Many buyers took more than a couple turns around dealers’ booths in the cafeteria.
Review & Onsite Photos by Z.G. Burnett
DUXBURY, MASS. — On April 25 and 26, Goosefare Antiques and Promotions was hosted by Duxbury High School for its 44th Duxbury show and sale. The venue felt like a cathedral before opening as more than 35 dealers quietly readied their booths under a three-story, plate glass ceiling and in the adjacent cafeteria. The halls were soon flooded with customers, some Goosefare regulars, young families and even curious students from the school — and the latter two groups were buying. “The turnout was great,” reported showrunner John DeSimone. “We had more people through this year than last, and last year was great.” Dealers were similarly satisfied by steady business on both days of the weekend.
For one object, the show was a homecoming. Mark Jacobson of CapeDux Antiques had pride of place near the entrance, using the spot to great effect in displaying a Midcentury illustration advertising the Duxbury Circus. Likely a prototype for mass-produced paper posters, the original framed painting was on a plywood board. “The Duxbury Circus started in the 1940s and was held annually on the grounds of what later became the Alden Middle School on St George Street,” Jacobson explained. “In the 1950s it was managed by Beatty Circuses. Sometime circa 1980, the town voted to discontinue them, as residents had become upset that the animals were soiling town streets and it was deemed a health hazard.” Though the circus no longer tours, the painting likely sparked more than a few fond memories for local customers. Jacobson said he has several small broadside advertising posters from the 1940s in his personal collection that were based on painted illustrations like this, and this one sold during the weekend.
“Early 20th Century, West Stafford, Conn.,” by Evelyn Saczawa Daniel, 2004. Up Your Attic, Framingham, Mass.
Sherry Cohen of Up Your Attic brought another nostalgic New England vision, this time by Evelyn Saczawa Dubiel (1922-2019). A self-taught folk artist from Glastonbury, Conn., Dubiel was inspired to create watercolors in the naïve style after a visit to Colonial Williamsburg. She painted scenes from her own life and reproduced work by fellow Connecticut artist Ammi Phillips (1788-1865). Dubiel’s sought-after watercolors include landscapes, portraits and theorems, and this scene depicted West Stafford, Conn., in the early Twentieth Century.
L&E Reid Antiques was one of the few dealers at Duxbury that specializes in English and European antiques. Owners Linda and Everett made a complete sitting room of their booth in the cafeteria, displaying goods of many sizes and price points. On the larger end, they sold a set of French barrel chairs and a matching loveseat in cognac leather. Made circa 1930-40, the set was “rescued” from a Parisian houseboat on the Seine and showed minimal wear. Another collection sold was an eight-piece service of English or French porcelain dinnerware decorated with “freshwater fish, turtles and aquatic plants, executed in rich colors with delicate gilt accents along the scalloped rims.” The service reflects the Nineteenth Century’s fascination with the natural world and the products created by its increased industrialization, and was in great antique condition.
Though this Eighteenth Century Connecticut chest sold right after opening, it continued to support an Eighteenth Century octant, an early carved powder horn and pine whale weathervane in excellent original condition. Brad Finch’s Antiques, Harwich, Mass.
One of the first objects sold on Saturday was from another artfully arranged booth, that of Brad Finch’s Antiques: a Connecticut six-board chest dated 1780-90. “There was no negotiating,” Finch smiled. “Just, ‘I’ll take it!’” And it was easy to see why. The chest retained its original red wash, an interior till and showed an unusual strap hinge and pintle construction that enabled the top to slide right off. Another small chest sold directly after, and more than a few “sold” stickers were spotted by the end of the day.
Everyone in antiques enjoys a good mystery object, and Stephen Renda of SJR Antiques & Collectibles brought his in the form of a carved wooden rabbit with a looped steel rod coming out of its mouth. “I had it in my house for 15 years as a folk art piece,” laughed Renda. “I only learned what it was when a guest told me.” Taking the rabbit between his knees he demonstrated while saying, “It’s for poking holes in coconuts!” Unfortunately Renda was unsure of its exact origin, but it was likely not native to New England.
Goosefare’s next antiques show will be the 25th Wells (Mass.) Outdoor Antiques Show & Sale at Laudholm Farm June 28.
For information, www.goosefareantiques.com or 800-641-6908.
