Antiques Shows, New and Old
This spring, we had the pleasure of exhibiting at the inaugural Pennsylvania Antiques Show at Valley Forge. The show was a tremendous success, with strong attendance and activity, including several notable sales. This new annual antiques show celebrated America’s 250th anniversary and benefits nearby Historic Trappe. The experience was an encouraging reminder of the vitality of the antiques business and seemed to reflect the renewed interest in Americana that many in our field have been sensing. Riding this high, we are already preparing for the New Hampshire Antiques Show later this August, a longtime favorite.
For us, planning a booth takes months of preparation. We carefully choose objects in order to curate a cohesive visual presentation. Swapping out even just one object or painting for another can create an entirely different tone or texture. For the Pennsylvania Antiques Show, we curated our booth around one standalone piece: an impressive ship’s figurehead of founding father John Dickinson. Named the Penman of the Revolution for the pivotal role his Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania played in achieving Independence, John Dickinson was perfectly at home at the Pennsylvania Antiques Show at Valley Forge.
John Dickinson Ship’s Figurehead, Philadelphia, 1811-1812. White pine, original paint history, book inscribed “John Dickenson.” Overall height: 81 inches, figure: 67 x 19 x 18 inches.
Figureheads representing revolutionary heroes and founding fathers were prevalent on military and merchant vessels in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, as evidence of emerging American civic pride. The highly detailed style found in this figurehead was influenced by the Philadelphia workshop of William Rush (1756-1833), who is considered one of the most innovative and influential shipcarvers. This figurehead likely adorned the ship John Dickenson, constructed in Philadelphia between 1811 and 1812, owned by the prominent Hollingsworth family, and which remained active into the 1830s.
Additionally, we brought two signs to the Pennsylvania Antiques Show, both of which sold. Like the figurehead, these items had a spiritual connection to the Show.
The first, a unique tavern sign that once hung at the Crocodile Inn, which was established around 1800 by Garret DeWitt (1762–1846) in Hurley, New York. A large, crocodile-shaped boulder found in the Inn’s basement served as the inspiration for the name. DeWitt’s father, Charles, operated a grist mill across the road from the Inn that, in the winter of 1777, supplied flour to Washington’s troops at Valley Forge (the location of the Pennsylvania Antiques Show). The sign descended in the family and only came to light in 2004.
Sign for G. De Witt’s Crocodile Inn, Hurley, New York, circa 1800. White pine panel, original painted decoration, original wrought iron hanging brackets, 22 x 39 inches. Inscribed in black paint “CROCODILE,” and in gold paint “G. D. WITTS INN.”
J. Schneider Boot and Shoemaker Sign, Brighton, Illinois, circa 1875. White pine, original painted decoration, original forged iron hanging hardware, 22 ½ x 18 x inches.
Our booth also included a rare double-sided signboard made for a community of English and German speakers; one side with block lettering in English, the reverse with Fraktur lettering in German—similar to the Fraktur found in the collection of Historic Trappe. John Schneider was born in Wurttemberg, Germany, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1865. He lived in St. Louis and later moved to Brighton and then Jerseyville, Illinois, where he worked as a shoemaker.
Vinegar-grained lift-top chest over drawers, probably Maine, circa 1830–1840. White pine, original hardware, original painted decoration, 35 ⅝ x 38 ¼ x 19 ⅜ inches. Backboard with old paper label partially inscribed in ink: “F.A.Ran—/Lyme, N.H.” for Fred Asa Randlett (1862–1934).
One of the most visually compelling items in our booth was this lift-top chest with spectacular multicolored vinegar graining. It is part of a small group of lift-top chests that share common authorship with a well-known example pictured on the cover of the 1974 Chris Huntington Sale in Mount Vernon, Maine. These chests share specific construction features, identical cusped bracket feet, and multi-colored vinegar-grained decoration. Out of all the items in our booth, this chest received the most interest and sold early into the show.
Shaker Ministry side chair with pewter tilters, probably George O’Donnell. New Lebanon, New York, circa 1852-53. Birds-eye maple, dry original finish, original pewter tilters, 41 x 18 ½ x 13 ½ inches. With original Shaker fragmentary printed paper ministry label.
Of an entirely different disposition is this Shaker side chair in figured wood, which also sold at the show. It was probably produced by George O’Donnell, who in 1852 patented “brass button joint tilters” which allowed the sitter to lean back in the chair—as the sisters and brothers apparently did often—without fear of damaging the chair or floor. The tilting alleviated pressure on the back legs, thus preventing the hardwood chairs from denting the softwood floors. This chair is one of three documented examples with original prototype pewter tilters known to us.
Oval-Top Gateleg Table, Massachusetts, circa 1730. Maple, drawer with white pine lining and turned knob, iron butterfly hinges, 41½ x 51 inches opened, 28 inches in height.
This classic Massachusetts maple gateleg table, circa 1730, is an exemplar of its particular form and retains all its original elements, including the oval scrubbed top, drawer with white pine lining and turned knob, tall feet, and beautifully worn brown wash on the base. Despite so much business being done virtually nowadays, our art and antiques remain experiential and benefit greatly from being physically exhibited in well-designed show settings. This pristine example of early American furniture is one such example of being even better in person: a client who saw it featured in our recent ad in Maine Antique Digest purchased it at the show.
In addition to the hustle and bustle of sales during the show weekend, we also had several customers follow up after the show to inquire about and ultimately purchase items they had seen in our booth. Two examples are a monumental Shaker gathering basket and a mid-nineteenth-century games table.
Shaker blue-painted gathering basket, Probably Alfred or Sabbathday Lake, Maine, circa 1840-1860. Brown ash, original paint, 4 ½ x 22 x 21 ½ inches.
The distinctive color, referred to as “Maine Shaker Blue,” derives its origin from the woodwork in the Sabbathday Lake Meetinghouse, constructed in 1794. Like the gateleg table, it is in virtually pristine condition, which is all the more remarkable for a large work basket.
Games table, American, probably New York State, circa 1840-1860. White pine, basswood, cherry, hardwood knob, original painted decoration, with natural and reddish-brown dyed corncob checker pieces, 23 x 14 ¾ x 14 ¾.
The trapezoidal drawer of this mid-nineteenth-century games table contains the original checker pieces in natural and reddish-brown dye. The dramatic form and proportions of this table, combined with the painted gameboard decoration, represent the linkage of American furniture-making and folk art traditions, thus combining two of our favorite genres.
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With the Pennsylvania Antiques Show now behind us, we are already preparing for the New Hampshire Antiques Show, August 6-8, in downtown Manchester. Now in its 69th year, this wonderful and always well-attended event has the kind of longevity that successful new shows can aspire to. We look forward to sharing the items we are curating with you and hope to see you there.
Our booth at last year’s New Hampshire Antiques Show.