Marion Antiques Show

MARION, Mass. - The heart of an antiques show is the dealer list, but there are also some frills that are greatly appreciated by those who attend, and the Marion Antiques Show has a number of those to offer. It is an air conditioned summer show, has a tasty preview party with what seems like an endless raw bar and good drinks, sound management and an attractive setting. The show is staged at the Tabor Academy, within view of the harbor and all kinds of boats, and the entrance is generally an attractive garden that most people would be happy to move right into their backyard.

This year Steve Gonzales of Eden Garden in Marion was best man at his brother's wedding and had to miss the show. While the entrance did suffer from the lack of his creativeness, it was "well planted" by a stand-in that led people to 70 antique-filled booths in the Fish Center for Health and Athletics.

"Our preview on Friday, August 20, was up this year with over 600 people attending," Trisha McElroy, show manager said. She mentioned that over the next two days the gate was up, as the rain on Saturday helped and there were some be-backers from the preview party on Sunday. "Furniture was selling, including a number of bow front chests, and that was good to see," she said. The final gate ended around 2,000 visitors, "good for us" she added.

Prominently displayed in the front of the booth of Brennan and Mouilleseaux, Norfolk, Conn., was a large cast-iron urn marked "Abendrota, NY," dating circa 1880. "It is one of only a couple I have head of," Tim Brennan said, pointing out that the full-bodied squirrels perched above each side handle was a very rare example. In addition to their unusual display of garden antiques, an inlaid Pembroke table in mahogany, New York, circa 1790, was offered. It had bowed D-shaped leaves of figured wood.

An early workbench, complete with cast-iron vice and eight drawers for tools, gray paint, was shown by the Village Braider of Plymouth, Mass. A dressing table with tapering lags, yellow surface with stenciled drawer, was among the furniture in the booth and for the garden was a pair of cast stone fruit-filled compotes. A set of four wooded planters was in the original blue-green paint.

A pair of brass pulpit candlesticks, English, circa 1840, was displayed on a New England tavern table with scrubbed top of pine with breadboard ends, 421/2 by 28 inches, on a maple base, in the booth of Hanes and Ruskin of Old Lyme, Conn.

The portrait of a young sea captain with spyglass in hand, ship in the background, hung in the booth of Alfred J. Walker Fine Art, Boston. This oil on canvas, circa 1850, measures 36 by 28 inches. William Bradford's (1823-1892) "Labrador Coast, Mid-night Sun," 1882, an oil on canvas on panel, 19 by 30 inches, hung in the center of the booth, and to the left was "Mermaids" by Ralph Cahoon, on oil on Masonite, 22 by 30 inches. The scene was of a grouping of mermaids in icebergs, with a large ship in the background.

A good number of pieces of furniture filled the booth of New Salem, Mass., exhibitor M.D. Schedlbauer including a small gate leg table in walnut, one drawer, circa 1920, and an American Chippendale four-drawer chest, Philadelphia, circa 1760. An American secretary in mahogany measured 79 by 36 by 18 inches.

Akin Lighting of Boston had a large selection of all kings of lighting, including a nice pair of ship's lanterns in old red paint with red glass globes, and any number of pairs and single sconces in both brass and silver plate. Sharon B. Jorgensen, also of Boston, had a real mix of furniture ranging from a large American drop leaf, turned leg table at the front of the booth, to a neoclassic Swedish bench, circa 1820, in light blue paint with yellow trim. A mahogany coat rack was of the William IV period.

Madden & Co and The Weather Store, both of Sandwich, Mass., a father-son team, shared a booth and showed a large and interesting collection of nautical and related items. Among the instruments was a Hepplewhite wheel barometer, English, circa 1835, by C. Aiano, Northgate, Canterbury, with shell inlay. A large trade sign advertised "Captain's Table," and a Chelsea Bakelite clock, 71/2 inches in diameter, came from a decommissioned submarine. Two nests of Nantucket baskets were offered, one by B. Folger, 1870-1880. Paul Madden said, "That nest of eight baskets by Folger is one I sold about 25 years ago and was just able to get them back a couple of days ago."

A Queen Anne maple armchair with rush seat was offered by Birchknoll Antiques of Millis, Mass., along with a Hepplewhite secretary desk with two arched glass doors over two long drawers. A set of four rod back Windsor side chairs retained the original unpainted surface.

