The Pennsylvania Spring Antiques Show

YORK, PENN.

: The Pennsylvania Spring Antiques Show opened to a respectable gate on Friday, May 6, "but overall it was not a great gate and Saturday was disappointing," Frank Gaglio of Barn Star Productions said after his show closed on Saturday at 5 pm. He noted that a good number of people came back the second day to purchase things and have another look, and "a good number of the dealers left having successful shows."

After checking over the list of close to 90 exhibitors, it was evident the show would be a nice display of painted furniture, folk art, lots of quilts and coverlets, pottery, etc. And it was, causing many of the visitors to comment on the high quality of the objects offered.

Don and Kay Buck of Chester, N.J., had a booth filled with American antiques and folk art including a Howard index horse weathervane with cut mane, a small corner cupboard in red 7 feet high and 24-inch corner, a trade sign with gold and red lettering on a black ground for "Roxbury and Highland Co-Operative Banks," with a hand pointing in the direction of the banks, and a tole decorated gooseneck coffeepot, 10 inches high, with red tomato decoration and yellow vines.

A good selection of furniture, including a New England Chippendale four-drawer chest in pine, was shown in the booth of Marjorie Staufer of Medina, Ohio. A circa 1710 X-base stand of Massachusetts origin had been scraped down to the original Windsor green, and a New England tavern table dating from the Eighteenth Century had a 27-by-38-inch top with breadboard ends.

Right at the front of the show was the booth of Mad River Antiques, North Granby, Conn., with an interesting Nineteenth Century cabinetmaker's tool chest in the original blue paint. It was dovetailed front and back, square nail construction, and measured 371/2 inches long, 22 inches high and 241/2 inches deep. It had a series of drawers and trays inside, all well executed and representative of the maker's work. A sandpaper drawing, Nineteenth Century, was titled "Asiatic Scenery" and showed a castle, sailing ships, figures fishing along the shore and mountains in the background. An allegorical painting on velvet, "Goddess of Liberty," circa 1810, was based on Edward Savage's 1796 engraving of "Liberty."

To the left of the front entrance Raccoon Creek Antiques at Oley Forge, Oley, Penn., offered a Pennsylvania flat-wall cupboard from Berks County, circa 1820-30 with chamfered door panels, scalloped skirt and the original red painted surface. Also from Berks County was a sponge decorated blanket chest with turned feet, original hardware, diminutive size, circa 1840. A hanging decorated spoon cupboard, attributed to Daniel Drissel, Bucks County, was in a frakturlike manner bearing the inscription "Catherine Stauffer 1800."

Tim Hill of Birmingham, Mich., showed a farm diorama by Joe Harris, Ind., circa 1900, and a large tin riverboat lantern once used on the Mississippi River, circa 1900. It had glass on three sides, cut-work decoration at the top, good finial, and measured about 3 feet tall.

Of Pennsylvania origin was a Queen Anne lowboy in mahogany, circa 1720-50, in the booth of Lavrinic Antiques of Lambertville, N.J., shown alongside a New England slant front desk in birch and cherrywood, circa 1750-90. It retained the original brasses and measured 401/2 inches high, 361/2 inches wide and 181/2 inches deep.

Many people smiled and recalled buying shoes during their childhood while seated on a bench with animal figure arms and "Polly Parrot Shoes for Boys and Girls" written on the ends. Such a bench, in excellent condition, was across the front of the booth of Brenda and Terry Daniel of Newville, Penn. A dry sink with aged yellow surface was from York County, and an interesting sign, with pointing hand, directed people to "The Valley of Repose." It had white and gold lettering on a black ground with picture frame surround.

Ted and Jennifer Fuehr of American Spirit Antiques, Shawnee Mission, Kan., had several tiger maple pieces including a Chippendale drop leaf table with straight skirt over square molded legs, probably Massachusetts, circa 1760-80, and a Federal crib with ring and turned posts ending on high tapering legs with button feet, 52 by 28 inches, 42 inches high, dating circa 1805-20.

