Most of the antiques shows, such as the Wethersfield Antiques Show, seem to be holding their own in attendance. According to Joan Hughes, manager of the show that took place on November 22, “We did well considering the overall economic picture.” A preview on Friday evening was down only 15 people from the year before, and gate numbers on Saturday were comparable to 2007. “We had 44 dealers in the show †three were new this year †and a good number of them were pleased with sales,” she added.
The show filled the rooms in the Pitkin Community Center, 30 Greenfield Street, including the activity room, the gym and the banquet room, where Mad River Antiques of North Granby, Conn., was set up with 26 other exhibitors. “The show was good, not great, and we found there was interest in early Christmas ornaments, as we sold about 30 of them,” Steve German said. During the show on Saturday, Steve was among those giving Booth Chats, talking about “Collecting Early American Decorated Stoneware” and showing examples including a pitcher with vibrant cobalt leaf and trumpet flower decoration, N. Clark & Co., Rochester, N.Y. A Queen Anne country looking glass hung on the back wall of the booth, along with an early sales slip made out to the buyer, Betty Forbes, from the sellers, Howard and Priscilla Richmond of Southbury, Conn. The sale was made in 1968 and the mirror sold at that time for $195. It was marked $895, a modest increase in 40 years.
Paul and Karen Wendhiser of Ellington, Conn., had a different look for them, offering a set of four circa 1920‱930 pressed back oak side chairs with new caning, a circa 1930 round oak table, an oak side table and a tramp art mirror in the style of crown and thorns, circa 1920.
Several pieces of Connecticut furniture were in the booth of Derik Pulito, Kensington, Conn., including a circa 1730 blanket chest in poplar, wood hinges, from the eastern part of the state, and a four-drawer Chippendale bureau with molded top, carved bracket base, that just came out of a Woodstock, N.Y., estate.
In addition to a fine selection of tools for the fireplace and implements for the hearth, Pottles and Pannikins of Windsor, Conn., offered wood carved and polychromed bird carvings, hummingbirds and a woodpecker mounted on branches, and a picture showing an Indian encampment under attack, 38 by 28 inches, signed Gordon Thillyis. A settle with shaped arms and raised panel back was of pine with early finish. Among the signs hanging in the booth of Pioneer Folk Antiques, Ellsworth, Maine, was one for “John H. Fay, Landscape Gardener, Office, Rose Hill Nursery,” and cast iron pieces included a standing horse windmill weight.
Conway, Mass., dealers Jan and John Maggs offered a nice selection of early furniture and accessories, including an oak gate leg table in old dry surface, English and dating from the Eighteenth Century, and a New Hampshire Chippendale four-drawer chest in birch, bracket feet, circa 1790. A Harlequin set of four Lancashire County side chairs, English, dated circa 1800.
A tavern table with one-board top and breadboard ends, black painted base, was shown in the booth of Carol Wojtkun of Preston, Conn. Also offered was a small size, two-door hanging cupboard with paint decoration. A military uniform, bright red coat with large brass buttons, signed and dated 1921, hung against a mantel in the booth of Susan and Don DeBaise. Furniture offered by this Rocky Hill, Conn., couple included a circa 1780 two-drawer blanket chest with bracket base and blue painted surface.
A tall chest-on-chest dating from the Eighteenth Century, broken arch top, three finials and original brasses, was of Newport, R.I., and displayed in the booth of Falcon’s Roost, Grantham, N.H. A campaign chest with desk dated circa 1830. Nearby, the booth of Field and Stream, Mansfield, Conn., offered a set of four pillow back Windsor side chairs with decoration on a yellow ground, circa 1830, and an early drying rack in the original blue paint was used to display a coverlet and hooked rug.
Easily visible from across the room was a pair of 6½ feet tall arched shutters in old blue paint, Cape Cod origin, circa 1800, in the booth of Davidian Americana of Holden, Mass. Also shown was a pair of Delaware Valley ladder back side chairs, circa 1780. “Shoes & Clothing For The Entire Family” read the sign offered by Stuart Magdefrau, Ellington, Conn., who also had a selection of sponge pitchers and a variety of dog figures.
A chair table with a 42-inch-diameter top, early Nineteenth Century, was at the front of the booth of Denise Scott, East Greenwich, R.I., and against the left wall was a Queen Anne highboy in maple with cabriole legs, slipper feet and old finish. It measured 70¼ inches tall and was from southern New England.
A pine step back cupboard in the display of William Bakeman Antiques, Wilbraham, Md., was filled with pewter porringers, plates and teapots, while a whale-end hanging shelf held glass tumblers, decanters and shot glasses. In front of a country sofa was a six-board chest, paint decorated.
Susan Heider Antiques, Simsbury, Conn., offered a selection of country items, including a circa 1850 demilune table, painted tiger maple, and an Eighteenth Century grain bin in the original green paint, about 4½ feet long. A hooked rug hung on the wall with a strong design of a deer against a mountain background, surrounded by a red scroll border. A selection of furniture in the booth of John Gould of Yorkshire Heights, N.Y., included a tiger maple card table of large size with turned legs, and a one- drawer stand, glass knobs, also of tiger maple. And his supply of gilt frames was a bit smaller than usual.
“We had a good show, selling a nice drop leaf table in tiger maple and a good number of pieces of china and glass,” Ed Carr of Country Squire Antiques, Gorham, Maine, said. Other furniture included a set of six cane seat side chairs, grain painted, Maine origin, and a large hooked rug had a camping scene of two bears heading for a yellow tent, with a red canoe in the foreground. Another hooked rug had a large compote of fruit design.
Early furniture and pewter are the trademarks of Ron Chambers of Higganum, Conn., and this time out he offered an oval scrubbed top tea table, all original and dating circa 1740. Among the pewter pieces was a large coffee pot, double belly with the Boardman, N.Y., touch, circa 1830, and a Rhode Island porringer, 53/8 inches in diameter, Joseph Keene, 1801‱817.
Brass and copper, all brightly polished, reflected the lights in the booth of Mary and Ken Vincent, Farmington, Conn., where shoppers found more than a dozen pairs of candlesticks, tie backs, a candelabra, molds and a selection of lanterns that ranged from skaters to nail head Sandwich glass whale oil lamps. With the holidays in mind, Nutmeg Treasures of Glastonbury, Conn., went the ‘toy route,” offering a Sherwood Spring Coaster Wagon filled with stuffed bears, a complete child’s tea set and a selection of pull toys, among other playthings. A ten-drawer apothecary in green paint was at the back of the booth.
“Skates and Skating” was the topic of a Booth Chat given on Saturday by Charles Adams, drawing on both his inventory and personal collection of skates to illustrate certain types of skates. Early in the day on Saturday, Jane Carr of Country Squire Antiques talked about the style, designs, dates and makers of hooked rugs in her Booth Chat.
This eighth annual event benefits the projects of the Wethersfield Historical Society and when Joan Hughes is not managing the show, she is running Antiques On Main, a shop at 165-169 Main Street in Wethersfield that is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday, noon to 5 pm.
For show information, www.wethhist.org or 860-529-7656.
