Philadelphia-based Arader Galleries brought prints spanning categories including birds, botanicals, marine and sea life, the American West, and several maps from local atlases. Gallery director Lori Cohen (left) is seen here talking to a guest.
Review & Onsite Photos by Carly Timpson
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. — With its tagline “Antiques, Art & Exquisite Objects,” The Newport Show certainly lived up to its expectations. In preparation for the show, the hockey rink at St George’s School was transformed from an icy arena to an extravagant event hall with 38 exhibitor booths, several refreshment stations and space for a special loan exhibition, all ready for the Gala Preview Party on Friday, July 26 before the show was opened to the public July 27-28. The event raises funds for co-beneficiaries, the Newport Historical Society (NHS) and Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County. To date, The Newport Show has raised more than $4 million to benefit the two organizations.
Show chair Anne Hamilton said that she “felt like Newport needed a ‘real’ antiques show,” which was why, in 2007, she founded The Newport Show. Since then, it has been a summer staple in the small coastal community for local collectors, vacationers and those who are willing to travel to get a taste for the finer things. “For nearly two decades, The Newport Show at St George’s has provided collectors, curators and all who appreciate history with an opportunity to experience the past through exquisite antiques, art and fine objects,” said Hamilton.
In addition to the 38 vendors, “Stitches in Time: Needlework and Quilts,” a loan exhibition from the collections of the NHS and the South County Museum (Narragansett, R.I.), was also on view throughout the weekend, showcasing an assortment of domestic textiles and needlework pieces. The exhibition included quilts, samplers, handbags and wallets and an embroidered armchair, in addition to two contemporary works from Lycette Designs — a pair of handstitched Stubbs & Wootton slippers and a needlepoint pillow. As the exhibition wall text explained, “Needlework, such as quilts and samplers, passed down through generations can narrate milestones, memories and familial connections. These seemingly humble objects speak to how traditions are preserved and provide a record of social changes. They are a tangible link between the past, present and future. The pieces shown here reflect the intersection between artistic expression and utilitarian purpose… Each work on display served a purpose within the household while providing their female creators an outlet for their individual style and aesthetic.”
Bridget Newton (left), registrar of the Newport Historical Society, discusses “Stitches In Time,” her organization’s collaborative exhibition with the South County Museum.
Rebecca J. Kelly, executive director of the South County Museum, said, “The museum was pleased to play a part in this year’s event and hope the more than one thousand people who passed through the doors had the opportunity to learn more about the history and handicraft of Rhode Island women.”
Drawing the most attention from guests was a 1790 mahogany armchair with crewelwork embroidery, done by Abigail Ellery, the wife of William Ellery — a Newport signer of the Declaration of Independence. According to the item text, “The chair was a gift to Abigail and William’s daughter, Almy, for her marriage to William Steadman, Massachusetts’ first senator.” Bridget Newton, NHS registrar, shared that the chair stayed in the family until 2006 when it was donated to the NHS.
Upon entering the show, visitors encountered the booth of Roger D. Winter, Bucks County, Penn. Given his prime location, we wanted to know a bit about his background. He told us, “I’ve been coming to this show for quite a few years. I bring primarily English with a smattering of other Continental antiques from the William and Mary period to the early Nineteenth Century.” One of his finest offerings was a round rosewood pedestal dining table with brass inlay, complemented by a set of eight rosewood and mahogany chairs, also finished with brass inlaid details. Several other tables, including a circa 1840 Chinese great hall console table with an inset reticulated fretwork panel apron, were set with various smalls such as porcelain, candlesticks and copper kettles.
Standing out in the booth of William Cook, Hungerford, U.K., was a vibrant, circa 1969 chair designed by Lord Snowden for the investiture of Prince Charles when he became His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. “If you were a guest at the ceremony, you could purchase the chairs you sat in for the price of £12 afterwards.” This chair was complete with its original upholstery and lacquer finish.
William Cook, Hungerford, UK, also specializes in Eighteenth and early Nineteenth Century furniture. In his booth, he also had various smalls and decorative objects including several antique glass decanters, tea caddies, pieces of natural history such as fossils and agates, bronzes, lamps and several mirrors. On the primary wall of his booth hung a set of 12 pastel and pencil studies of horses by Leslie Charlotte Benenson (English, 1941-2018); the other two walls housed a large, original condition French wall tapestry and a pair of blueprints for a 1936 sailing yacht designed by Boston-based naval architect, John Alden (1884-1962).