A number of mill weights was shown by Charles Wilson, West Chester, Penn., including a Fairbury bull in old dry red paint, circa 1880-90. "This is very rare, the first one I have owned," Charles said of his cast iron birdhouse by the Miller Iron Company of Providence, R.I. It was dated April 14, 1868, and was complete with the trellis support under the house. Sold during the opening of the show was a large cast iron lawn sprinkler of a frog seated on a ball, complete with the footed base and in the original paint. "I have had a number of these before," he said, "but this is the first one with the base."

"Grasport, N.Y." was signed on the back of a six-board chest, red painted, circa 1780-1800, in the booth of Trela Antiques, Inc, of Baldwin, Md. Also shown was a New England table, circa 1820, original red surface, turned legs, with a lift top and gallery.

Prominently displayed on a pedestal at the front of Jef and Cathy Amon's booth was an early Nineteenth Century paint decorated New England rocking chair, circa 1800-1820, simulated tiger maple with floral decoration and pinstriping. From Jamestown, Penn., these dealers also showed a framed painting on wood of two birds on branches with berries, possibly the crest rail from a clock, mid Nineteenth Century, and a Nineteenth Century faux marble painted shelf from a home in Akron, Ohio.

Michael and Lucinda Seward of Pittsford, Vt., were having a good show and on the first day Michael ran off a list of sales that included, in part, a portrait of a young girl, a signed carved 1867 eagle, two pieces of toleware, a landscape by a Pennsylvania artist, a couple of shore birds and a nice fish decoy. Unsold, at the time, were a pair of fanback Windsor chairs, Eighteenth Century, old red paint, and a small step back cupboard, circa 1880.

Measuring 58 inches long was an apple sorting table, New York State, original paint decoration, circa 1840, in the booth of John Sittig/Robin Chase-Sittig of Shawnee-On-Delaware, Penn. A two-drawer stand in mahogany, cherrywood and tiger maple, was of Pennsylvania origin and dated circa 1830.

Pottles & Pannikins, Windsor, Conn., offered a Maine farmhouse tap table in old red with a two-board top, Hepplewhite legs, good overhang, circa 1820. On the back wall was hung an oak rack with ten hooks, each holding a tool or implement such as a ram's horn shovel, an Eighteenth Century burl dipper, Betty lamp, pair of fireplace tongs and kitchen forks.

Claude and Sharon Baker, 1848 House, Hamilton, Ohio, had a nice and varied selection of furniture ranging from a Queen Anne country table, circa 1740-80, maple base with one-board scrubbed top, breadboard ends, turned and tapering legs, 21-by-321/2- inch top, to an Eighteenth Century Delaware Valley ladder back armchair with splint seat. A sack back Windsor armchair from New England dated circa 1790.

A pair of folk art horses, straight from a private collection, was standing in the booth of Colleen Kinloch Antiques of Bristol, Maine. The horses were about 18 inches tall, horse hair mane and tails, leather ears and black painted. Dating from the Nineteenth Century was a New England round top hutch table, 45 inches in diameter, three-board top in the original paint.

Martha B. Dunsmore traveled to the show from New Roads, La., bringing a Southern worktable from either Georgia or Alabama, large tapered legs on casters, and a comfortable country sofa, New England, with rolled arms and upholstered in ticking. A wall shelf was filled with all kinds of treen, including a collection of large and small plates.

A rack of 16 coverlets, plus a few more stored in a large basket, was in the booth of The Herrs, Lancaster, Penn. Hanging against the back wall was a candlewick whole cloth bed weaving with eagle motif and the date of 1817 at the top center. This piece, from Northern United States, measured 94 by 98 inches. Also hanging on the back wall was a rare man's silk cape, circa 1830, New England, ex Joan Thayer Collection.

