The 23rd Street Armory Antiques Show Returns To Its Roots In Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PENN.

:"I have just had a long, hot shower, I am relaxed but still a bit tired, and I am very pleased with our show in Philadelphia," Frank Gaglio said Tuesday morning, April 11, from his home in Rhinebeck, N.Y. "It was great to be back in the 23rd Street Armory, things ran smoothly for the most part, a strong percentage of our dealers did well, and we had many positive remarks from those who attended the show," he added. The show ran for three days, April 7-9, with a two-day set up for the exhibitors.

The show, which has been staged at three locations over the years in Philadelphia, is now back at its original location, "and we are there to stay," Frank said. The show, now in its ninth year, began at the armory where it remained for three years before going to the Navy Pier for three years. The show was two years at the Philadelphia Convention Center before retuning to the armory.

"The armory is a comfortable building in which to do a show," one exhibitor commented, and when the doors opened at noon on Friday the show looked neat, well-lit, interesting and inviting.

Passing through the large front doors of the armory put visitors right into a special loan exhibition on both sides of the entrance hall, a collection of American trade signs that many collectors wished were in the booths on the main floor with price tags. One person admiring the collection said "I would like to buy the lot, and cost wouldn't matter."

"I thought being curator of the exhibition would be an easy thing, but boy was I wrong. It took time to arrange the objects, label them and do the signage," Charles Wilson, collector and dealer from West Chester, Penn., said. All of the objects were on loan from exhibiting dealers and private collectors, and none were for sale. "We had only one problem: the combination of the very wet weather on Saturday and the open door of the armory caused the description labels to wrinkle," Phyllis Wilson said. Few noticed this small detail, as the objects were the center of attention.

It was obvious from the front of the show that Barn Star Productions had diversity in mind when selecting the exhibitors for this show. Brown furniture was straight ahead in the booth of Judd Gregory of Dorset, Vt., with many case pieces including a Hepplewhite sideboard, North Shore, Mass., in mahogany. It was 62 inches wide, circa 1780-1800, and was on its way to Galveston, Texas, at the close of the show. A five-piece Delft garniture set, Dutch, circa 1790, was shown on top of the sideboard, and hanging over it was a large oil on canvas mounted on Masonite, landscape in the style of the Hudson River painters, with two figures in the foreground and the river in the background.

In complete contrast, Harvey Art & Antiques of Evanston, Ill., filled the neighboring booth with folk art and whimsical things including a suit made from colorful buttons and a wind toy with large round propeller. A large wooden goose decoy was shown on a pedestal, and a large full-bodied copper cow weathervane showed off its strong patina against the black papered wall.

A large multileaf dining table was in the center of the booth of Aileen Minor, Centreville, Md., set with a dinner service and a pair of double-arm candelabra. A classical table, mirror and pier table were against the back wall of the booth, and a collection of tie-backs was shown in a display case.

On the opposite side of the exhibition floor more folk art held sway in the booth of Otto and Susan Hart, Arlington, Vt. A Charles Looff goat jumper from Midland Park, Staten Island, N.Y., 1884, was shown in park paint. This carousel figure gave countless ride in Keansburg, N.J., between 1913 and 1984, when the carousel was sold. Well before the show was over one of the largest paintings, 60 by 46, depicting a dog on a couch, sported a red sold tag. This work was by Daniel Koch, Rimersberg, Penn., and dated from circa 1810. A selection of both still and mechanical banks, along with some interesting wood carvings, filled a display case.

A red-painted tavern table with one drawer, two-board top with breadboard ends, mid Nineteenth Century, was in the front of the booth of Gloria Lonergan of Mendham, N.J., which also held a set of four New England rod back Windsor side chairs, mustard and black painted, dated circa 1810. "We have had a good show," Pat Lonergan said, and in addition he told a couple of good jokes that made their way around the floor. (Not worth repeating here.) Among their sales were a captain's chair from an Odd Fellows lodge, a cast iron swan planter in white paint, a sheet metal weathervane and a blue-painted firkin that is now in the collection of Marlo Thomas. "She was a real friendly and enjoyable lady, bought a couple of things from us, and I told her how much I had enjoyed her show and the appearances her father had made over the years," Pat said.

