Review And Photos By Tom O’Hara
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. — Nan Gurley’s Thanksgiving weekend for the past two decades has included a gathering of several hundred of her friends, dealers and shoppers at the Royal Plaza Trade Center for a lovely show featuring early American antiques for sale. This year’s show on Sunday, November 29, featured more than 80 dealers from New England, Virginia, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and elsewhere, offering their inventories and selling to the large audience Nan gathered.
Nan Gurley and Peter Mavris were front and center at the show with an assortment of antique painted New England furniture and folk art.
The show is interesting as what sells here is a combination of buying for one’s own collection and for others as gifts. Dealers also often manage to pick up things for their own inventories.
A good example of the day’s sales was the success seen in the shared booth of MG Art and Antiques of Merrimac, Mass., and Barbara Rotondo, Methuen, Mass. MG Art’s Michelle Genereux touted the day as her best ever here with sales that included several pieces of stoneware, a Nineteenth Century weathervane in the shape of an old steam engine, a lantern and several other significant pieces which she thought were bought to keep. She also wrote up many very valuable smalls that she said were probably holiday presents. Rotondo had similar success, selling a Nineteenth Century squirrel cage, a piece of early folk art early in the day, an apothecary drawer set in original paint, a Nineteenth Century butter churn and more that she believed were all going to be special pieces for the buyers. She also sold a great many smalls, including a skater’s lamp with a blue globe.
Greg Hamilton of Stoneblock Antiques was pleased with his results for the weekend. He brought — and sold — several Taconic baskets, fairly easily found in his home turf of Vergennes, Vt. His tall case clock sold early that day in spite of competition from a few others on the floor. He was not sure of the provenance of the works. More sales included a New England hanging cupboard and a variety of smalls.
Michael Weinberg, West Pelham Antiques, Pelham, Mass.
Charles Guinipero, the proprietor of Pantry Box Antiques, Stafford Springs, Conn., was tickled with the day’s work. His sales made the day very worth the effort as he sent to new homes a variety of his Nineteenth Century Christmas decorations, several pieces of Eighteenth Century spongeware and stoneware. Sales also included a mortar and pestle from the Nineteenth Century and some other woodenware.
Michael Weinberg of West Pelham Antiques, Pelham, Mass., has been a show regular for many years and came with a mixture of Eighteenth Century furniture and folk art that he found near home. A highlight of his booth was a sign, “Turkeys 25¢ Alive,” perhaps a bit crude but apropos for Thanksgiving weekend. It was still available after the show though.
Dennis and Dad, Fitzwilliam, N.H., was exhibiting with only earthenware from the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. Sales began as soon as Dennis and Ann Berard were unpacked with several pieces of Eighteenth Century featheredge examples finding new owners along with other pieces.
Maine dealers Pillars Antiques and Gurley Antiques shared one large space for the day.
Hirsh Antiques, Pleasant Valley, Conn., was selling New England home furnishings that dealer Jamie Heuschkel had acquired recently. This included some Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century quilts, a Connecticut chair in original painted surface, stoneware and small household tools.
Ficht Antiques is Gabe Ficht, an 18-year-old dealer from Newburyport, Mass., who has been exhibiting at shows in eastern New England for about two years. His line of goods included all little things. Sales were good, including an Eighteenth Century English Leeds tureen in blue featheredge, several pieces of stoneware and some Georgian-era engine-turned brass tools for the desk.
The Ferrisses of Lake Luzerne, N.Y., carry an assortment of goods that includes early Adirondack, New England, folk art, architectural and some restored artwork. Here, Dave Ferriss felt they had much to be thankful for, as their sales were good, especially with one decorator who bought three pieces of furniture: a country dry sink in pine; a New England bench and a drying rack. Another piece they wrote up was a miniature sled from the turn of the century in its original paint decoration.
Ironstone Antiques, Hardwick, Mass., is partners Tim Brigham and Adin Poole. For the weekend they separated and divided their inventory with Adin traveling to Scott Antique Market in Ohio while Tim set up closer to home. Sales for both were not bad, according to Tim, as he sold smalls, some pewter, a set of Victorian-era ABC cards, and an unusual piece of toleware. Adin, meanwhile took their large vehicle and a large selection of furniture to Columbus, Ohio, where he had good sales.
Roger Williams of Boathouse, Wiscasset, Maine, was pleased with his results that featured an Eighteenth Century chest of drawers and several nautical items.
Firehouse Antiques, Galena, Md., had just acquired a large collection of Nineteenth Century Christmas decorations. “They made the show for me, selling very well. One customer bought a great many pieces at the start of the show, and more sold throughout it,” said dealer Paul Thien.
This show is among Nan’s regular happenings, going on more than 20 years now and many of her dealers have been doing it for all those years. During the winter she has her Portsmouth, N.H., shows one Sunday a month, and on New Year’s Day. For details, call her at 207-625-3577 or 207-625-5028.
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