Jim Burk Moves Show Back To Memorial Hall

YORK, PENN.

:About a dozen years ago there was just Jim Burk and his Greater York Antiques Show in Memorial Hall on the York Fairgrounds on Memorial Day weekend. Thus it was like a flash back in time when Jim opened his popular show on Friday, May 27, once again the single antiques show in the area. Barry Cohen and Frank Gaglio ran their shows on the fairgrounds three weeks earlier this year, May 6-7.

"The show was great," Jim said. "We had a real good line for the opening and 1,300 people came through on Friday." The gate was down from that total on Saturday, but "people were pleased with the show and many were eager to buy," he said. The show was originally scheduled to take place in the new Expo Center on the fairgrounds, but Jim Burk moved the show back to the wing of Memorial Hall, a location he plans to use again in the fall. "I never liked the Expo Center, it was cold and the ceilings were high, so I am going to use Memorial Hall from now on," Jim said.

Many of the Burk regulars were on hand, joined by some new faces that made the show a pleasant mix of mostly country items. Furniture was not as evident as it has been, but the "smalls" were plentiful and, for the most part, interesting. "Dealers can make as much with a good line of smaller things and not have to carry about large pieces of furniture," Jim said.

To the right of the main entrance Jewett and Berdan of Newcastle, Maine, showed a white on white candlewick bedspread, circa 1800, against the back wall. "We generally do not buy these, but the design including a Federal eagle, willow tree, birds, hearts and pinwheels made it too interesting to pass up," Butch Berdan said. A portrait of a gentleman of New England origin, circa 1830, was shown in its original frame, and a selection of pottery was shown on an early country farm stand in old green paint, square nail construction.

Pam and Martha Boynton, or rather we should say Martha Boynton, as Pam did not make the trip this time, offered a New England chair table with red painted base and round top, along with a nice collection of seven blown glass jars with tin tops. A grouping of still cast iron banks included three buildings, a seated elephant, and horse and a lion, and a small banner weathervane had a "B" cutout.

Harry Hartman of Marietta, Penn., once again anchored down a double booth and offered a large cast iron head of a bull that "used to be a sign for a butcher shop," Harry said. It had a perfect surface, showing years to the weather, as did a pair of cast iron lawn sprinklers in the form of large frogs. "I have owned this form before, but never a pair and I did not buy them together," Harry said. He also just bought a large goose weathervane, wood and in gray paint, that came from a hunting lodge in northwest Pennsylvania. It measured 5 feet 2 inches long and just came out of a collection near Pittsburgh. "This piece will fit perfectly into a decorating job I am presently doing," he said.

Russ and Karen Goldberger of Rye, N.H., pulled out all the patriotic stops for this show and hung one portion of the booth with red, white and blue objects. "We brought these things with Memorial Day in mind," Russ said, noting his large shield in pine, circa 1875, 321/2 by 25 inches, with 13 stars. A parade staff, 43 inches long, with a gold painted ball on top, was of the same period and an eagle clutching a shield and arrows, mid Twentieth Century, pine, measuring 43 inches wide and 15 inches high, was by the Artistic Carving Co., of Boston. At the front of the booth was a large New England dry sink, circa 1830, in the original white painted surface.

Robert Apgar Antiques of Denver, Penn., a longtime exhibitor at Burk shows, offered a Queen Anne two-drawer table in mahogany, English, and a two-tier wall shelf in blue paint, a nice sheet metal cow weathervane and a collection of black cats, all by Steiff.

Michael and Sally Whittemore of Washington, Ill., were having a successful show and one of the stars of their booth was an early Nineteenth Century cupboard in wonderful blue paint with grained-painted raised panel doors, two large over two small. This piece was originally built into a room. A pair of Centennial side chairs in mahogany with shell carvings, Philadelphia, was at the front of the booth, and a baker's cabinet from Maine, circa 1830, was in white paint with scrubbed top, four drawers, resting on turned legs. A pair of New York State portraits on wood panels hung at the back of the booth, and scattered around was a selection of weathervanes including a horse, banner, eagle and horse and sulky.