"This show has been just fine for me, I have done well and met some very interesting people," Rich Rasso of Hudson, N.Y., said. His sales included an eagle weathervane, a very large cow weathervane with grand surface, a Mason mallard drake carving, a pair of cast iron whippets and a decorative Northwest Coast child's blanket.

Ed Weissman Antiquarian, Portsmouth, N.H., brought a number of case pieces including a Chippendale chest with molded edge, ogee bracket foot base, in cherrywood, circa 1770, of Pennsylvania origin. "This is a real nice highboy, but most people shy away from pine," Ed said of his Massachusetts piece, circa 1760.

Charles Wilson of West Chester, Penn., spent less time setting up his own booth than he did arranging the loan exhibition, but his display seemed to grab the attention of many show visitors. "We are doing real fine," he said, "and we sold our wonderful large hanging corner shelf that has been in our own collection for the past 20 years." The shelf, 61 inches tall and 17 inches wide, had six shelves, one drawer, perfect red-painted surface, one drawer and dated circa 1800-1820. An eagle with serpent handle, the counterweight from a Columbian Printing Press, circa 1813, had the original paint, and a general store set of 43 drawers, yellow paint and two pieces, was from York County, Penn.

In addition to the shelf, Charles sold a large half model, a large full-bodied hackney weathervane, an owl decoy, a bull windmill weight and a shooting gallery target in the form of an eagle with movable wings. "I've owned only three of these, and this one was the very best," he said.

"This is one of the best shows I have ever had, a most appreciative audience, and those who came through on Friday with the Decorative Arts Trust were just wonderful," Martin Chasin of Fairfield, Conn., said. From behind a showcase, and surrounded by crystal and silver pieces, he listed sales that included a dozen pair of sterling candlesticks, six large silver platters dating from the Eighteenth Century and some Irish crystal.

"You very seldom see iron sconces, but I had a wonderful pair and they sold early into the show, Colette Donovan of Merrimacport, Mass., said. Displaying a booth filled with early American things, she added a large apothecary, a number of baskets, several iron pieces and a three-level demilune table in old mustard paint to her "sold" list. "I had the largest wafer iron I have ever seen, about 10 inches in diameter," she said, "and it sold very fast." The iron dated from the Eighteenth Century, Pennsylvania origin, with heart and tulip decoration.

Norma Chick, the lady known for her stand of weathervanes and Delft pieces, was all smiles and when asked how the show was going on Saturday, had only one word, "Great." She had come to the show with a dozen full-bodied weathervanes, and by the end of the first day was down to nine, including a horse pulling a plow, a Black Horse, a small eagle, and a large rooster. Another rooster, together with a leaping stag and a large pig, were among the missing. "The pig was really great, a vane I would have loved to keep for myself," the Autumn Pond dealer said. A puzzle jug, a small oil on canvas and some Delft candlesticks also sold.

"The people from the Decorative Arts Trust were wonderful, very interesting, and they did some good buying on the floor," Dave Currier of Costa and Currier Antiques & Art, Portsmouth, R.I., said. Members from the group ended up with a Boston card table and a pair of fancy Philadelphia side chairs with rush seats and good paint decoration. A giltwood carving of a seahorse, several small rugs, and a number of Staffordshire plates sold. Flanking the front of the booth was a pair of cast iron garden urns on pedestals in white paint.

James Grievo's booth was well picked over by the time the show closed on Sunday. "It's been very good," he said, "and I have sold both smalls and furniture." A Lehigh Valley, Penn., corner cupboard, cherrywood with the original red stain, circa 1840, was in the right hand part of the booth, and it was filled with small wonderful things including a Windsor side chair in yellow with red and green paint decoration, about 4 inches tall. A sheet metal horse weathervane, dating from the third quarter of the Nineteenth Century, was signed Tuckerman, Boston, and measured 24 inches high, 31 inches long.

By show's end a half dozen or more pieces of furniture had left the booth of American Spirit Antiques, Shawnee Mission, Kan. Tiger maple was especially popular, including an American Sheraton drop leaf table with ring turned legs tapering to peg feet. A bird's-eye maple and mahogany veneer bow front chest with bowed rectangular top, circa 1815-20, was from the North Shore, Mass.