It is easy to spot the booth of Charles and Barbara Adams of South Yarmouth, Mass. It is the one with the large collection of Bennington in the forms of flasks, books, figures, pitchers and candlesticks. A nice pond boat in original condition was mounted on a stand, and an early six-board chest in old red, small size, had cutout ends. Lewis Scranton of Killingworth, Conn., shares this booth and it is easy to tell his inventory for it is where the Bennington stops and the redware begins. Two of the paintings in the booth were nautical, the first an oil on canvas of a New Bedford sea captain in the original grained frame, the other a ship portrait of a four-masted schooner signed J. Wilson, who worked in Bath, Maine. It dated from the early 1900s.

Furniture filled the booth of Glenbrook Antiques, Hudson, N.Y., with a Regency tilt-top breakfast table, English, circa 1810, with brass feet and the original casters, and a Hepplewhite slant front desk, birch and cherry wood, circa 1770. Among other pieces shown was a classical period work-table, American, Nineteenth Century, in mahogany.

Robert Carrabs of Warwick, N.Y., carried a variety of furniture, ranging from a cottage pine chest of four drawers, circa 1850, with scalloped bracket base, to a Sheraton four-drawer bow front chest in mahogany, circa 1825, 40 by 19 by 39 inches high.

One had to be looking up to spot a nice sheet metal horse weathervane stuck on the fascia board of the booth of Tom Moser, Lincolnville, Maine. This horse, outlined with reinforcing strips of metal, was of good size and from Wisconsin. A set of four fanback Windsor side chair with carved ears was by Joseph Henzey, Philadelphia, circa 1865-80, and a large wood turned bowl, 18 inches in diameter, had the original green painted surface.

Sandy Jacobs of Rindge, N.H., is not the fastest person setting up a booth, but she said, "I really did well this time, it is only 3:10 and it is done," leaving her 21/2 hours before the preview. She offered a set of four ribbon back side chairs with lime-green upholstered seats, a theorem showing a large basket of flowers, circa 1825, and a Nineteenth Century Massachusetts or Vermont hanging cupboard with two doors over two drawers, the entire piece outlined in a fancy applied wood border.

The sign from "Cutler's General Store" hung in the booth of Tom Joseph, Limington, Maine, while a pair of oil on canvas portraits, right out of a small, New Hampshire auction, showed the lady with large, colorful shawl and the man seated in a painted Windsor side chair. "I think they are a good looking couple, but he could use a cleaning," Tom said. Another piece of advertising was a large cutout boot, about five feet tall, for "Casper's Shoes."

Eric D. Wohl of Pomfret Center, Conn., offered a New England table with one drop leaf, one drawer, beaded skirt, top with breadboard ends, turned legs ending in button feet, and a nice decorated document box, black with red bird on a green tree with berries on the top.

Among the nautical paintings at the show was one of a Gloucester schooner, oil on board, signed Thompson, in the booth of John Goddard Shop, Portsmouth, R.I. An English tall-case clock with canted door, circa 1870, showed the figure of Father Time in brass over a brass engraved face, and a Sheraton dresser in birch, with backsplash, had rope turned front legs.

A percussion cap musket with octagonal barrel, American, possibly Pennsylvania, second quarter of the Nineteenth Century, was shown by Denise Scott of West Greenwich, R.I., along with a Sheraton dressing table, American, grained and stenciled, circa 1830.

A large corner booth gave the Kemble's of Norwich, Ohio, room to show many thing as including an early fish trade sign, a set of six New England birdcage Windsor side chairs in old green paint with yellow striping, circa 1800, and a two-drawer work table, Hepplewhite, with turned legs and glass knobs. Boy and girl frogs were in cast iron, along with a frog sprinkler and a frog doorstop, and weathervanes were in the shapes of a large, fat cow, a fish and a prancing horse.

"WB" was on three slip-decorated plates in the booth of Brian Cullity of Sagamore, Mass., and a mahogany tilt-top tea table from the Boston area dated circa 1760-80. On the table was a five-piece coin silver tea set by Lewis and Smith, Philadelphia, 1809-1811. A small mantel was smoke decorated with stop-fluted side panels.

