Kelter-Malce, New York City.

Grace and Elliott Snyder, South Egremont, Mass.

Buckley and Buckley, Salisbury, Conn.

Antiques Week in New Hampshire

Mid*Week in Manchester’s Crowds and Sales Still Growing Strong

BEDFORD, N.H. – “The tent was down shortly after noon on Saturday and we were about ready to head for home,” Frank Gaglio said the next day. “Both of the shows went off very well and we have a great many satisfied dealers and customers.”

Mid*Week in Manchester on Wednesday and Thursday, August 9 and 10, and the Bedford Pickers Market Antiques Show on Friday, August 11, were both well attended. The gate was up fifteen percent at Mid*Week, according to management, and the crowd at this second year Pickers Market was also larger.

“We had one slip-up in ticket sales,” Gaglio said, “and we made apologies for it. It was unfortunate and we corrected our mistake before the opening of the Pickers Market. It will not ever happen again at one of my shows.” Aside from that, “All went very well and we were thrilled with both shows,” he added.

This year, Barn Star Productions worked closely with nearby Macy’s and any of the parking problems in the past were smoothed over. Places were clearly marked and the Barn Star staff made a great effort to have visitors park where no other area business was bothered.

An addition to the tent area of the show was the flow mat system installed in the perimeter booths. This floor was a precaution in the event of rain, which in the past has flooded certain parts of the parking lot upon which the tent is situated. This year it was not needed, as temperatures were in the eighties under mostly sunny skies.

When the gates open at this show the public branches off into two directions: one heading for the tent and the other pointing towards the convention center. But regardless of which direction one picks, there are many fine things waiting. The show has 103 exhibitors who present Americana in all shapes of folk art and furniture, fabrics and fun rdf_Descriptions, with a smattering of English, Continental, and Oriental pieces in for good measure.

“I had seven major sales in the first two hours of the show,” Don Buckley of Buckley & Buckley, Salisbury, Conn., said, noting the sale of a butterfly table, a Nineteenth Century painting of a young man, a bannisterback Connecticut armchair dating from the mid-Eighteenth Century, and a pair of Nineteenth Century naval prints of a man named Hornblower.

American Whinsy of East Rockaway, N.Y., showed a Civil War canteen in original paint depicting the Battle of Antietam, and a 30-inch long leaping stag weathervane attributed to Cushing & White was on a table in the middle of the booth.

Michael and Lucinda Seward of Pittsford, Vt., came close to running out of “sold” tickets as they recorded an excellent show. Sales included a set of bow-back Windsor side chairs, two cupboards including an open step-back and a Canadian example with two doors, a red painted candlestand, two still life paintings, and two trade signs – one for horse blankets and the other for an insurance company.

Grace and Elliott Snyder of South Egremont, Mass., started off their show with the sale of an important New York State quilt cover, probably Ulster or Orange County, 87 by 88 inches, and dated 1860. A ship was in the center square, two eagles at the corners, flowers, houses and human figures, and birds were all represented. A floral hooked rug, American, circa 1850-60, measuring 64 by 22 inches, was also missing from the wall on the first day. “It was a wonderful show,” Grace said, “and people were certainly in a buying mood and looking for really good things.” She noted that just about every dealer did well as she had not heard any real complaints.

“This show was better than last year, and that was a very good year,” Dennis Bakoledis of Rhinebeck, N.Y., said. A large arrow weathervane with a star on the top of the supporting post did not find a buyer, nor did a cast iron eagle with outstretched wings, white painted rusty surface, but the booth looked empty on Thursday compared to the Wednesday start. Sold were four weathervanes including a Jewell horse, four miniature bird carvings, a large cast iron cow’s head, a carved whale in old paint, a whale’s tooth carving, and several pieces of good folk art. “We sold no furniture,” he added, including a pair of fern benches with good surface.

Sheffield, Mass., dealer Sam Herrup had the largest eagle in the show, an American example in carved white pine, 1890-1910, with close to a six-foot wingspan. A portrait of a woman by Richard and William Jennys, oil on canvas, circa 1800, measured 34½ by 26 inches and found in Danbury, Conn., was also featured. Furniture included a classic New England bow-front chest with flaring French feet, mahogany and mahogany veneer, Massachusetts or New Hampshire, circa 1800 and 40 inches wide.

