Autumn Festival Of Antiques At Washington, Conn., Show

Washington, Conn.

:A spectacular outdoor light show by Barbara Bouyea alerted area residents that Bryan Memorial Town Hall was where they wanted to be on Friday evening, October 2 — opening night for the 23rd Washington Connecticut Antiques Show. Jean Chapin, executive director of the Gunn Memorial Library & Museum, called the show "an eye-pleasing array of fine artifacts, amidst a beautifully decorated hall," and indeed, it opened to a large, eager crowd at 6:30.

The show, a major fundraiser for the Gunn library, continued on Saturday and Sunday at the town hall, which was sumptuously decorated and lighted for the gala and the show. Renny Reynolds, landscape designer and architect, contributed splendid plants for the town hall's foyer, event designer Chris Ziama and Chris Giftos, recently retired floral master of New York's Metropolitan Museum, added their talents to the overall decorative style of the weekend. The results were stunning and the gala was so well attended, many were lined up to enter.

The Gunn Memorial Library & Museum was founded in 1908 by Frederic W. Gunn, an 1837 Yale graduate, who with his wife, Abigail, founded the Gunnery School in Washington in 1850. The antiques show was inaugurated in 1987.

Past honorary chairs have included Senator and Mrs Abraham Ribicoff, Oscar de la Renta, Dr and Mrs Henry Kissinger and Bill Blass. This year, Gretchen and Philip Farmer, each former library presidents, served as honorary chairs, and were greeting guests as they walked up the red carpeted stairs at the town hall.

After a two-year hiatus, Sandra Canning and J. Rodney Pleasants were once again the show's co-chairs and overall organizers; the smooth opening and well-run show served as a testament to their abilities, as they had prepared a veritable autumn feast of antiques.

With 19 dealers, each booth was perfectly set up with fine examples of the dealer's best. At Yellow Church Antiques, Millbrook, N.Y., four late Eighteenth Century Italian, hand painted wallpaper panels hung behind a Seventeenth Century walnut trestle table with a later base, on which an English, Nineteenth Century papier mache and inlaid mother-of-pearl lap or traveling desk rested; a Henry W Kemper (American, 1833–1894) untitled Hudson River landscape on an easel stood nearby. "There were wonderful things to buy here," dealer Mark Thormahlen said; he sold many special things as well—including the Italian wallpaper panels.

Directly across the aisle, two large cast iron dogs guarded the entrance to Roberto Freitas's elegantly appointed booth. The recumbent dogs were by Fiske, and the Stonington, Conn., dealer said, "The opening was fantastic, [organizers] Rob and Sandra are bringing this show back to its former self. There were around 350 people at the opening, and I had several return on Sunday. I sold a Hudson River watercolor and several other things.

"The dogs attracted a lot of interest," he added. "I have someone who saw them who is deciding about them right now."

Canning confirmed that there were around 300 (or more) people at the opening, and the show was a great success as a fundraiser for the library and museum. "The Gunn board is quite pleased, as this is the largest annual source on funding for the GMLM." A new feature this year was a silent auction, which was spaced around the show in different groupings, with signup sheets nearby. With cruises, wine, art and antiques, as well as landscaping and other services, offered, the silent auction garnered almost $10,000 for the library, Canning said.

Talking to Alan Cunha after the show, more praise was offered. "The preview party was amazing," he said. "The show is in the rebuilding phase and it resembled shows of old. Rod and Sandra were terrific, the committee is wonderful and they work so hard. Even though it's been a difficult year, the show was very, very interesting."

The Essex, Mass., dealer who, with his wife Ann and partner Wayne St John, trades under the name Cunha-St John, reported several sales, including a circa 1900 brass lantern that sold to a local couple; other local buyers purchased a couple of urns to put in their wine cellar, "A perfect spot for them," Cunha said. He also sold several pieces of treen and some American folk art.

Other interesting items in the booth set up on the stage were a set of four framed "Maps of the Heavens" from London, circa 1830; a regency three-tier mahogany and brass campaign side table, English, circa 1820; and a large brass-covered military trunk, also English, on a stand and with a plaque in the middle of the lid engraved "B.T. Ottley." The circa 1860 trunk was decorated over its surface with brass studs. One of the many boxes on offer was circa 1860, with ivory inlaid ebony with inlaid vines with fruit, also on a custom-made stand.

