s, before the start of WWII.

Just 22 inches across and 25 inches tall, it's beautifully proportioned and nicely carved around the glazing. The interior was, I think, lined with fabric at a later date, but the cabinet was never drilled or otherwise damaged in order to light it, which from my point of view is a plus.

I think it will make a nice addition to my show stock this year.

See you on the road!

February 18th in Sandwich, MA ~ Be There!

Tomorrow, Saturday, February 18th, I'm going to set up at Lisa Davis' Sandwich Antiques & Collectibles Show at the Henry T. Wing School cafeteria, 33 Water Street (Rt 130), Sandwich, MA, from 10am-2pm. I'm going to meet my friend, Keith, from Old Saybrook, CT, and together we'll set up in a double space.

We don't bring junque to these sales, and what we do bring is not cheap, but it is reasonably priced, a downright bargain for the retail buyer, and with plenty of room left in it for the trade.

Here's a glimpse at a couple of fresh to the market things that we've uncovered in the last couple of weeks...

Cast Iron Planters designed by Thomas Jeckyll [att.]

I have no idea where these cast iron window boxes were made, but I'm quite certain they are not American and equally sure they have some significant age. They look vaguely Asian, but not convincingly so. They're nominally 24 and 21 inches long. It was suggested to me that these were probably designed by the English architect and designer Thomas Jeckyll in the 1870s. Jeckyll was a pioneer in the Aesthetic Period movement known as Japonisme or Anglo-Japanese, which explains the Asian look. Preliminary research is convincing enough to lead me to attribute these confidently to Jeckyll, for manufacture by Barnard, Bishop & Barnard, Norwich, Norfolk, England.

And this absolutely fabulous hand-braided wool rug is big, in the range of 8 feet in diameter!

(As always, everything you see here is subject to prior sale.)

It's a New Year in New England

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!