A two-board sawbuck table with breadboard ends, original unpainted surface, was shown by Steve Still Antiques, Elizabethtown, Penn., and mounted on a board was a selection of five wrought iron latches. Wilder's Antiques of Elverson, Penn., offered a tailor's table, 6 feet 6 inches long and 42 inches wide, once owned by Isaac Shirk of West Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Penn. It dated circa 1840, had two drawers, and was of pine and walnut. A complicated-looking calculating machine in the original case was manufactured by Keuffel & Esser Co., N.Y.C., and a cast iron brant sink box decoy weighed in at about 20 pounds.

Newville, Penn., exhibitors Brenda and Terry Daniel offered a model of a cradle in salmon paint, dated and signed, "Ford Johnson Co., Oct. 17, 76," in perfect condition with yellow and gold decoration and iron wheels. A large wooden sign stood in the corner of the booth advertising SICO GAS in black letters on yellow ground, with a big red "S" in the center. Another piece of advertising, a sign for Yea Kle's Hotel, hung in the booth of Terry Dwyer of Barto, Penn. Also shown was a carved wooden pilot house eagle, circa 1870, with traces of gilt under the old white painted surface. It was 38 inches high, with a wingspan of 531/2 inches.

A Leigh County bucket bench, circa 1840, had two shelves filled with cobalt blue decorated stoneware, and a grain-painted lift-lid dry sink, circa 1860, was from Dauphin County in the booth of Bertolet House Antiques, Oley, Penn. Another Pennsylvania exhibitor, Geoffrey Jackson Antiques of Stewartstown, had a large showcase filled with a Spode pearlware desert service, a mason's ironstone desert service and a complete Davenport desert service.

For those who collect early advertising, a stop at the booth of Sheppheards Antiques of Bedford, Penn., could be very rewarding. A Dutch Boy sign, complete with separate paint can promoting white lead paint, hung at one end of the booth, while a child's barber chair with carved and polychromed horse head, fine condition, was shown at the other. The chair was by Theo A. Koch's Co., Chicago. A country apothecary cabinet in the original red paint, dovetailed drawers with red and black fronts, dominated one end of the booth.

Americana Revisited, American Antiques, Cincinnati, Ohio, set up a smoke decorated country Sheraton rope bed in maple and pine with turnip feet and acorn finials, Pennsylvania, circa 1825, in one corner of the booth, while at the other end displayed a Bergen County, N.J., linen press, cherrywood and poplar, faux burl decoration, in two pieces. It dated circa 1800-1820 and was ex collection of Nathan Harsh. The lower section had two short drawers over two long drawers.

"Art Sign Co., New Haven, Ohio," was painted in yellow letters on the side of a wooden green suitcase in the booth of Douglas Wyant of Cassopolis, Mich. On the outside wall of the booth was a collection of about 55 model race cars, many different models and numbers, mounted on several boards for hanging. Three of the boards each carried nine cars, while 27 were displayed on the largest board.

Lewis and Clark of Frederick, Md., and Thomas Thompson of Carlisle, Penn., shared a booth and offered two Indiana hickory rockers in white paint with splint seats and backs, and a pair of carved stone eagles that once lived on an estate in Atlanta. A schoolmaster's desk in walnut had a split lid that opened to a fitted interior, all in the original finish.

A tall case clock, attributed to Harrisburg, Penn., inlaid mahogany case, changing moon face, was in the booth of Robert Conrad of Yeagerstown, Penn. A nice bird tree dating from the early Twentieth Century was offered, along with a rope bed from Somerset County, Penn., with chip-carved square tops on round posts. Among the furniture shown by Van Tassel/Baumann, Malvern, Penn., was a Delaware Valley lowboy in walnut with crook'd feet. A collection of needlework included a Pennsylvania example by Ann M. Weiser, 1844, silk on linen with a large urn in the center, surrounded by birds and flowers.

Stephen-Douglas of Rockingham, Vt., had a selection of furniture that included a heart-shaped side table on three legs, worn black painted surface; a three-board sawbuck table with breadboard ends, green base and scrubbed top, and a small one drawer blanket chest in salmon paint.

