Review and Photos by Tom O’Hara

DAMARISCOTTA, MAINE — The Maine Antiques Dealers Association (MADA) sponsored and managed for the 18th consecutive year the Coastal Maine Antiques Show at Round Top Farm on August 19. Conducted on the historic farm grounds both outside in tents and in the barn and house on the property, the show featured more than 70 dealers, all MADA members, exhibiting their collections for the shoppers.

Harry Hepburn III Antiques, Harrison, Maine

Deborah Stufflebeam, vice president of the association, reported that the attendance was up by about 20 percent over last year, which contributed to the success in fundraising for the organization and also its charity, the Damariscotta River Association.

Entering the farmhouse, among the first exhibitors to greet shoppers was Tom Copadis of Peter Wood Hill Antiques, Deering, N.H. Copadis exhibits small valuable things from times gone by, with an emphasis on silver for the dining table. Of particular interest was an American coin silver tea pot in excellent condition, which he had only recently added to his inventory.

Next was Malcolm MacFarland, a MADA officer and active dealer from Orr’s Island, Maine. His exhibit was picture-perfect, with a Chippendale-style lowboy in good original finish and set off with various accessories, including a Federal American pillar and scroll clock, several tea caddies and a silver tea service.

Peter Wood Hill Antiques, Deering, N.H.

One of the better-known clock dealers in Maine was in the next room, Harry Hepburn III from Harrison. He was showing several tall case clocks, an English Eighteenth Century piece and an American example, which was a little later, along with an assortment of smaller timepieces. Hepburn does more than just clocks and here he also had an assortment of American furniture and small accessories, which were selling well, he reported.

James LeFurgy a dealer with an open shop in Wiscasset, was exhibiting in the farm’s big barn that day with a collection of colonial and Federal antiques typical of furnishings found in a Maine home. His sales included a large polychrome hooked rug, several early New England quilts, which he described as patriotic in their color schemes, and also a later kitchen set. His favorite piece was a state of Maine chest, circa 1810–20, in birch, with turned feet, original brasses and still showing traces of the original red paint.

From Lincolnville, Maine, Martin Ferrick was showing hardwood furniture. His footed tall chest on frame was drawing attention, refinished with original brasses. He sold well at the show, moving an early Chippendale chest in maple and pine, American, with a hidden drawer in the cornice, several stands and an early card table.

Martin Ferrick, Lincolnville, Maine

David White, White’s Nautical Antiques, North Yarmouth, Maine, was enjoying his morning as well. Specializing in antiques that have a nautical or yachting theme, he was in just the right place to be selling that morning. His sales began with a hull model at about one-eighth-inch to a foot scale from the Nineteenth Century. More sales included folk art and vintage nautical instruments.

Many of the dealers were in tented spaces. Donna Grant, Grantiques, from Winchester, Mass., was selling silver and other small antiques. Sales for the day included early sterling inkwells, miniature silver candleholders, and many transactions were recorded in silver for the dining room.

Peter Murphy brought a large quantity of American Federal furniture from his nearby Bath, Maine, home, but his sales were more in little things. The same was true for his neighbor at the show, Brian Cullity from Sagamore, Mass., who sold only some smalls early that day.

White’s Nautical Antiques, North Yarmouth, Maine

On the other hand, Bill Quinn, Alna, Maine, was so busy that morning he said, “I sold all my big pieces in the first hour or so to the first people here and other dealers in the show.” Most of that was painted primitive furniture, he said, native to Maine, which is where Bill does all his picking.

Martha Perkins and Barrett Menson, Ashby, Mass., were offering their collections together in a tent that morning, with Barrett having a pretty good day, according to Martha. His sales included one of the sandpaper paintings he favors, a collection of fishing paintings in birch frames, and she sold one rather special quilt.

Colleen Donovan has an open shop, Foreside Antiques in Falmouth, Maine, but still finds time to do some shows, including this Coastal Maine affair. For her it was very productive as her merchandise proved popular with the visitors who purchased a pair of early cast iron urns, a Philadelphia Windsor chair, an Eighteenth Century Chinese hexagonal table, jewelry, an assortment of glass and earthenware and more than a half dozen quilts.

Bill Quinn, Alna, Maine

Friends in Tyme is the business name for David and Sheila Hatch of Damariscotta, who came in with an assortment of Maine furniture. The center of their exhibit was a work table in a fresh finish with one drawer. It was surrounded by more typical early Maine furniture, including a tall jelly cupboard in original paint, a long drop leaf table that seemed to have traces of an original coat of red wash showing through, another shorter jelly cupboard and a chest of drawers with glove drawers in veneers.

As this is among the few shows in Maine, its popularity and sales are well known among both dealers and shoppers. Further, the timing in late August is the height of the summer season for visitors so traffic was very good.

Elizabeth DiSimone, president of MADA, confirmed the date for next year’s show will be Wednesday, August 24. For additional information, www.maineantiques.org.