Faustina Pace, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Review and Photos by Tom O’Hara
EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. – The East Hampton Antiques Show attracts shoppers looking for a slightly different style than antiques found in New England, so for the July 22-23 event here, exhibiting dealers knew well how to accommodate buyers’ tastes and desires. Sponsored by East Hampton Village’s Historical Society and managed by Brian Ferguson, the show had more than 40 exhibits and a Friday preview party hosted by several local merchant supporters.
More & More, New York City
Mulford Farm, the society’s headquarters and principal property, was the site for the show conducted in large multidealer tents spread out on the couple acres of what was nearly 400 years ago one of the first settled lands of Long Island. According to Jill Malusky, the society’s executive director, this is its largest fundraising event each year and it goes a long way toward the continued operating costs as well as supporting special programs.
Ferguson said he was very pleased with the results overall, saying, “The 40-plus dealers seemed to have a great time, selling with a terrific start Friday evening during the preview party and again Saturday when the attendance was up from the previous years that we have been managing this show.”
For example, Gary Gandelman, Princeton Junction, N.J., was offering a total of seven pairs of freshly upholstered white chairs from various periods in the Twentieth Century. During the first two days of the show he sold five of the pairs and after the show he said he got a call about one of the remaining pairs. His sales also included a variety of other furniture, accessories and art.
Bill Drucker of Drucker Antiques, Mount Kisco, N.Y., seemed similarly pleased with his weekend. His business is dominated by the sale of Georg Jensen silver from the last 100 years or so, both hollowware and flatware in complete sets. He exhibited in the barn, with several showcases filled with items that buyers appreciated.
Typical of the latest trends in antiques and design, Faustina Pace, West Palm Beach, Fla., was offering an assortment of popular Twentieth Century styles. She had a heavily constructed worktable, a set of four leather and white wood chairs, a pair of late Mission-style chairs and an interesting slipper-shaped chair, small enough to have been made for a child.
David Bell Antiques, Georgetown, Washington D.C.
Bob Withington, Portsmouth, N.H., was offering a large collection of organic art, mostly wall hangings made from natural forms, framed and matted into a set; also various late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century work pieces that now would function as porch furniture.
Francis Nestor of Cottage + Camp Antiques was feeling good about his results for the weekend. The North Egremont, Mass., exhibitor offered lots of objects for the summer house, with furniture, art and accessories selling well enough to call it a good showing here. Among sales were an early oil on canvas portrait, a 100-year-old nautical banner that was framed ready to hang and an assortment of garden antiques and early collectibles.
Hampton Gather is a shop in East Hampton that took the show as an opportunity to acquaint the locals with its presence and inventory. In a space stretching out of the tent onto the lawn, the dealer showed an abundance of items, dominated by folk art. There was a large carved wooden fish, about 4 feet long, wonderfully painted to call attention to a fish store somewhere some time ago. Another object was a leaded glass and wood faro wheel, with all the symbols of a deck of cards, which was made for a carnival game of chance. It was in excellent condition and valuable. Shop owner Erica Broberg Smith found it in Vermont in its original box, but she said it was actually made in Chicago about 1903. While this did not sell at the show, sales included an African canoe, textiles, artwork, vintage glassware and much more.
James J. Worman was among the farthest traveled to this show, driving from his home in Mesa, Ariz. His offerings comprised perhaps the largest collection of traditional antiques at the show, featuring a large assortment of Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century small collectibles. Sales early Friday included old Christmas decorations, toys from more than 100 years ago and old candle lighting. Through the weekend he continued to sell, as he described it, “art, smalls a handful of primitives and a pair of pastels.”
Polaris Gallery, Southampton, N.Y.
There were many more exhibitors at the show. More and More, New York City, was showing jewelry and small things, but also a collection of furniture and art. From Southampton, Kitty Clay was offering designer furniture pieces, including a striking glass top table with gilt metal base that resembled some form of sea weed. Michelle Fox, Weston, Conn., deals in textiles, and she also had a large collection of American flags from the last century. From Dover, N.H., Richard Kenny offered a wonderful copper fish weathervane, almost 4 feet long and in very good condition.
Ralph Lauren personally has been a strong supporter of the East Hampton Historical Society. This year as most years in the past he had his company staff exhibit at the show selling special East Hampton garments with a large portion of the proceeds going directly to the society.
This show has been ongoing for decades, although the management has changed over time. The weekend has almost always been the same, the third weekend of July, so look for it again next year. Ferguson will be back as show manager but he also manages other shows, including the Golden Ball Tavern September 30 in Weston, Mass. For more information, contact him at 508-789-3408.
