The Early American Antiques Show

YORK, PENN.

: "I have a challenge ahead of me," Robert Goodrich said as his Early American Antiques Show opened on Friday at 7 am with early buying. He had hoped for a full compliment of exhibitors, "not over 65," but things did not jell this first time out and 25 dealers joined a rooster of 12 crafts people whose interests led to historic home and antique restoration.

"It generally takes three years to get a show off the ground and we will be back here in November and again in the spring. At both of those shows we hope to have 65 exhibitors, but not over that number. We are in it for the long haul," Bob said.

As far as the spring is concerned, Jim Burk is moving his Greater York Antiques Show to Memorial Day weekend. Bob indicated he has no interest in moving and will stick with the same time period.

In answer to the entire York question, however, Bob said, "I really think that to have all of these shows two times a year is overkill. It seems to me once a year is enough, and that should be in the fall."

In any case, at this point he is going with the flow and has made some adjustments. Changes in opening and closing times are under consideration, booth rents have been revamped, and "we are planning to give the show more variety by including booths with English objects, etc and less on Americana," he said.

Goodrich & Co Promotions, Inc, has been running shows around the country for more than 20 years and now has a schedule of 26 events. A staff of 16 keeps it all under control. Goodrich & Co, has had shows at the York Fairgrounds for 20-plus years and prior to becoming a promoter Bob Goodrich was a dealer for more than 20 years and has taught art in school.

Of the four shows on the fairgrounds, the Early American event did the most to make the facility look its best. Three firms in Mechanicsburg, Penn., joined forces to design and install a garden setting at the front of the show. A fountain garden was at center, with gardens on either side, and a perimeter garden to the right upon entering East Hall. The plants were left in the pots and the area around them covered with a deep coat of mulch.

Jane McClafferty of New Canaan, Conn., had a circa 1820 hutch table with blue painted base, two-board scrubber top at the front of the booth, and several shelves filled with Staffordshire pieces including pairs of dogs. A hanging shelf was arranged with numerous brass items including miniature kettles, bells and candlesticks, all of English origin.

Harrington Cottage of Harrington, Maine, offered a Sheraton dressing table in yellow with three drawers in the gallery section, Maine origin, and a Nineteenth Century cross stitched rug with a large cat in the center.

Of interest was a selection of tall hog scrapper candlesticks, all with wedding bands, and one with an old blue painted surface dating 1791. They were in the booth of George's Antiques of Union City, Ga. There was also a collection of silver napkin rings and cast-iron and painted doorstops in the form of vases of flowers, a cat, a cottage, sheep, a lion, parrots and a ship.

Lee Foster Antiques, Janesville, Wis., showed a two-piece corner cupboard in cherry wood and pine, circa 1860, painted blue, and a bookcase with a fine crackled red surface, circa 1870, two glass doors covering the shelves. An oil on canvas showed two standing white horses in a field, split rail fence in the background, signed and dated Lou Burk, 1880. It was in the original frame measuring 28 by 22 inches.

A tall-case clock by S. Hoadley, Plymouth, Conn., circa 1825, with 30-hour wooden works, stood in the corner of the booth of Antiques at Olcott Square, Basking Ridge, N.J. The face of the clock was decorated with Masonic symbols. Also with a 30-hour movement was an English tall-case clock with roses painted in the corners of the dial. A standup double desk in pine, with fitted interior, had two long drawers, and a collection of 15 wooden and decorated clock faces hung against the right wall of the booth. A few of these faces had been outfitted with a quartz movement. Seven small weathervanes, three cows and four horses, the lightening rod type, were shown on the left wall.

Ron Madar of R.G. Madar Antiques, Mountville, Penn., said, "I am doing OK, but it could be better." He mentioned, "I like old signs, especially the ones with sand paint," and to prove his point he was offering a 12-foot-long sign, white lettering on black, advertising The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. Stenciled on the back of the sign was "Deliver to Branch-Girads-ville, Pa." Ron is in the process of restoring a 110-year-old tobacco warehouse in Historic Columbia, Penn., and on June 26 will have the grand opening of his antiques center.

"I had the sign hanging in the center and had to take it down to bring to the show," he said. The Columbia Rivertowne Antique Center at 125 Bank Avenue will have 30 exhibitors and 30 cases. Also of interest in this booth was a two-section wood box, dovetailed construction, eight feet long and with green painted surface.

Gordon S. Converse & Company of Malvern, Penn., is well-known for clocks and offered, among several timepieces, a signed Benjamin Wil-lard, Grafton, tall-case clock with engraved brass dial and cherry wood case. It measures 92 inches high. An American Hepplewhite inlaid chest, attributed to Michael Allison, dated from the Nineteenth Century, and a large spread-wing eagle, carved from walnut, Nineteenth Century, American, Ohio origin, measured 28 inches wide and 27 inches tall.

A collection of 12 old box cameras included some early Rolleflex examples, and a selection of Spode plates, Italian pattern, measured 10 inches in diameter. A louver, arched and red painted, came from a New England barn, circa 1880, all displayed in the booth of Antiques and Images of Avondale, Penn.

Russellville, Ky., exhibitor The Kentucky Sandpiper offered a Noah's ark, Nineteenth Century, with 57 animals, and a mammy's rocking bench, yellow painted with stenciled back rail. American artist Richard Andrew of East Glouster, Mass., did an oil on artist board of Mount Chochorua and Squam Lake, New Hampshire.

A pair of brass lanterns by Davey & Co, London, was shown in the booth of J.D. Querry Antiques, Martinsburg, Penn., along with a selection of pig still banks in glazed pottery. And, as always, this booth offers some Canton, this time a nice deep platter, and a collection of walking sticks.

Once making the rounds in Atlantic City was a game board in original paint and stenciled decoration, 24 inches in diameter, that hung in the booth of H&L Antiques, Marlton, N.J. For the sign collector this booth showed a Nineteenth Century example from a country feed store, Lebanon, Penn., circa 1870. It listed the "Retail Prices of Feed" and included flour, corn, bran, oats, etc.

Since this Goodrich managed show and Barry Cohen's York County Classic Antiques Show shared the same building entrance, a combination ticket was available for the early buying session and for the regular admission. "We are looking forward to this fall when the show will be larger and we are planning to bring some dealers into the area who have not been here before," Bob Goodrich said. He, too, is waiting to announce his times.