Newport Antiques Show Charms Crowds In Only Its Second Year

Middletown, R.I.

:For the second year running, fine paintings, exquisite furniture and marine antiques displaced the hockey goals and ice in the rink at St George's School, where 41 first-rate dealers set up for the Newport Antiques Show. Devoid of the standard aroma of a hockey rink, the space was handsomely transformed with lavish floral displays, and the fine antiques on view made for a fine experience. The show looked simply beautiful.

Presenting sponsor of the show, William Vareika Fine Arts of Newport, pulled out all the stops with a great selection of paintings having Newport connections. Pride of place went to John Twachtman's "Paradise Rocks, Newport," a landscape of a site practically around the corner from the show location. Another local spot was William Trost Richards' "Sachuest Beach, Newport, R.I., 1891," a view of the beach known as Second Beach. Another Richards painting was "Gray Cliff, Conanicut Island, R.I.," a view of the artist's home near Jamestown, and yet another was his "South Shore of Newport near Boat House Point." Vareika, who published John La Farge in Paradise: The Painter and His Muse in 1995, showed John LaFarge's 1867 watercolor "Tulips and Narcissus."

Vareika also showed spectacular marine paintings that included James Buttersworth yacht racing pictures. They were "Yacht Racing near a Clipper Ship," "The Schooner Triton and The Sloop Christine Racing in Newport Harbor" and "Yacht Race." William Bradford was represented by his portrait "The Mary Jane of Eastport, Maine."

For those with more inland leanings, Jasper Francis Cropsey's landscape "Greenwood Lake, N.Y.," was for sale, along with the 1880 "Lake George" by Albert Bierstadt. In an email sent after the show, Bill and Alison Vareika said they were "honored to be in a position to have their gallery, William Vareika Fine Arts Ltd, be the presenting sponsor of the Newport Antiques show for the second year because of the extraordinary high quality of dealers from throughout the country who participate, because of the important and diverse local beneficiaries [Newport Historical Society and the Boys & Girls Club of Newport County], and because of a great hard-working show chairperson, Anne Hamilton, show manager, Diana Bittel, and distinguished honorary chairs and committee."

Hyannis Port, Mass., marine dealer Hyland Granby had a splendid display. A 10-foot pine door frame carved elegantly with hearts, shields and scrolls, stars and acorns commanded the attention of all. It came from the garden house near Boston of Harriet B. Pierce, sister of President Franklin B. Pierce, who so loved the design that she had it printed on her cards. One of those cards and the block used to print them was case framed and also for sale.

The Cape Cod dealers also showed a selection of marine paintings by James Buttersworth, including a detailed pair depicting what appears to be the yacht America off the Battery in New York Harbor flying the New York Yacht Club burgee. The pair will be illustrated in Flying the Colors, the book on which Janice Hyland and Alan Granby are at work.

The dealers tempted Newport palates with what Granby said is the rarest of all Buttersworth's work, a portrait of the clipper Black Warrior, which was painted with its Indian figurehead.

Two Bellamy eagles rounded out the offerings; one was carved with the inscription "Merry Christmas" and the other with "Don't Give up the Ship."

Speaking by telephone after the show, Alan Granby said, "The committee worked like no committee I've ever seen before to make it fabulous." Gorgeous was another word he used to describe the event.

Sponsor Northeast Auctions had several staff members on hand, including chief Ron Bourgeault, taking a breather between his spectacular August sales and catching up with friends.

Not only did Bryn Mawr, Penn., dealer Diana Bittel put together a remarkably good-looking show, she also managed to fill her own booth with some choice objects.

Two zinc or iron curly coated retrievers, which she said were probably by Fiske, welcomed visitors to her booth, which was awash with shells — particularly apt for the location. She hung the walls with prime examples of the sailor's valentines for which she is so well known. The English sailor's woollies were crisp and nautical, arrayed in a neat pattern. Other delights included a pair of French Napoleonic shellwork figures of a man and a woman, circa 1830, in domed cases with inlaid bases that drew every eye, and silk work pictures by Thomas Willis Orland, one of the steam yacht London and another of the Young America . There was also a pair of straw work pictures, also depicting sailing vessels. Bittel brought along a fine Napoleonic prisoner of war bone watch case and several pieces of furniture that included a five-tier étagère covered in shells, a New England maple chest and a New England tiger maple chest-on-chest.

Woodbury, Conn., and Portland, Maine, dealer Heller Washam mixed maritime objects with Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century furnishings to make for a compelling booth. A pilothouse eagle found on Cape Cod was most impressive. It sat on a Connecticut River Valley two-drawer cherry blanket chest, circa 1740. There was also a Massachusetts figured mahogany reverse serpentine chest from about 1775 and a circa 1765 New Hampshire Queen Anne tiger maple secretary. A Bellamy eagle was carved with the exhortation, "Don't Give up the Ship." A pristine James and John Bard oil on canvas view of the side-wheeler St Nicholas was also for sale.