"I like this show; it is right in my back yard and it was very good for me this year," said Enrique Goytizolo of Georgian manor Antiques, Fairhaven, Mass. When he gets his booth set up, there is very little room to move about in it due to the quantity of furniture he exhibits. This time he showed an English William II circular center table in mahogany, molded edge, circa 1840, 34 inches in diameter, with scrolled feet; an unusual English Nineteenth Century painted bamboo turned stand with octagonal top, raised galley, supported on six circular turned legs headed by finials, circa 1830-40; and a Nineteenth Century Anglo-Indian solid calamander wood carved side table, circa 1840, 401/2- by 241/2-inch top with inset marble.

Furniture in the booth of Howard and Linda Stein of Solebury, Penn., included a pair of leather club chairs, French, and a wicker sofa with matching armchair and rocker, while Jane McClafferty of New Canaan, Conn., showed a New England chair table, circa 1800, with two-board scrubbed top and red-painted base, and a large Hudson River view, oil on canvas, of Storm King Mountain. Three figures from a collection of Staffordshire included The Vicar and Moses, circa 1790; hunt scene with rider with horn and three dogs; and children with goats, all of English origin.

A cottage bedroom set from the estate of Captain Howes of Harwichport included a large bed, bureau, mirror, commode, stand, rocker and set of four chairs was shown in the booth of William Nickerson of Orleans, Mass. He also displayed a two-part secretary in mahogany with the original mushroom pulls, New England, circa 1830, comprising two glass doors over two short drawers and in the lower portion, a writing surface over three long drawers. A Federal four-drawer bureau in maple and cherry wood was of New England origin, circa 1835, with original brass pulls.

Stacks of pillows and fabrics were neatly arranged in the booth of Susan Oostdyk of Clifton, N.J., as well as scattered about on a wrought iron tester bed and a wicker couch in blue and white paint. Also shown was a French iron day bed with hand-rolled mattress covered in French mattress striped ticking, circa 1920.

"Helen with Iceland Poppies" was the title of a large portrait in the booth of David and Donna Kmetz of Douglas, Mass. This oil on canvas was the work of George Laurence Nelson (1887-1987), signed lower right, and Helen was his wife. An oil on canvas simply titled "Vermont Autumn" was done by Aldro T. Hibbard (1886-1972), a member of the Cape Ann School painters and a founding member of the Rockport Art Association.

Drake Field Antiques, Longmeadow, Mass., experienced a good show in Marion, selling some furniture and several pieces of brass. George Keady attributes the sale of the brass to his near-perfect polishing job he usually ends up with. Fireplace equipment included a nice selection of fenders, andirons and tongs, while included among the pieces of furniture was a Federal inlaid game table in mahogany, birch and satinwood, North Shore, Mass., circa 1810-15. A small size lady's desk in cherry wood was of New England origin, circa 1825, while a set of four yellow painted and stenciled Windsor side chairs was the only painted objects in the booth.

A large vintage birdhouse with white fence, two stories with chimney, was offered by Debra Queen of Dartmouth, Maine. She also had a cast-iron oval urn and a pair of cottage chairs pictured in the Fiske catalog.

Palmer LeRoy Fine Art of Dover, Mass., covered the walls of his booth with many pictures including a "Vermont Winter," an oil on canvas by W. Lester Stevens who was born in 1888 in Rockport, Mass., and died in 1969 in Greenfield, Mass. This 28 by 30 work is signed by the artist. Glen Moore Shaw painted "Provincetown Roofs," an oil on canvas, 231/2 by 191/2 inches, while master British watercolorist H. Murray did a Nineteenth Century watercolor showing horses and riders, many taking spills while making a jump and trying to cross a brook.

Thomas and Celeste Dynan of Kennebunk, Maine, showed a watercolor in vignette, dated 1903, by Sidney T. Callowhill who came from a family of painters and decorators of porcelain. A large ocean view, "Monhegan," 1910, an oil on canvas by Elizabeth Grandin, was hung, and a nice set of library stairs, mahogany with fabric insets, dated circa 1810.

A still life oil on canvas, large size, showing fruit, flowers and a paper, the New Bedford Evening Standard, was by New Bedford artist Clarence Braley and displayed in the booth of Marion Antique Shop. Furniture included a Federal tambour secretary, American, circa 1790, with the original finish and rare rampart lion hardware.

For the most part, the show had a nice look and the exhibitors worked hard on presentation. Prior to the opening of the show one of the dealers went to Trish and mentioned some not so old items that were being passed off as old. Trish said she was aware of the situation, "things have been removed and those dealers will not be back next year." She runs a tight ship, which makes for a good one.