“My load is going to be a lot lighter going home,” Charles Wilson of West Chester, Pa., said after opening day, and for him that statement has real meaning considering his cast iron inventory. This was his first year at the show and sales included several doorstops in the form of cottages, a couple of millweights – including a rooster rainbow tail – a pipe box with heart and hand inlay, a Pennsylvania paint decorated settee, a lodge stand, and several architectural elements in cast iron. “The only large things left to pack are a cupboard and barber pole,” he said with a big smile.

Robert Snyder and Judy Wilson of Wiscasset, Maine, said, “Mid*Week is really a very major event on the antiques calendar.” Bob added, “We have had the best show ever anywhere, and by a large margin.” They sold three tables including two sawbucks and a dressing table, weathervane, lots of yellowware, a number of hooked rugs, and lots of smalls. “In checking over our sales slips we noted the distances some people came for the show and we had sales to customers from Oklahoma, Minnesota, Texas, Ohio, Vermont, Georgia, New York, and most of New England,” Bob said.

Sheffield, Mass., dealer John Sideli said that business was great and sales included a bull weathervane by Cushing and White, a beautiful model of a canoe in bittersweet paint by St Maurice Canot Enrg., Quebec, and a large pen which advertised “Clark’s Office & School Supplies.” A child’s stepback cupboard, pipe box, and set of four white painted Windsor bowback side chairs were also among the things sold.

One of the show-stoppers was a pair of bronze and copper Federal urns, Nineteenth Century, from an estate in Ohio, approximately five feet tall, in the booth of the Kimbles of Norwich, Ohio. Lots of furniture was shown in their corner booth, including a set of six tiger maple side chairs, rush seats, circa 1810, of New York State origin. Hillary and Paulette Nolan of Falmouth, Mass., sold a small writing desk with old red surface and a yellow painted and decorated Windsor bench which folded out into a double bed. A major piece in their booth was a four-door cupboard of large size which had been stripped down to a blue/gray paint. However, the insides of the doors had not been touched and they were brightly sponge grain-painted in four colors. It was hard to imagine the power of the cupboard if the entire outside still retained this painted surface.

A bright red on white alphabet quilt hung in the booth of Joan Lambert of Alexandria, Va. This example had diamond and figure eight quilting and was signed and dated March 12, 1917, Geo & Addie M. Heipler, Allen, Pa. It measures 90 by 70 inches. Her furniture included a pine bench table in red paint, scalloped front apron and shaped sides, New England, circa 1820-40.

A plank on frame triple cockpit runabout, circa 1945, from the Lake Winnipesaukee Antique Boat Museum in New Hampshire, was shown by Brother-In-Law Art & Antiques of Evanston, Ill. Also offered was a stepback open top cupboard, mid-Nineteenth Century, circa 1850, in the original mustard paint. A very large seed cupboard with compartments and 94 drawers was of French origin and dated from the turn of the century. It was shown by Oakland Arts & Antiques of Birmington, Mi.

Country furniture shown by Thurston Nichols of Breinigsville, Pa., included a two-board top table with mustard painted base, tapering chamfered legs, which sold the first day, and a set of six Windsor side chairs with plank seats, rod backs, bamboo turned legs, which came from Southeastern Pennsylvania, circa 1830. Marie Plummer and John Philbrick of North Berwick, Maine, registered a very strong show selling a blanket chest from the Pilgrim century, a Massachusetts linen fold blanket chest, two watercolor views of Philadelphia, and dozens of smalls.

Kelter-Malce of New York City also had a very good show, and Michael mentioned “We did very well with Native American things including Navajo rugs and Northwest Coast rdf_Descriptions.” He added that he was quite surprised at this since the important Indian show was taking place in Santa Fe.

“I have done two to three times the business I did here last year,” David Wheatcroft of Westboro, Mass., said. He listed among his sales a Lancaster County fraktur, a Pennsylvania dower chest, a miniature ivory carving, several watercolors, a Connecticut cutwork piece, and a leaping salmon weathervane, which was found in Southern Massachusetts. “It is the only one known of that form,” David said. “The quality of this show keeps going up.” His furniture included a tall case clock, paint decorated case with the inscription on the door, “B. Brown R. Morrill, North Barrington, Vt. 1874.”