Imposing furniture on view included a Boston or Salem Chippendale mahogany reverse serpentine front chest with blocked ends, a Massachusetts Queen Anne tiger maple secretary and a Chippendale tiger maple chest of drawers made in the upper Connecticut River Valley. A New Hampshire Chippendale cherry tall clock by Silas Parsons was available. The quirkiest object was the bronze trade sign in the form of a violin bow.

For the first time at Newport, Sallea Antiques of New Canaan, Conn., showed choice boxes for tea, sewing accessories, jewels and secrets of every variety. Wooden tea boxes alone numbered in the neighborhood of 40. Sallea had French dressing boxes, including one example by Paul Sormani made of thuya wood with sterling fittings.

One of several games chests for sale was a compendium; it had chess, checkers, cards, backgammon, cribbage, dominoes and steeplechase, all housed in a leather body with ivory and bone decoration. A pretty group of Chinese glove boxes with carved filigree and camphorwood interiors was available, as was export porcelain, Staffordshire, tortoiseshell ware, tartan ware and silver warmers, the latter of which attracted many buyers. Dealer Sally B. Kaltman said of her enticing stock, "I have never gotten tired of what I sell."

Enrique Goytizolo of Georgian Manor Antiques in Fairhaven, Mass., brought excellent examples of the English Regency furniture and accessories that are his specialty in pairs: like a pair of faux rosewood armchairs in the classical manner, a pair of Continental giltwood and composition oval mirrors, a Continental pair of painted and parcel-gilt torcheres with paw feet and a pair of English George III framed mourning needlework pictures. He also had a circa 1880 Peruvian mirror, a mule chest from the 1880s, an English Regency mahogany writing table and an English Georgian mahogany Pembroke table. Goytizolo complemented the furniture with a display of ornithological and botanical prints.

Thomas Schwenke came from Woodbury, Conn., also with pairs. He showed a pair of classical mahogany pier tables with Egyptian marble tops, circa 1835, that were probably made in New York. A pair of classical carved and gilt mirrors that may have been made in Portsmouth were cheek by jowl with a pair of card tables. Schwenke also had a Baltimore mahogany extension dining table, a Queen Anne cherry highboy from about 1760–1765, and a pair of Nanking candlesticks. Speaking after the show, he said he was pleased with the results, having made a number of sales.

Charles Edwin specializes in clocks, barometers and other instruments and he brought a dandy selection from his Louisa, Va., base. For some, the most curious object was the early Nineteenth Century English mahogany way wiser that was signed by Robert Bretell Bate of London.

An early Twentieth Century weather set comprising an aneroid barometer and a thermometer in carved Black Forest linden wood frames were probably Swiss in origin and attracted high interest. Other barometers included a Nineteenth Century mahogany ship's barometer by Spencer, Browning of London, a Regency mahogany barometer by Charles Ganna of London and a Danish stick barometer from about 1860–1880.

Impressive clocks were a George III Lancashire Chippendale long case clock by Thomas Worswick and a George III Welsh long case clock by John Fernhill of Wrexham made in the Lancashire Chippendale form, and a George III quarter-striking long case clock by Peter Fearnley of Wigan, Lancashire.

Boston's Walker Cunningham gallery tempted visitors with paintings like Max Bohm's 1898 seascape "En Mer," his 84-by-96-inch work that won a gold medal at the 1898 Paris Salon. Walker Cunningham also showed Aldro T. Hibbard's "Open River, Winter," Charles Hovey Pepper's "The Story Book" and "A Lady in Black" by Cecilia Beaux.

Cooley Gallery of Old Lyme, Conn., offered summery scenes like Wilson H. Irvine's "Summertime, Lyme," Ernest Carlsen's "Beach," the vineyard view by George Newell Bowers of "Gay Head, Martha's Vineyard" and Alice Judson's "Boats in Harbor." Cooley also showed "Bertha in the Garden at Onteora" and "Early Moonrise over St Ives Bay" by E.E. Simmons, one of The Ten artists. Another seaside picture was Jonas Lie's "By the Docks."

Show beneficiaries were the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newport County and the Newport Historical Society, the latter of which mounted a loan exhibit that brought to light a locket with a three-carat diamond enclosing strands of hair of Martha and George Washington that was given to Oliver Wolcott by Martha Washington. A view of Easton's Beach, circa 1870, by F.A. Peckham was reproduced as the show catalog cover and was also on view. A Goddard Townsend easy chair that descended in the family of William Ellery, the Newport signer of the Declaration of Independence, was also on view. The upholstery was embroidered by Ellery's wife and whenever reupholstering was required, her crewel work was cut from the old fabric and sewn on to the new one.

For information, www.newportantiquesshow.com or 401-846-2669.