: The Hancock Shaker Village Antiques Show was conducted here
August 28-29, with show manager Trisha McElroy supervising more
than 30 dealers whose offerings emphasized early Americana and
Shaker antiques. The historic, well-known Round Barn had room and
shop settings on its two floors filled with antique household
items, tools, early textiles, furniture and even some later
decorator items, such as Oriental rugs.
The Shakers established this site as one of their earliest
American communities in 1783 with about 1,000 acres for farming,
their industries and homes. In the Twentieth Century, the
community was not attracting enough new members to sustain
itself, so the Shakers made plans to sell the property, which by
then had the Round Barn, main dormitory and various other
buildings.
Ann Bess Miller, wife of the owner of The Berkshire Eagle
in Pittsfield, learned of their plans and quickly organized
enough friends, raising the money to buy out the last remaining
Shaker members. Hancock Shaker Village Inc was created as a
nonprofit educational organization, and the museum opened in
1961. With the purpose of preserving Shaker ways and heritage, as
well as their property and buildings, Hancock Shaker Village
continues to be open to the public all year with educational and
enrichment programs as well as tours of the buildings and
exhibits of their work.
Antiques shows have been a part of the community for education
and as a means of raising new awareness and money. This show has
a group of dealers loyal to the market who save their best
Americana and Shaker antiques.
Jan and John Maggs, Conway, Mass.
Bruce Henley, trading as New England Home Antiques from
Wethersfield, Conn., brought a collection of early furniture from
America and England along with a wide variety of small antiques.
Among his first sales of the day was a small watercolor he found in
Vermont. Donna East can be found at shows throughout the East with
her specialty, early painted furniture. The Worcester, Mass.,
dealer showcased an unusual step back hutch in blue milk paint,
along with a large collection of silhouettes.
Carol Wotjkun, Preston, Conn., has been doing shows as a second
career for many years and exhibits at many of the more important
New England shows. She had an oversize space here, which she used
to display a variety of outstanding pieces, including several
early stands, a Queen Anne tea table and an array of small
antiques and art.
Ann Robson lives in Columbia, Md., and shops in Pennsylvania for
her Shaker collection. She said she has been doing this show as
among the few that are this far from home, but it is primarily
due to the Shaker surroundings. Another Shaker specialist at the
show was American Decorative Arts, Canaan, N.H.
John Anderson is a dealer at various shows and markets in
northern New England who usually has some great finds. For this
show, he had several stands, including a candlestand, which sold
in the first minutes of the show. It was made from tiger maple -
the pedestal turned on a slow speed lathe, probably a trundle or
foot pedal type - with delicate legs and a top planed to less
than a half-inch thickness. Anderson shops mostly near his
Milford, N.H., home and also buys on house calls.
Devices and Desires is the business of Charles and Lucille Bere,
South Easton, Mass. He is an attorney during the week, but
together on the weekends they do shows. Their exhibit at the
Round Barn included early paintings, furniture and, most
significantly, numerous sold signs in the first few minutes of
the show. There was a charming setting in Scarsdale, N.Y.-based
Marilyn and Ron Salant's booth, including an American Pembroke
table and a pair of matching ladder back chairs.
A New England blanket chest made of pine and poplar in original
surface was one of the pieces drawing a great deal of attention
in Jan and John Maggs' booth. From Conway, Mass., the Maggs
offered the chest for $1,250. Another piece they brought was a
corner cupboard, which John said was restored but found in
central Vermont, made circa 1800 and priced at $3,900. While
those figures are not pocket change, it seemed to be excellent
value in both cases.
Marie Miller, Dorset, Vt.
John Robinson, Williamstown, Mass., offered a collection of
Eighteenth Century iron door latches. Marie Miller, Dorset, Vt.,
had a vast collection of early quilts and coverlets, as well as
furniture. Plenty and Grace, Greene, Maine, had a room setting set
off with some offbeat pieces, such as a wheel of fortune and an
architectural copper ornament set on top of a bookcase.
Donna Kmetz, Douglas, Mass., is a dealer in fine art. When asked
which were her most interesting pieces, she suggested the pair of
Gloucester, Mass., oil on canvas scenes. Painted by Nell Walker
Werner, a listed artist from California, they were from early in
the Twentieth Century and priced at $2,400 each. Fine Antique
Prints, Beverly, Mass., had a large collection of framed,
ready-to-hang prints.
McElroy, show manager and promoter, found a small space to join
the dealers with a modest exhibit of her own, comprising mainly
small antiques from early New England and English porcelain.
Sally Morse Majewski, director of marketing for Hancock Shaker
Village, said the tradition will continue next year and the date
is tentatively set for August 27-28. For information, or
800-817-1137. McElroy can be reached at 603-778-8842 or
TAMevents@ aol.com.
