Emerson Manning, Raleigh, N.C., who was showing with Art of the Crafts, Wilmington, N.C.

Review and Photos by Tom O’Hara

CHANTILLY, VA. – D’Amore Promotions conducted another of its very popular DC Big Flea & Antiques Shows at the Dulles Expo on April 28 and 29, filling about 600 booths with antiques ranging from Sixteenth Century Asian artifacts to Art Deco and Scandinavian furniture from the 1960s and a great deal in between. Conducted six times a year, this show offers perhaps the broadest variety of home décor of any show in the eastern half of the United States, according to Joan Sides, the founder of D’Amore and promoter of the show.

In addition, Sides has been hosting Jim Linz’s Washington DC Modernism Show, which had been moving around to various Washington, DC, locations, but for this 35th year was at the Dulles Expo in the adjoining North Hall.

As Linz has only the one show each year, he is able to devote considerable time to finding exhibitors who specialize in this style for his Modernism Show. This year he gathered about 50 dealers in this unique category.

Vintage MC is from nearby Frederick, Md. The dealer had Danish Modern in its collection, showing a dining set complete with the matching chairs and accessories, as well as a pair of club chairs freshly upholstered in a bright, tweed fabric.

Past Pleasures, Annandale, Va., has been doing Big Flea and Antiques Shows as well as this special venue for many years. The firm’s collection is furniture from the first half of the Twentieth Century but additionally a great number of period accessories. There is much Art Deco in this collection, and if there were residential apartments in New York City’s Empire State Building or Chrysler Building, this collection would be spot on.

Jazz Age to Machine Age, Washington, DC, is into accessories for the home dating from the 1920s through the 1950s. The dealer was showing Bakelite and plastic-cased radios, early digital clocks, clock radios and some other appliances.

Jim Linz, the man in charge of the Modernism Show, is himself a collector and dealer in the category – his collection is especially strong in accessories. He was showing polished aluminum and chrome-plated home appliances, all in good working order, many restored.

The Deco Dazzle, Leesburg, Va., while offering some electric items, really focuses on Art Deco art objects. In the first day of the show, sales were good, with most of the art offered being sold, including sculpture, period paintings and prints.

Heller Washam, Portland, Maine

Deco Doug, Royal Oak, Mich., sees art in microphones from the early Twentieth Century. He was offering a large collection of them along with radios and more.

The DC Flea & Antiques Show was also doing well next door in the main part of the building, with most of the 600 booths filled.

Emerson Manning, Raleigh, N.C., was exhibiting with his business associate Art of the Crafts, Wilmington, N.C. Together these two dealers offer a large assortment of Mission-style furniture, primarily Stickley from New York, circa 1900, in original surfaces and with, in many cases, the original upholstery.

Don Heller of Heller Washam, Portland, Maine, was selling Eighteenth Century period furniture. He has become a frequent exhibitor at this show in the last year with his collection of early Americana.

Williamsburg, Va., clock specialist Dovetail Antiques was showing about 100 examples in its display. And Jerry and Judy Brill, who trade under the name, The Brills, came from Virginia Beach, Va., with a large collection of furniture and accessories from Colonial times through the Federal period.

Here at the show for the first time, with an assortment of designer furniture from the 1950s-70s, was the Mix Vintage. Owner Lisa Simone-Correa, who lives in Denver, Colo., does most of her shopping for her inventory in southern California, picking only high-end pieces. “This is not the bargain store,” she said of her inventory.

The next DC Big Flea & Antiques Market at Dulles Expo Center will be July 21-22.

For additional information, www.thebigfleamarket.com or 757-430-4735.