“It was time to look for a new venue in a more vibrant area and closer to the center of the state and major highways, as well as a date change,” Greg Hamilton, interim president of VADA, said. And that is just what happened to the annual antiques show sponsored by the Vermont Antiques Dealers’ Association. The move took the show from Manchester Center to the Union Arena in Woodstock, and the date moved back a few weeks into the last weekend in July. Sixty dealers took part in this two-day event.
As it turned out, the Green Mountain Antiques Show, staged at the Union Arena, came up for sale, “So we bought it and combined it with VADA, and it seems like a perfect fit,” Greg said. He added, “We had nothing but positive comments from both the exhibitors and the visitors, and the gate remained about the same as in 2009.” Dealers noted that there seemed to be more interest on the part of the visitors, asking more questions about objects, and there was a nice influx of young people at the show.
From all reports, the show went very well. Dealers showed their interest in this new show by presenting attractive and interesting booths, and the future looks bright for the Vermont Antiques Dealers’ Green Mountain Show.
A chintz, calico and toile crib quilt, New England, circa 1850, hung over an early drop leaf table with the original old red painted surface, turned legs ending on casters, in the booth of Michael & Lucinda Seward of Pittsford, Vt. Also offered was an Eighteenth Century tilt-top table in mahogany with a 36-inch-diameter top.
Derik Pulito Antiques, Kensington, Conn., had a circa 1720 rare scalloped apron two-drawer blanket chest in the original red paint, Connecticut River Valley, and at the front of the booth was a circa 1830‱850 New England sawbuck table in pine, old mustard surface over the original red, with scrubbed top measuring 27 by 59 inches. A pair of portraits dating from the Nineteenth Century, possibly of twin sisters, was found in Greenfield, Mass., from the estate of Isabelle Fanhurst.
Dover House traveled from Louisville, Ky., to do the show and set up an attractive booth offering some furniture, including a Federal chest of four drawers, maple and mahogany veneers, red wash on the top and sides, circa 1810 and of New England origin. A Frank Adams three-masted ship weathervane, Martha’s Vineyard, dated from the early 1900s, and a ship portrait by an unknown artist, oil on can-vas, dating from the mid Nineteenth Century, showed a fully masted ship with an American flag and a steam vessel. It was in a period gilt frame.
Jean Tudhope of Back Door Antiques, East Middlebury, Vt., mentioned, “I have been nursing a sore back for some time now, so what do I bring to the show? Boxes of books.” And she sure did, filling several shelves as well as a table display with titles such as High Country, Grouse Feathers, Wing Shooting and Angling, Currents and Eddies and American Game Bird Shooting.
Samplers lined the walls in the booth of Henry T. Callan Fine Antiques, East Sandwich, Mass., including one by Nancy Thurston, born December 1, 1828, New London, Conn. It showed a poem set among tall flowers on both sides. “The English trains,” Henry said, pointing out a colorful woolie depicting a locomotive and coal car.
Stephen-Douglas Antiques, Rockingham, Vt., had an unusual schoolmaster’s desk in birch, New Eng-land, circa 1820, ex-Bennington Museum Collection, and against the back wall was a step back cup-board, two doors on the top portion, with a yellow grain painted surface.
Marlborough, N.H., dealer Thomas Longacre showed a hooked rug depicting a dog within a colorful zigzag border, dated 1927, and a tiger maple slant front desk with decorated interior, original red exterior dating circa 1810. It was from Maine and measured 37 inches wide. A two-door storage cupboard with backsplash and cutout feet had a old mustard painted surface. Tom gave his wife, Beverly, a corner of his booth where she displayed a Christmas tree decorated with old ornaments. “There is a good market for early ornaments and she sells them all year long,” Tom said. Maybe she should get more than just a corner next time.
Gloria M. Lonergan Antiques of Mendham, N.J., offered a paint-decorated blanket chest, New England, circa 1830, one drawer and measuring 36 inches high, 39½ inches wide and 20 inches deep, along with a couple of decorated Parcheesi game boards and a child’s wheel chair with cane seat, iron wheels and turned spindle sides.
A Nineteenth Century rope bed in tiger maple with bold ball finials, from the estate of Betty Stearns, Springfield, Mass., was in the center of the booth of Paula Patterson, Wakefield, Mass. A Nineteenth Century jelly cupboard in the original old red painted surface, possibly Hudson Valley, had scrolled cut-out feet and was constructed with square nails.
It would take little wind to set in motion the carved and painted Uncle Sam on bike whirligig, an early Twentieth Century piece measuring 21 inches long, 29 inches high, and offered by Rathbun Gal-lery of Wakefield, R.I. The figure, in the original paint, was red, white and blue, with top hat. A doll’s twisted iron legged, tin, round top table was from either New England or New York State and measured 14½ inches high and 10½ inches in diameter. It was outfitted with four twisted iron chairs, tin seats, heart form in the backs, and measuring 17½ inches high.
A pair of cypress carvings, good both sides, circa 1850, Fijian, hung in the booth of John H. Rogers Antiques, Elkins, N.H., and furniture included an elm and cypress table with the original panels converted into drawers, and a pair of elm “lamp hanger” chairs, circa 1920.
A country wall cupboard in old paint, Maine origin, circa 1850, hung in the booth of The Red Horse Antiques, Bridgewater, Vt., near a collection of eight hand colored engravings by William Curtis and his sons, T. and S. Curtis. Framed with silk mats, these floral engravings were first published for Botanical Magazine in London between 1797 and 1820.
A couple pieces of Pennsylvania furniture were in the booth of Steve Smoot Antiques, Lancaster, Penn., including a red painted drop leaf table, circa 1825‱835, turned legs on casters, and a two-door dry sink with galvanized liner. A number of shelves were filled with smalls, such as a selection of mechanical banks and doorstops, while several game wheels were mounted on the walls.
Several mourning pictures were in the booth of The Norwoods’ Spirit of America, Timonium, Md., including an embroidery with print work on silk for Cornelis Jansen and Jane (Jenneke) Jansen, Kingston, N.Y., with a tombstone and figure in the foreground and a large church in the background. It was of the Federal period. A Vermont mourning theorem on velvet, early Nineteenth Century, was from Miss Swift’s School for Girls in Fairfax.
A portrait of the Reverend Whitmore of Wethersfield, Conn., circa 1840, oil on canvas and in the original frame, hung in the booth of Gronning’s Antiques & Appraisals, Shaftsbury, Vt., next to a small William and Mary highboy, New England origin, circa 1720‱730, pine and maple and cleaned down to the original finish.
One of the front booths was home to Peg and Judd Gregory, Dorset, Vt., showing a pair of carved pilasters, Twentieth Century, that were part of an exhibit featuring a Connecticut Valley doorway at the Field Museum in Chicago. An oil on canvas still life with grapes, pears and a bottle of wine in a basket by Edward Chalmers Leavitt (1842‱904), Providence, R.I., was signed lower left and dated 1895. Leavitt was considered one of New England’s leading still life painters of the late Nineteenth Century.
Jan & John Maggs Antiques of Conway, Mass., had a mixture of American and English furniture, including an oak one-drawer stand with finely turned posts, English, circa 1750; a New Hampshire slant lid desk in birch, circa 1750; and a veneered chest of drawers on ball feet, North Shore, Mass., circa 1720‱740.
“We have a three-year contract for this venue and the 2011 dates are July 30″1,” Greg Hamilton said. Dealers questioned all indicated that they would be coming back next year, but if some do not, there is a strong waiting list of those hoping to get into the show.
“We have a year to do a bit more fine turning for the show, and we are all looking forward to next year,” Greg said.