Another regency piece was in Barry Strom's booth. The Litchfield, Conn., dealer was showing an English coat rack in original surface, and a side table with a paint decorated top and ornate carving set off with pale gray paint.

Among the many returning dealers, Dawn Hill Antiques set up with its signature clean, almost modern-looking Swedish antiques. Among its offerings were a yellow painted Swedish Mora clock with a carving of a bear on the bonnet. The face was signed by the maker and its circa 1800 date belied its contemporary look. The 88-inch-tall clock was reportedly in working condition.

A large (more than 6 feet) arched wooden panel, with hand painted rabbits scurrying around the outside and grazing in the middle, hung over a Gustavian period sleeping bench in pale green/gray original surface. The circa 1790 Swedish bench included two bolsters and was marked at $10,200. An off-white, hand thrown, four-handle pedestal bowl by Frances Palmer ($625) was just one decorative accessory in the New Preston, Conn., dealer's attractive corner booth.

Margaret Doyle of Cumberland Foreside, Maine, had a decorator's booth, with lots of attractive furniture, accessories and greenery (in this case, fresh broccoli spears decorated tables, chests and baskets). An Italian dolphin table sported three large dolphins, balancing on their heads, holding up a glass table top with their tails. From a Newport, R.I., estate, the table was topped by a pair of Nineteenth Century Gallé candleholders, described by Doyle as, "very rare, actually."

Four dealers were set up in the balcony overlooking the town hall floor. At the preview, with a bar, food and much to see, they were quickly discovered by those seeking a less crowded area.

Melody Rodgers brought an eclectic variety of dazzling diamonds and white paste jewelry from New York City. She was showing everything from a Princess Charlotte ("The Princess Diana of her day," Rodgers said) Nineteenth Century necklace to a Georgian shoe buckle the jewelry artist had transformed into a clasp bracelet. A Nineteenth Century French bauble was hung on a ribbon "the correct way to wear this piece," Rodgers commented. From vintage diamonds that are "sometimes more enticing with their imperfect shapes, color and settings," to white and colored paste set in silver, this first-timer at Washington had a lovely setup.

Also part of the balcony crew, rare and collectible books could be found at Johnnycakes Books. The Salisbury, Conn., dealer was showing a fine selection from literature, architecture, decorative arts and design, to gardening, photography, children's and illustrated titles. Dan Dwyer, owner, had first editions of Harry Potter next to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Return of the King and David Hicks's editions O n Decorating , O n Bathrooms and even a British Cavalry treatise, published in 1803.

An alcove room was converted into a Bedouin tent with antique Oriental rugs from a 1900 Kurddish to a Malayer runner, circa 1880. New York City's Nemati Collection featured a deep selection of rugs, tapestries and kilims.

Rick Scott filled his glass cases with decorative and collectible antique boxes, clocks, inkwells and objets du vertu. Scott, who has his headquarters in San Francisco, was also showing a large (about 18 inches) hand wrought, iron padlock in the shape of a violin. The late Nineteenth Century lock still worked, Scott said, and he had the key. Scott's collection included a multitude of snuff boxes, some called Scottish snuff mulls, made from highland cattle horns. One, a circa 1850 hand-sized mull, had silver and agate additions.

Mr and Mrs Coert duBois stared knowingly at the patrons of the Washington Connecticut Antiques Show from a pair of Ammi Phillips (American, 1788–1856) portraits at Eckert Fine Art. Also showing, to fulfill its stated purpose, "Connecticut Fine Art: Then and Now," were several large, well-painted photo realistic works by contemporary Connecticut artist Eric Forstmann and an oil on canvas "Kent Falls," by George L. Nelson (1887–1978), marked at $8,500; a paint decorated bench with two matching chairs was set up under the Phillips portraits.

The Washington Connecticut Antiques Show will run again in autumn 2010, benefiting the Gunn Memorial Library and Museum; dates to be announced. For information, www.gunnlibrary.org or 860-868-7586.