Wayne Pratt & Co., Woodbury, Conn.
Bob & Priscilla Brown, Hope, Ind.
Marcy Burns, Glenside, Pa.
WINNETKA, ILL. – The Woman’s Board of the Winnetka Community House sponsored the 32nd Annual Winnetka Antiques Show to benefit the programs of the community house on March 2 to 4. This is the largest antiques show in the nation produced entirely by volunteers. More than 8,000 eager antiquers attend this show each year. As usual, sales were strong across the board for most of the exhibiting dealers.
Events actually started during the previous week with a very well attended lecture by noted decorator Mario Buatta entitled “If You Can’t Hide It, Decorate It!” Susanin’s Auctions also provided a successful appraisal clinic before the lecture.
Five diverse educational seminars included Jayne Thompson describing how “One Great Thing Can Make the Room,” and John and Robin Chase Sittig discussing “Smalls: What Are They and What to Look For in Collecting Them.” Karin Di Saia addressed “Miniature Rugs: A Bird’s-Eye View,” and Bette and Melvyn Wolf advised pewter lovers on “So You Want to Collect Pewter.” Mo Wajsefish discussed ceramics for children with his lecture “Gifts for Good Children.”
The festive preview party provided an early view for showgoers to see what the 55 antiques dealers representing 17 states brought to Winnetka this year. This is the antiques show that really starts the Chicagoland show calendar each year and is always eagerly anticipated by collectors. The prestigious exhibiting dealers bring their best for the appreciative audience at Winnetka.
Five newcomers joined the Winnetka regulars this year. Several had been on the waiting list for quite a while so they were very pleased to join the group. Every dealer who exhibits at this show has nothing but compliments and appreciation for the hardworking committee that takes care of all their needs from set-up to pack out.
From both Chicago and Vienna, Rita Bucheit, Ltd. had a very positive response this year for her Biedermeier furniture and accessories. Early sales included a vitrine and candelabras. Centering her exhibit was an Austrian Biedermeier secretaire from the first quarter of the Nineteenth Century in cherry and ash veneer, ebonized columns and writing surfaces. It was illustrated in Angus Wilkie’s Biedermeier.
Since Johnson Antiques Ltd. is located near the Drake Hotel in Chicago, they always get a lot of carryover business after the show. They specialize in unique gold and platinum fine jewelry pieces. “Big diamond rings are what interested shoppers at Winnetka, along with chains and bracelets” related the owner.
Steven White of White and White Antiques and Interiors from Skaneateles, N.Y. had his usual “amazing show.” Early sales included a Chinese port painting, tons of glass, a set of Seaver and Frost 1795-96, Boston Windsor chairs, a table and additional paintings. From about 1905 was a wonderful carousel horse in old park paint made by Charles Carmel from Brooklyn, N.Y. that had a later platform.
Tim Brennan of Webb and Brennan American Antiques from Pittsford, N.Y. reported that American formal furniture is selling well. They had “a fabulous preview” according to Tim during which they sold a Federal sofa, a classical period sofa and a great 7-foot six-inch gilt gesso mirror with grapes, leaves, birds and cherubs.
Early sales for Julia and Matthew Lunn from nearby Lake Forest included a Mandarin punch bowl, a tea service and an Old Lyme, Conn. painting.
Newcomer The Cooley Gallery from Old Lyme, Conn. was thrilled to be invited into the show this year after spending several years on the waiting list. Jeffrey Cooley loved the look of the show and the great crowds. He had a lot of interest in his paintings. One of the artists he was featuring was American William S. Robinson, a marine and landscape painter.
Off to a strong start was Gemini Antiques Ltd. from Bridgehampton, N.Y. Steven had sold 14 door stops, two horse weathervanes, a random group of toys and ten architectural still banks by Saturday.
The only Native American dealer in the show was newcomer Marcy Burns from Glenside, Penn. Marcy was very happy to be in Winnetka and loved the knowledgeable people and sophisticated crowd. Her exhibit was beautiful and a strong addition to this show. Early sales included baskets, jewelry, a rare mid-Nineteenth Century Mic Mac quill box and some textiles.
Leatherwood Antiques from Sandwich, Mass. sold a lot of his children’s transfer printed plates, some bronzes, a wool work picture, a half hull, wooden hat forms and some Black Forest bears and other figures.
American folk art exhibitors Frank and Barbara Pollack from nearby Highland Park sold a settle bench, a Mic Mac plant stand and a milliner’s model doll by the second day. A very unusual rdf_Description dating circa 1895-1905 was a pair of American Plains Indian beaded shoes with a heel tagged $3,500. Barbara indicated that they probably were made for a white woman since they had a heel.
Early sales for John and Robin Sittig from Shawnee-on-Delaware, Penn. included a chest of drawers, a set of chairs and lots of smaller rdf_Descriptions. With a wonderful interior was a circa 1830-40 Chinese lacquer sewing stand that was tagged $2,300.
Clock dealers Gordon S. Converse & Company from Strafford, Penn. had strong sales in everything but clocks. By Saturday he had only sold one of his fine clock examples, but had lots of other sales including a handsome dining table.
Showing in the Chicago area for the first time was new exhibitor June Lambert, LLC from Alexandria, Va. June thought there was good attendance and she loved the area, but her sales included only smalls during the first part of the show.
M. Finkel and Daughter from Philadelphia, Penn. sold a lot of samplers this year along with a pair of lamps. Dated 1834 was an American sampler by Louisa Martha Vanlaw from Belmont County, Ohio, tagged $18,500 and a dated 1735 English sampler by Jane Soper that was an elegy to Queen Anne was $8,400.
Many antiquers were excited to find newcomer Malcolm Magruder from Millwood, Va. who filled in at the last minute for a dealer who was ill. He received a very good reception and had strong sales of his paintings, furniture, ceramics and jewelry. We hope to see him back in the show next year.
Steven J. Rowe Antiques from Newton, N.H. had his usual strong sales. By Saturday he had sold a tall-case clock, two pairs of chairs, a center table, a pier table and had several additional pieces on hold.
Excellent sales were reported by Georgian Manor Antiques, Inc. from Fairhaven, Mass. Going to new homes was a pair of arm chairs, a pair of stools, a set of porcelain, a pair of Chinese export bowls, a cup and saucer and two tea caddies along with a large chest and a painting. A set of four English Regency “architectural or pillar print” chintz panels dating circa 1820 in vivid colors was on hold and sure to sell before the conclusion of the show.
Linda Ketterling Antiques from Toledo, Ohio was pleased to meet some new clients for her excellent quality majolica. Sales included a George Jones cheese keeper, several Minton pitchers, a lot of plates and some additional pieces.
Douglas Solliday and Melissa Williams from Columbia, Mo. concentrated on paintings this year and sold quite a few of them. Trace Mayer Antiques from Louisville, Ky. sold smalls and a tea caddy, but had measurements out and was hopeful for a successful outcome for the show.
Denny L. Tracey from Ann Arbor, Mich. sold a Sheraton chest, a transitional Sheraton four-drawer chest, a Hepplewhite four-drawer chest of drawers, a folk art man in the moon and a Sheraton stand with a shelf.
Wayne Pratt and Company from Woodbury, Conn. found that his Moses B. Russell miniatures are very popular in the Chicago area, and they sold a lot of them again this year. They also sold a pair of Nineteenth Century New England Chippendale mahogany and gesso pier mirrors. These dealers were excited about their Queen Anne carved walnut bonnet top high chest of drawers signed by Nathaniel Fullerton from Massachusetts dating circa 1750-70. He is a newly discovered Boston maker with an excellent sense of design.
