The Pennsylvania Antiques Show

YORK, PENN.

: "I like being in York, enjoy the Expo Center and it is a pleasure to work with the people who run this facility on the fairgrounds," Frank Gaglio, owner of Barn Star Productions, said. He went on to mention the attractive way his Pennsylvania Antiques Show sets up and "the dealers always do a fine job presenting their inventory to the visitors."

The Pennsylvania Show, one of three events on the York Fairgrounds on November 5-6, opened at 9 am both days, closing at 7 pm on Friday and at 5 pm on Saturday.

Among the pieces of literature on the table at the front of the show was an announcement of Barn Star's latest venture, a tailgate show next May for the Pennsylvania Show. "We have taken over both sides of the Expo Center and will run the Pennsylvania Show on the East side, Friday and Saturday, and conduct the York Pickers Market on the West side on Saturday," Frank said. He also made this announcement on Friday morning to those who were in line for his Pennsylvania Show.

The York Pickers Market will be a tabletop type of show, that is, no walls or partitions unless brought in by the exhibitors. Also no lighting will be furnished, only the strong ceiling lights in place in the center. Two hours before the shows close on Saturday, "We will open the doors between the two shows and people will be able to visit both events without any additional charge," Frank said.

The show this fall numbered 95 exhibitors, down some from the spring, but the dealers presented an interesting and colorful display of antiques furniture and related items. A sampling of the booths follows.

To the left of the main entrance Jeff Bridgman American Antiques of Mansfield, Penn., offered part of his collection of American flags. "I have about 25 here this time, the earliest one circa 1854-61 representing the Oregon Statehood," Jeff said. Among the pieces of furniture shown was a milk cupboard/server from the Hudson Valley, Dutchess County, N.Y., circa 1830, in old red surface.

"People go right by me on opening day here, they are looking for 'paint' and do not even see me. Saturday is my day to shine," said Judd Gregory of Dorset, Vt. He offered a Massachusetts Hepplewhite card table, circa 1790-1810, mahogany with satinwood inlay, over which hung an oil on canvas of a child seated in the woods, American, circa 1840, probably from the Hudson River region. A Chippendale blockfront desk was of mahogany, circa 1770, and of Massachusetts origin.

"I have been selling, but equally as important I have been doing some nice buying," Clifford Wallach of Brooklyn, N.Y, said. This dealer in tramp art pieces offered a large two-opening frame, cream and red painted, and a tramp art slate board from Wind Gap, Penn. Labeled as a "masterpiece" was a tramp art cupboard, circa 1870, of North Carolina origin.

Brenda and Terry Daniel Antiques of Newville, Penn., offered a selection of country things including some painted firkins, pantry boxes and a number of early signs including "Saws Sharpened" and "Pride of the Valley." An interesting wall hanging was an oil on wood painting of a wooded scene, complete with lake, and two carved deer mounted on the base of the frame in front of this setting.

Halsey Munson Antiques of Decatur, Ill., showed a gate leg table in old red, Boston, of walnut and dating circa 1680-1720. What made it special was the small size, only 30 inches wide, 40 inches with the leaves up. A diminutive maple and birch chest on high bracket feet dated from the Eighteenth Century, four graduated drawers, one board top with ogee molded edges. It was the North Shore of Southern New Hampshire, circa 1770-1780.

A rack filled with coverlets has almost become the trademark of The Herrs, Lancaster, Penn., and this display varied in makers, color and design. Their back wall was hung with a star quilt, offering a real splash of color to the booth. This piece was Quaker, Germantown, Penn., circa 1860, with bold flowers surrounding the large center star.

"I had a very good show and had a steady stream of customer," Martin Chasin of Martin Chasin Fine Arts, LLC, Fairfield, Conn., said, listing the sales of English Regency candlesticks, several pieces of Eighteenth Century Irish glass, a large set of Tiffany flatware and a number of Eighteenth Century serving pieces. He noted buyers came from Philadelphia, Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley region. "I try to do an eye-stopping booth, using red paper to set off my collection of silver, and I sell only pieces in very good condition with no questions or repairs," he said.

The work of many young ladies was represented in the walls of samplers hung by The Needle's Work Antiques, Morton, Ill. One example was by Rhoda Butman of Massachusetts, 1823, who executed a family register, while another one was the hand of Eveline Blye, 1818, Philadelphia, showing a house with fence and trees, with a pair of compotes with flowers in the top portion of the sampler.

