Wethersfield Antiques Show Draws Good Audience

WETHERSFIELD, CONN.

:"We just completed our fifth year and we feel really good about what we are doing," Tim Verre, co-manager of the Wethersfield Antiques Show, said shortly after the show closed on Saturday, November 19. He noted that so far, none of the 51 exhibitors had indicated a lack of interest in returning in 2006. Several changes are bound to be made, however, as the show strives to improve with age. "This year we had seven new dealers with us and it is too early to figure out next November," Tim said. Together with his co-manager, Joan Hughes of Antiques on Main, every effort will be made to fine tune the show and "we have a good and long waiting list of dealers wanting to be included," he said.

The show was filled with lots of country, both furniture and accessories, including a rare child's Windsor armchair of Vermont origin and a Hepplewhite two-drawer blanket chest with brass pulls, cutout base, Maine origin, in the booth of Teachers' Antiques of Harpsville, Maine.

Ron Chambers from Higganum, Conn., showed a New York State armchair, circa 1680, with the original splint seat and four splats. "It is unusual to find one with the iron candle holder still attached to the right arm," Ron said of the early piece. Pointing out a circa 1760 two-drawer blanket chest, Ron said, "It came right out of a house in Middletown, Conn., and the scrolled apron dovetailed into the foot is characteristic of this kind of furniture made there."

Colebrook Book Barn, Colebrook, Conn., provided a break from the furniture offerings with a booth of rare book and many early maps. Large maps, showing not only roads but also some of the historic homes in town, were of Bethel, Danbury and Fairfield-Southport, as well as Hartford and Tolland among the Connecticut counties. An interesting portrait by C(alvin) Curtis, oil on canvas, 1852, was of Bridgeport businessman David W. Thompson, the son-in-law of P.T. Barnum. In 1852 David Thompson married Caroline Barnum, the eldest daughter, and it is assumed this is the a wedding portrait.

"I have had a run of good shows, but the shop is not very active. In fact, I sort of look at it as a storage place for my inventory between shows," Joe Collins of Cobalt, Conn., said. His successful shows continued with Wethersfield where he offered a portrait of a white-haired gentleman in brown coat, attributed to William Jenny of Connecticut, and a snake-foot candlestand with a checkerboard top.

A model of a three-masted brig, together with an Old Salty doorstop, brought a bit of nautical to the booth of Country Squire Antiques, Gorham, Maine. Also shown was a nice pair of thumb back Windsor side chairs with the original stenciled back splat, fine condition.

A log caliper, circa 1885, with the original measuring wheel surface, hung on the back wall in the booth of Field & Stream, Mansfield, Conn., along with a large folio, Currier & Ives, 1864, of an American speckled brook trout by A.F. Tait.

One of the local dealers, Sunflower Antiques, had several timepieces including a presentation banjo clock by Isaac Randall & Co., St Albans, Vt., circa 1829. The original door tablet depicted "Liberty and Justice."

"Judging from the paint style and the subject, we think it came right out of Maine," Sharon Kase of The Klassic Kase, Manchester, N.H., said of the child's headboard hanging on the back wall of her booth. The scene, a cottage in the woods, was signed and dated "Mattie Hass deLauzon, 1902." Hanging next to it was a grain painted wall cupboard, two glass doors, measuring 24 inches wide, 12 inches deep and 15 inches high. Among other painted objects, a yellow firkin and a yellow basket with no breaks.

A New England flat-top highboy, circa 1740-60, with brush feet and acorn drops, was against the back wall in the booth of William Blakeman of Wilbraham, Mass. "It's married, with both pieces coming from Connecticut," William said. The base was attributed to the Windsor-Suffield area. A Grenfell rug of good size showed a five-dog sled with two figures.

Philip Liverant of Colchester, Conn., showed an interesting patent model of a hay rake, and several sets of Sandwich opalescent pull, while Denise Scott of Scott Antiques, East Greenwich, R.I., offered a step back pewter cupboard in the original green painted surface, three doors in the lower section, mid Nineteenth Century, from Quebec.

Davidian Americana, Holden, Mass., had a selection of doorstops, including buildings and flowers, as well as several circa 1880 litho puppets depicting a Santa, Indian and round man with a full mustache. A large eagle mounted on a ball was perched in the booth of John Marshall, Westhampton, Mass., and in time for the holidays was a large graphic sign for turkeys, "Live or Dressed to Order."

Lewis Scranton, Killingworth, Conn., showed a clean four-drawer chest in cherrywood, circa 1785, from the Greenwich family in Litchfield, Conn. "I have known about that chest for 25 years and was finally able to buy it," Lou said. A Windsor highchair, captain's style, was in black paint and dated circa 1870.

A parrot depicted in an oval frame in a hooked rug hung in the booth of Charles and Barbara Adams, South Yarmouth, Mass., and a small cupboard with open top had two doors in the lower section. Other paint included a churn, green surface, and mint condition.

"This bow front chest, four drawers, has all kinds of wood in it," Karen Alexander of Somers, Conn., said, pointing out a Northern Massachusetts piece with birch top, applewood columns, pine drawer fronts, inlaid with tiger maple and basswood as the secondary wood. The chest retained the original brass pulls. Other furniture included a set of six Hitchcock style chairs, pillow backs, with the original paint and stenciled decoration.

A selection of small, interesting painting were hung by David and Donna Kmetz of Douglas, Mass. Frederick A. Daniels, a Massachusetts of Cape Cod artist, was represented with "Autumn," 1926, while an arrangement of colorful poppies, oil on canvas, was done by Dimitri Romanovsky. This artist had exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Out of a Greenfield, Mass., estate was a slant front Chippendale desk in cherrywood, circa 1790, Connecticut River Valley, shown by Jan and John Maggs, Conway, Mass., and hanging over it was a landscape with a big blue sky, New Hampshire, an oil on canvas signed by Dennis Sheehan.

An early Pennsylvania step back cupboard with plate and spoon rack over two drawers over two doors, circa 1840, old red surface, was in the booth of Charles and Lucille Berg of South Easton, Mass. A two-part Sheraton mirror had a tablet showing a sailboat and a rowboat.

Mad River Antiques, North Granby, Conn., had an unusual piece of furniture, a baker's dough table in red, New England, circa 1860. It had a lift-top with six compartments inside for the dough. The table was then placed next to the oven for the dough to rise before using. Ready for the holidays was a rocking horse, German, circa 1900, with leather saddle. The horse could be removed from the rockers and used as a stationary playtoy.

A blanket chest in maple, red surface, cutout bracket base, circa 1800, probably Massachusetts, was in the booth of Stephen H. Garner III of Yarmouth Port, Mass., along with a Rhode Island cherrywood and mahogany bow front chest with banding around the top, circa 1800.

"We had some people who wanted early buying last year, and others wanted a preview party," Tim Verre said, "and so we did both." The show opened with early buying on Friday evening, 4 to 6 pm, and then closed down for one hour. At 7 pm the preview party began, sponsored by The Friends of the Fountain of the Wethersfield Historical Society. "It works well," Tim said, "and unless we can come up with another novel idea to please both factions we will be doing the same next year." We are looking forward to it.