“Mid*Week has been great for us,” Sandy Levy of Jenkinstown Antiques, New Paltz, N.Y., said, and his list of sales included a Pembroke table, a Queen Anne side chair with old surface, a Teddy bear which sold to shoppers from Texas, and a stepback cupboard. Two corner cupboards were shown, one with an open top and the other with two doors in the upper portion, and a Federal country kas in old blue paint from Orange County, N.Y.

Joan Brownstein from Ithaca, N.Y. sold the pair of painted window shades which hung in her booth, each depicting military encampment scenes, and diagonally across the way Richard Rasso, East Chatham, N.Y., offered a very graphic Albany County blanket chest, blue with red and black decoration and the initials “EK” in the center. A nice iron hand and star weathervane dated circa 1860-70 and was still on its original shaft and roof mounting.

Shaker furniture dominated the booth of John Keith Russell, South Salem, N.Y., including a painted five drawer chest, old brown surface, from Canterbury, N.H., circa 1820 and with the original knobs. A painted and decorated tall case clock with works by Riley Whiting, Winchester, Conn., circa 1810, 87 inches tall, had 30 hour wooden works and stood near a painted and decorated two door raised panel cloak cupboard, Pennsylvania, circa 1800, in pine with red painted surface.

American Spirit from Shawnee Mission, Ks., was doing the show for the seventh year and business was great. Sales included a Jewel running horse weathervane, tavern table, cherrywood Pembroke table with X stretcher base, a candlestand with shaped top, and several pieces of spatterware. Kay Buck of Watchung, N.J., said, “Frank does a great job with this show and business has been fine.” With husband Don their sales included baskets and gameboards, a yellow painted bucket bench, and a Pennsylvania decorated blanket chest.

Tom Brown from McMurray, Pa., said, “I do better with formal things here and plan to bring more next year.” Regardless, the show went well for him and he sold his largest piece of furniture, a Central Connecticut chest on chest in cherrywood, flat top with fan carving, circa 1780. “We have always collected canes and brought a selection of eight to this show,” Tim Hill of Birmingham, Mi., said. “They were carved with snakes, shells, a baseball with dice, and a root form dog head with copper collar.” They sold as a collection the first day of the show, along with a relief painted Battle of Bunker Hill, a Gabriel sheet iron weathervane, a couple of gameboards, wooden whirligig, and painted Windsor side chair.

“This show is great, lots of buying,” James Glazer of Bailey Island, Maine, said at the close of the first day. He added, “Both Nancy and I were busy writing tickets and we have had to move things about the booth and add more.” A jelly cupboard was sold during the first hour of the show, and a twelve panel grained pie safe is going to a collector in Virginia. The red and white tramp art box which came out of the Virginia Cave sale found an early buyer, while a cigar advertising lighter, George W. Childs, New York, circa 1890, sold fast.

“It seemed that collectors came from all over to buy at this show,” Lincoln Sander of Redding, Conn., said, “and we met some interesting people from Texas.” One of his sales is on the way to San Antonio, a Windsor sackback armchair in old finish. Other rdf_Descriptions which sold included a painting of a sea captain, a horse weathervane, a ball foot chest of drawers with red surface, probably from Connecticut, circa 1720, and a bannisterback armchair, Massachusetts, circa 1770, with the original finish.

“By noon on opening day we had done more business than both days last year,” Harold Cole of Woodbury, Conn., said. Five minutes into the show he sold a large farm horse weathervane, one of three vanes leaving his booth. Furniture was a big mover and sales included a Windsor armchair in the original finish, a set of six yellow painted Sheraton chairs from Boston, a William and Mary ball foot chest in maple, circa 1720-40, and a country Hepplewhite stand with clothes pin knobs. “This is only the second one with these knobs I have ever seen, and it has been a long time since the first one,” Harold commented.

The fact that dealers work hard for Mid*Week is reflected in their booths, which are well-planned and generally with good lighting. And it is obvious from the “sold” signs and the purchases seen leaving the grounds that buyers are finding what they want at this show. It is a popular event, reflecting growth each year, and Frank Gaglio promises to keep it that way.