: "People should have a place to go when they're done with the
auction," said Tina Bruno of Flamingo Promotions, whose tandem
fairs, The New England and Antiques Festival and The Granite
State Book & Ephemera Fair, opened for business on Saturday
and Sunday, August 7 and 8, catching shoppers in town for
Northeast's Center of New Hampshire auction.
The side-by-side Flamingo shows set up at the JFK Coliseum, just
a few blocks from the Center of New Hampshire, the base for
Northeast Auctions and, later in the week, the New Hampshire
Antiques Show.
For those who need a quick refresher, The New England Antiques
Festival started in Hopkinton, N.H., under the management of
Frank and Cathy Sykes. Flamingo bought the show and moved it to
the facility formerly used by Kay and Bill Puchstein for their
Start of Manchester Antiques Show, now a Flamingo fair held at
the Event Center at CR Sparks in Bedford, N.H.
"Who has the most shows? Flamingo has twenty-something. Irene
Stella had me beat at one point," Tina Bruno answered with a
laugh. Tina and her husband John now host four Antiques Week
events - two in Manchester, two in Bedford - between August 7 and
August 13.
"In Manchester, the book fair was more popular than the antiques
show," said Tina, catching her breath between fairs. "We haven't
had time to assess everything, but we are going to continue here
at JFK, with an emphasis on books and ephemera. It's the natural
direction for this show.
"Sales were strong for the weekend. A woman came in and spent
$5,000. I know, because I took most of it in credit cards. She
made many exhibitors very happy," Tina said.
The book and paper dealers set up on the right side of the
Coliseum, a convenient if not particularly attractive location.
Old Glory Antiques and Collectibles, Londonderry, N.H.
"I'm a retired scientist," said John Tyler of Colophon Books,
Layton, N.J., explaining his passion for antiquarian science and
history books, early brass microscopes and other scientific items.
The gleaming brass microscopes in his stand included a Beck's
"Star," $495.
"The dedication bar on its base makes it unusual," Tyler said.
Blue Ridge Books stocked beautiful bindings and early volumes on
American history. Robert Jordan, a dealer from Warrenton, Va.,
featured an 1832 Flora's Dictionary, $4,500, one of the
first American books with color plates. From an edition of 1,000,
Frances Parkman's 1849 The Californian and Oregon Trail
was $5,000.
More playfully, Evie Eysenburg of Briarcliff, N.Y., displayed a
complete set of folky, figural "Playmaker" painted wood croquet
wickets in their original wood box, $800.
A poster advertising the New Oakland Speedster was $7,500 at The
Poster Company. Stratham, N.H., dealers Murray Segal and Janice
Wayne also featured a circa 1924 poster for the Dutch airline
KLM, $1,200, and a pair of die-cut stork display figures
advertising Whitney Baby Coaches.
Minutes before The New England Antiques Festival opened on
Saturday at 10 am, Bob Hartman of Country Huzzah Antiques was
putting the final touches on a winning display of country
furnishings, primitives, folk art, toys and textiles. The Burke,
Va., dealer offered a New England painted Sheraton chest of
drawers, $2,800, and a tole tray, $250, along with miniature
furniture, mirrors and game boards.
"I love the back of it," Hinda Jaffrey said of an ingeniously
crafted sheet-metal sign, $350. The maker of this advertisement
for "Chaddick Farm" had, at great effort, embedded clear marbles
in the primitive piece to create reflective letters.
To the horror of Thad Riggsby of Northern Wholesalers,
Sturbridge, Mass., two large items - a red lacquered Chinese
cupboard and a display figure of a cat - crashed, face forward in
his truck, on his drive up to Manchester. Miraculously, damages
were minor. Riggsby is pictured here with the black cat display
figure.
"I don't think you can call a Siamese cat Felix," said the
dealer, when asked the name of the $1,200 sculpture.
Bonnie Boswell's chock-a-block stand included a tempting
selection of majolica, from asparagus plates to tea cups to
tazzas. Old Glory Antiques and Collectibles of Londonderry, N.H.,
featured toby jugs.
Hooked rugs, stoneware and treen drew shoppers to Antiques at
Seekonk, Seekonk, Mass. The Cooperage was the place for textiles
and garden decor. The Townsend, Mass., dealers plumped up a
daybed with dozens of embroidered, homespun pillows.
The Cooperage, Townsend, Mass.
Husband and wife dealers Ed and Donna Leduoux of Ledoux
Trading, LLC, Morris Plains, N.J., discovered the secret to wedded
bliss. When it comes to antiques, each has a specialty. For Donna,
its American art pottery and yellowware, Victorian jewelry and
buttons. Ed loves writing instruments, which he combines with
interesting office and desk antiques. Donna's most striking
offering was a large Burley Winter double-handled oil jar with teal
and toffee colored glaze. Dating to the 1920s, the Crooksville,
Ohio vessel was $695.
"There is a lot of terrific metal and handiwork on these," said
Donna, pointing to a case of large Victorian ladies' sash pins.
The Ledouxs are also "moving into midcentury," as Donna put it,
offering Lucite desk accessories and other tabletop items.
Pamela Brenner of P.B. Antiques, Peterborough, N.H., used several
long tables to display art pottery and kitchen glass. There was
more colorful art pottery in the next booth, at Willow Antiques
of Denver.
There was rest for the weary. After New Hampshire, it was on to
"Hollywood East," as the Brunos put it, for Flamingo's August
21-22 Hampton's Antiques At Amagansett.