Three large wooden bowls, red, green and blue painted, were shown on the top of a blue surface chest with a fancy bracket base in the display of Country Treasures of Preston, Md. Other country things included a stack of grain painted boxes, tapering in size, and a selection of baskets, some in red or yellow paint. A small pond boat, green and black painted hull, was shown under a Plexiglas cover. "Peg, N.Y." was painted on the stern.

A corner cupboard with a 12-light door, salmon paint, circa 1815, was among the furniture shown by Daniel and Karen Olson of Newburgh, N.Y. Centered in the booth was a mid Nineteenth Century cupboard found in the lower Hudson Valley, white pine, and in the original salmon and yellow paint. Under the shelves were two drawers over two doors with brass knobs.

A collection of brightly painted toys, including ring-toss and blocks, was shown by Costa and Currier of Portsmouth, N.H. From an paint store was a sample board showing 15 different colors of utility enamel manufactured by Pittsburgh Paint Products, and a small rope bed with cannonball posts retained the original white surface.

A pin-top kitchen table, in pine with gray over red paint, dating from the first quarter of the Nineteenth Century and of Pennsylvania origin, had a 311/2-by-561/4-inch top on which three painted trenchers from the Nineteenth Century were displayed in the booth of Jane Wargo, Wallingford, Conn. Early painted signs included "Private, No Trespassing," and "Vegetables."

A William and Mary chest of drawers with the original ball feet, double reeded molding, circa 1710-20, was shown by Hagodones Antiques of Charlottesville, Va., along with a pair of New England country Queen Anne side chairs with Spanish feet, rush seats, molded crest and arched shoulders. A Silas Hoadley tall case clock, Plymouth, Conn., eight-day wooden works, circa 1813, had an interesting face painted with a village scene and spread wing eagle.

Hanauer & Seidman Antiques of Scotland, Conn., showed a circa 1800 New England chest of graduated drawers with flared French feet, and a selection of redware ranging from slip decorated plates to large chargers. Straight from a North Shore, Mass., home came a circa 1880-90 hooked runner in excellent condition, 11 feet long and 3 feet wide, with a design of colorful circles.

Holden Antiques of Naples, Fla., had one of the large booths in the show and offered a New England Nineteenth Century harvest table with figured cherrywood top, 61/2 feet long, two leaves and turned legs on casters. A quill weathervane, 371/2 inches long, excellent detail and surface, was displayed on top of an early Nineteenth Century dark green painted candlestand, turned and chip carved pedestal and pad feet.

The portrait of a young lady, attributed to William Kennedy, Baltimore, circa 1845, and a sampler by Matilda Snyder of Bloomsburg, Penn., 1836, original frame and depicting a couple with their dog and house, were among the framed pieces offered from the booth of Neverbird Antiques, Surry, Va. Nearby Elaine Buck of West Chester, Penn., showed a Pennsylvania mortised bench, 6 feet long and in the original red paint, and a small apothecary cupboard with dovetailed case, circa 1875.

Deborah Fisher of Lebanon, Ohio, showed some country furniture including a two-board scrubbed-top table dating from the Nineteenth Century, and an 1860s pantry cupboard in deep yellow with the original hardware. Colored lithographs of hunting scenes in original frames dated from the mid Nineteenth Century.

Once again Greg K. Kramer of Robesonia, Penn., had a booth chucked full with furniture, carvings, and lots of smalls, with the equivalent of another complete booth waiting in the wings. He offered a New England dressing table, one tier with backsplash, circa 1830, yellow with foliate design and brown sponge decorated top surfaces, and a large trade sign, white lettering on black ground, once hung in the front of "Stoddard House and Café." A painted dower chest was made for Johannes Hoffert, 1837, a blue case with red trim, sponge decorated drawer fronts and fraktur script panel. It was from Montgomery County and related to the Schwenkfelder School.

Frank Gaglio will bring the Pennsylvania Antiques Show back to York on Friday and Saturday, October 21-22, again in the Expo Center on the York Fairgrounds.