A large reclining dog was worked into a hooked rug that hung on the back wall in the booth of Otto and Susan Hart of Arlington, Vt. This figural rug, circa 1880, was raised in certain areas including the flower border and the dog's ears. At the front of the booth stood a stately eagle, once part of a New York City building, late Nineteenth Century, folded wings and of granite. One wall was decorated by a graphic pair of horse stall stanchions, circa 1870, that came from a stable in Northern New York State.

A nice step back cupboard of pine and chestnut, scalloped sides and open shelves in the top portion, circa 1780, was shown by The Hagadones Antiques of Charlottesville, Va. A Queen Anne chest in pine, red painted surface, circa 1720, had five drawers and rested on a bracket base.

Attracting attention in the booth of Chuck White Folk Art & Antiques, Mercer, Penn., was a countertop trade sign figure of Punch, carved and painted pine. Other trade signs included two clocks, one of wood advertising W.A. Shaw Jewelry Store, Shelby, Ohio, circa 1870, and the other of cast iron, smaller in size, for J. Hines Jeweler. A copper fish trade sign, advertising "Tackle," circa 1865-70, had black lettering and measured 58 inches long.

Foxfields Antiques & Chris and Carol Dozier, Columbia, Md., had a selection of nine shorebirds including a black belly plover by William Gibian, several yellowlegs and a preening tern. Yellow-ware was in abundance, including pitchers, bowls, etc, as were sponge decorated pieces.

A steeple-chase mural, 1904, measuring 24 feet long, stretched across the back and down on side of the booth of Gloria Lonergan of Mendham, N.J. "We actually bought this to hang in the upstairs hallway in our house, knowing it would fit well, but we forgot there was a door right in the middle of this long wall," Gloria admitted. A long serving table with painted base, scrubbed top, 8 feet 21/2 inches long, Nineteenth Century, was shown at the front of the booth, and to the left was a large storage box, Pennsylvania origin, 501/2 inches long, with hinged lid and blue painted. Offered as a lot was a stack of eight pantry boxes in different diameters and colors, including red, cream, yellow and blue.

A pair of facing stags decorated a hooked rug, 35 by 62 inches, in the display of Priscilla Hutchinson, Wiscasset, Maine. Of interest was a Nineteenth Century mirror, yellow painted with black, green, mustard and red decoration, and a Hand of God weathervane, small size, Nineteenth Century, with closed hand and finger pointing out straight, the thumb upwards.

An outer row Dare carousel horse with early park paint, circa 1860, was shown by Judith and James Milne, New York City, along side a 10-foot-long sawbuck table with red painted base and scrubbed two-board top. From the Rochester Iron Works came a large horse weathervane with good mustard painted surface, cast iron with sheet metal tail, circa 1870. A Checkerboard tavern sign, circa 1920, was in strong colors and showed some chess figures, two pawns and a knight.

Steve Smoot Antiques offered a great slab table made of California redwood, circa 1910-20. "You should have seen them bringing the table into the building; it took five strong guys," a nearby dealer said. The table, finished "to the nines" and on a large trunk base, needed the right room, a large one, and certainly it would be the instant center of attraction. In contrast to this massive piece, a Pennsylvania settee was against the side wall, green painted and decorated, with half-spindles and circa 1840. A long trade sign across the back of the booth, red with black lettering, advertised the "United Cigar Stores."

A number of weathervanes were displayed by Brandegee, Pittsburgh, including a locomotive, sheet iron, green paint, circa 1890, and a sheet metal fish in mustard paint, circa 1860, with a sold sign attached. "A man called us about this vane after seeing it at one show and asked us to bring it here," said Rob Brandegee. A baseball diamond was drawn on several old boards and was used as a dart board, possibly in a bar, and "we have lots of interest in this piece. Several people are out measuring," Rob said.

Costa and Currier of Portsmouth, N.H., again set up a "neat" booth, with everything in perfect order. Dave Currier, who was watching the booth while Dick wandered about the floor, noted, "The show has been good for us and we have had a good number of sales." An old floor cloth was among the first things sold, along with a decoy, WWI ship watercolor, a dozen large wooden gilt letters and two very large orange carrots that kept rolling off the table to the floor. A old green stepladder leaned against the side wall, along with a pair of oars. "One person checked out the painted surface of those oars with a jeweler's glass," Dick Costa said, adding "What's it coming to?"

Steve and Lorraine Marshall American Antiques of Greensboro, N.C., offered many pieces of redware including six banks, cups, miniature pitchers, jars and molds. Another one of their interests, whale oil lamps, was well represented with a large collection, some from Sandwich and others Flint.