An interesting architectural item in the show was a Nineteenth Century model of a curved staircase, 32 1/2 inches high, at the front of the booth of Rutabaga Pie Antiques, Chesterfield, Mo. On a pedestal nearby was a large American eagle weathervane, full bodied, in gray paint over the original copper gilding. At the back of the booth was a two-part Dutch cupboard, butternut and cherrywood, American, circa 1830-50. It was 82 1/2 inches high, 58 inches wide.

John Bradley's well-known portrait of a young girl with a basket of flowers hung against the back wall in the booth of Gemini Antiques, Water Mill, N.Y., flanked by cases filled with cast iron toys and banks. The portrait came to auction at Sotheby's from the Stewart Gregory collection and was bought back at the time by Mrs Gregory. Since then it has passed through several hands before being bought by Steve Weiss at a recent auction. "We have sold a number of very good banks," Steve said, including a speaking dog bank and a clockwork tower. Two large horse-drawn fire pumpers, painted cast iron, were on hold in one of the cases.

Centerville, Ohio, exhibitor Rus Kindrick offered a linen press in applewood, late Eighteenth Century, by Matthew Egerton, along with a set of four side chairs of Virginia origin. A long Philadelphia Windsor bench, branded C. Cresson, was across the front of the booth.

Two interesting carvings, one an eagle perched on a stump, one piece of wood, was from Indiana, Twentieth Century, and the other, a large mother and child, also from one piece of wood, Twentieth Century, West Virginia or Pennsylvania, were placed at the front of the booth of Charles Bradsher American Antiques of Asheville, N.C. Displayed in one corner of the booth was a large stoneware storage jar made by Brown Pottery, one of three pieces made for a small winery in Henderson County, N.C., circa 1830.

Clifford Wallach of Greenwich, Conn., reported a "good show with a nice gate, interesting people." In addition to several small tramp art pieces, he sold a large, major mirror and a lamp.

The show table area at the front of the armory was decorated, in part, with a large pair of cast iron urns on pedestals, courtesy of Francis Purcell of Philadelphia. "We sold the urns at the front of the show, along with several other items including a silver desert set," Francis said. The desert set was made by Peter Kreider for the Philadelphia Centennial, 1876. The booth also offered a nice pair of George Washington figural cast iron andirons, several mantels and a number of pieces of Philadelphia furniture, including a round table with marble top and a pair of chairs with lift seats.

"This is the first show we have done since closing our gallery in Massachusetts," Martin Jacobs of The Splendid Peasant said, "and we are opening a new galley next month just down the street from our new home in Bristol, R.I." It is certain to be filled with interesting folk art, as was their booth at the armory. Weathervanes included a large copper quill, a Jewell horse, a rooster, a sheet metal car and a circa 1750 banner in iron, with some gilding remaining, from Massachusetts. Carved wooden figures stood about the booth on shelves, a pair of Halley Comet building ornaments, circa 1910, was displayed on a pedestal, and a real folk art rocking horse had the prime location right at the front of the booth. "If I had a dime for everyone who has gone by and made a complimentary remark about that horse, I would have a good day's pay," Kitty Jacobs said.

A large gilded and full bodied rooster weathervane had a red sold tag hanging from it in the booth of the Kembles of Norwich, Ohio. Just to the right of it was a American Federal flame grained mahogany sideboard, probably Philadelphia, circa 1810, and a nice Lancaster County, Penn., tavern table in walnut, with box stretcher and splay legs, circa 1760, was shown at the front of the booth.

As an added feature to the show, a special walking tour and wine reception was conducted on Saturday afternoon by Helaine Fendelman. This event was in association with the Lower Merion Conservancy and was attended by about 30 people. In addition, Barn Star ran a "Patriotic American" contest, asking people to identify the American flag-painted garage pictured in the show section. The winner, Steven Gring, received complimentary tickets to Mid*Week In Manchester, the Bedford Pickers Markets, and dinner for two in Bedford, N.H. Mr Gring is presently from Ocean City, N.J., but did live in West Chester, Penn., and passed the garage daily going to work.

"Our sights are now on Bedford, N.H., where we will be a part of Antiques Week in New Hampshire," Frank Gaglio said, adding, "both Mid*Week and the Pickers Market will be under an air-conditioned tent for the first time." Frank has also announced a new show to take place at the Princeton Airport, Princeton, N.J., on September 30 and October 1. It will preview Friday, September 29, and benefit the Historical Society of Princeton.