A painting that should appeal to Pennsylvania shoppers was a scene of Wrightsville, York County, depicting a ferry on the river, log home and a series of bridges in the distance. This mid Nineteenth Century oil on canvas hung in the booth of James Kilvington Antiques of Dover, Del. A farm table, European, circa 1840, with blue painted top, was at the front of the booth and on top of the table was a wonderful looking child's ladder back chair of Pennsylvania origin, circa 1795, in old surface with finials.

A large papier mache walrus with glass eyes came from a zoo and ended up looking down one of the show aisles from the booth of Bruce D. Horton Antiques of Bridgeport, Penn. Furniture included a New England sideboard with butler's desk, circa 1820, and a small corner cupboard in old red, circa 1840, with one six-light door and measuring just under six feet in height.

There were lots of seating opportunities in the booth of James Emele Antiques, Dublin, Penn., including a set of six decorated arrow back side chairs, a Windsor high chair with milk chocolate surface and a set of six Federal side chairs with inlaid brass, flame grained mahogany crests, slip seats, circa 1820.

One can generally find a drover chest in the booth of Greg K. Kramer, Robesonia, Penn., and this time he offered one from the Machentongo Valley with Taufschein made for Christina Rebuck, 1813. It had ogee feet and was in the original condition. An outstanding dome top handled box with dovetailed case had two framed panels showing a red cat against brown sponge decoration. The box came from Maxhorn Home, Coffee House Farm, North Shelburne, Vt., dated from the mid Nineteenth Century and was in untouched condition.

Thomas Brown of McMurray, Penn., was having a very good show, offering a large selection of furniture including a set of four chairs in figured maple, New York State, circa 1840, and writing arm Windsor with fitted drawer, circa 1790, original black paint and 28 inches high. A New England drop leaf table in maple, dated circa 1760, 28 inches high with 42 by 46 inch top, was also shown, and among the paintings was on oil on canvas of the Stonewall Jackson Homestead signed by Edward Renner.

"The rarest items we have this time is that bull's-eye ship lantern in brass with the original burner, circa 1870," John Malchione said. With his wife Veronica, they run a shop in Kennett Square, Penn. Decoys are another specialty of the business and they offered a drake red breasted merganser by Ira Steve Skees of Chincoteaque Island, Va. A large table and several shelves were filled with all forms of ironstone, including pitchers, platters, ladles and covered compotes by various makers in the booth of Rustic Rooster Antiques, Manheim, Penn.

Pat and Don Clegg of East Berlin, Penn., had a large farm table dating from the mid Nineteenth Century, Erie County, Penn., of pine and poplar. It had a two-board top that measured 60 by 33 inches with round corners. Among a selection of bird carvings was a erring gull, working confident decoy, by Charles "Pete" Wilber, Island heights, N.J. It was circa 1950.

Raccoon Creek at Oley Forge, Oley, Penn., offered a well-executed still life oil on canvas of fruit on a marble table with a landscape in the background. A mustard colored hanging pie safe, Berks County, had a punched tin star in the door, and a collection of decorated stoneware pitchers included four different sizes.

"This polychrome decorated carving of a peacock by John Reber of Berks County is one of only about four of this form known," Sidney Gecker of New York City said of the small piece mounted on the back wall of the booth. Its small size was in sharp contrast to the large rooster weathervane by the Rochester, N.H., Iron Works shown beside it. A New England corner chair, maple and ash, circa 1780, had a double stretcher and Nineteenth Century black painted surface.

A man with a pony tail, smoking a cigarette, was pictured on a stoneware crock in the booth of David Good of Camden, Ohio, and Samuel Forsythe of Columbus, Ohio. A tea table with cut-corner top and button feet had an old red surface, there was a nice selection of green glaze redware pottery, and a one-of-a-kind sheet iron banner weathervane had a point that resembled the end of an early strap hinge.

"We are going to keep our old dates for the fall and will be back on the fairgrounds November 4-6, Friday to Sunday," Jim Burk said. He will again be in Memorial Hall, not the Expo Center. Barry Cohen will be running his show during the same time period in the other half of the building. For more information about the Burk show, 717-872-2778.