Interesting smalls filled the booth of Lana Smith, Louisville, Ky., including a pair of chalk parrots, stone fruit, schoolgirl watercolor in the original gilt frame and a pair of leather covered frames. H&L Antiques, Marlton, Penn., hung a large, graphic hot dog sign, offering one for only 20 cents, and other advertising including "Housekeeping Units," and Holsum Bread. A Nineteenth Century dry sink in old blue/green paint measured 521/2 inches long, Massachusetts origin, circa 1870-80.

Debra Elizabeth Schaffer of Wiscasset, Maine, showed a harvest table in honey pine from Maine, 6 feet long, circa 1830-40, with two leaves, and a step back cupboard from Gardiner, Maine, 1810-1820, 73 inches high and in old blue/gray paint.

Dan & Karen Olson of Newburgh, N.Y., experienced a good show, offering a large collection of furniture including a one-board breadboard ends table from Maine, scrubbed top, one drawer, red base with turned legs, circa 1800-1815. A painting depicted a circa 1890 farm scene with cows, dog, fowl and farmer feeding his livestock. This signed work was from Duluth, Minn.

A large Flow Blue platter in the "Rhone" pattern was on top of a five drawer Chippendale chest in mahogany, circa 1785, in the booth of Bob Carrabs Antiques, Warwick, N.Y. Other furniture included an American plantation desk in cherry wood, circa 1840, 82 inches tall with glass doors in the upper portion.

A Rhode Island desk on frame, circa 1760, blue painted surface, was shown by Different Drummer Antiques, Newcastle, Maine, and in one of the cases was a tiny pair of tin "go to bed" candlesticks. William and Polly Lyman looked out from the booth of Gary Promey, Atwater, Ohio, oil on canvas paintings signed verso by A.P. Bail, 1839. They were executed when the sitters were in their mid 40s. Other pictures included a lithograph print of "Washington Crossing The Delaware," dated 1866, in the original frame with the original glass.

Holden Antiques of Naples, Fla., offered a large eagle weathervane on ball, 291/2 inch wingspan, displayed on a harvest table with cherry wood top, Nineteenth Century, 61/2 feet when fully extended. An oil on canvas portrait of a young boy in red dress putting stones in a wheelbarrow, Pennsylvania, circa 1830-40, 30 by 25 inches, was unsigned but "certainly has to be by Robert Street," Ed Holden said.

Stoney Creek Antiques of Valparaiso, Ind., showed a Chippendale desk on frame with dry painted surface and a portrait of a young man in black coat, mustard vest, seated on a red sofa was of New England origin, circa 1820. A mustard decorated floor cloth was in the booth, a decorative piece done by Suzanne Myers of Stoney Creek. At one point she was giving detailed instructions on how to do such a floor cloth to a gentleman who wanted to paint one for his home.

Michael and Lucinda Seward of Pittsford, Vt., were extending their string of "hits" with lots of sales. A two-door hanging cupboard with painted surface, a wallpapered box, chintz quilt, trade sign once used by The Three Stooges, a homespun blanket, and a red painted country server were among the things sold during the first two days of the show. "Oh I forgot, there was another hanging cupboard," Lucinda added to the list.

Sales were steady, but no furniture was sold as of Friday evening, for Mad River Antiques, North Granby, Conn. A good number of decorated Indian baskets were sold, along with other smalls and a cut paper picture.

"I am shocked, it has been really good for me," Ed Weissman of Portsmouth, N.H. said on Friday. He had sold a Pembroke table, a Bennington book flask, two brass trivets and some lighting, among other things.

"It is good to be back in show business, we enjoy seeing all of the dealers and the people," George Allen of Raccoon Creek, Oley, Penn., said. After selling the bulk of their inventory last April at William Bunch Gallery, new stock was acquired and the booth was a full as always with choice pieces of pottery, iron, carvings, Pennsylvania pieces, fabrics and paintings. "We hope to have our shop in operation shortly, after a long renovation period, and we will be back on the show circuit," George said.

"We were there late into the night on Saturday, all of the dealers were out of the Expo Center and only Stacey remained to take down the walls," Frank Gaglio said the next week. He indicated he was pleased with the show, had looked for a larger gate, but "we hope that will change in the spring when we bring our second show to York."

The Pennsylvania Show ends the Barn Star calendar for 2004, and it will be off and running in 2005 on April 8-10 when Antiques at the Center opens in Philadelphia.