Objects related to sailing were on theme, as the city of Newport hosted the America’s Cup — the oldest international sailing competition — 12 different times. Ann and George Wilbanks of Find Weatherly, Stamford, Conn., indicated this fact as “motivation to fill their booth with marine art in addition to animal and folk art; English, French and Asian antiques; and various other whimsical objects.” Ann Wilbanks shared, “We specialize in marine art and bring a lot related to America’s Cup for this crowd who are interested in that. We have a set of 10 half-hulls from America’s Cup defenders that were made in New London, Conn.” As such, these, and other half-hulls, ship portraits, models and blueprints, accented their booth, and yet the main eye-catcher may have been a 14-foot-long tempera on canvas mural featuring an array of flowering tropical plants and various birds. Ann Wilbanks did not know much about the 1961 piece’s history but noted that the nine names on it may be indicative of different artists working together complete the image. The Wilbankses have been attending The Newport Show since 2013 and commented: “This is one of our favorite shows. Anne Hamilton is like a force of nature, she’s remarkable.” George Wilbanks added, “We have made a few sales and received great interest on the first night. It has been much busier than last year. It’s a great show to come to because there are a lot of dealers with great variety.”
Paul Madden Antiques, Sandwich, Mass., specializes in nautical antiques but fine and decorative arts helped fill the display.
Paul Madden Antiques, Sandwich, Mass., is another dealer that specializes in marine antiques. The walls of their booth were decorated with paintings of sailing scenes, nautical charts, half-hulls and harpoons. They also brought Nantucket baskets, scrimshaw carvings, telescopes, clocks, compasses, thermometers and other instruments, landscape paintings and some antique furniture.
Likely best known for his extensive collection of British sailors’ woolworks known as Woolies, Paul Vandekar, Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge, Downingtown, Penn., rightfully filled his booth with countless examples, primarily from the mid to late Nineteenth Century. In cases throughout the booth, Vandekar displayed his large selection of Eighteenth and Nineteenth European and Chinese export ceramics.
In addition to cases of fine porcelain from Spode, Coalport, Mason’s, Wedgwood and other notable makers, second-year exhibitors, The Spare Room Antiques (Baltimore, Md.), also presented fine jewelry. Owner Jacqueline Smelkinson pointed out a selection of Rivière necklaces. Smelkinson said, “They were called Rivières because they reminded people of the lights along the French Riviera. Some were Georgian, though they were popular through the Victorian era. We have a lot of them but they’re actually very hard to find.” Examples on display in her booth included a necklace with pink oval gemstones, a similar one with bright green stones and one with large, round diamonds.
Luxury handbags from Gem De La Gem, Teaneck, N.J.
Jewelry collectors and fashionistas may have also been drawn to the booth of Gem De La Gem, Teaneck, N.J. Back for a third year, Gem De La Gem specializes in vintage and unusual Hermès scarves but had some from other designers such as Valentino, Gucci and Chanel. Luxury handbags were also a draw to their booth, with several wall-height cases filled with Gucci, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Brandell and Hermès bags. Other cases were filled with fine jewelry including Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Lalaounis, Chanel and Hermès.
More jewelry could be found in the booths of Brad & Vandy Reh Fine Jewelry, New Canaan, Conn., and Lotus Gallery, Austin, Texas. Francisca Tung, owner of Lotus Gallery, said “This is our third year — we love the people here. We have mainly Asian antiquities and fine jewelry.” The antiquities consisted mostly of Chinese and Japanese porcelain, furniture and art.
Daniel Garfink of French Accents Antiques, Baltimore, Md., said this was his first time at The Newport Show and only his third antiques show ever. He didn’t let that hold him back, and during the Gala Preview Party he shared, “It has only been a few hours but it has already brought great interest.” While the majority of his offerings were Continental antiques, mostly French from the Eighteenth Century, an object drawing great interest was a Canosan funerary vessel. “The reason people are drawn to it is because of the old pink color. Most would have been terracotta in color, so the bright pink is unusual. It was an urn or funerary vessel and it is painted with this image on the front side, celebrating the life of a warrior who was depicted on horseback.” Another special piece was a 1785 marble-top commode: “It is made of solid Cuban mahogany, all of which has been deforested now so these literally cannot be made anymore since the species of wood no longer exists.”
Specializing in fine Continental antiques, especially Eighteenth Century furnishings, was French Accents, Baltimore, Md., who displayed a circa 1715 portrait of five-year-old Louis XV by Atelier Pierre Gobert on the same wall as a mid-Eighteenth Century English Chippendale period giltwood mirror.
Though it is primarily an antiques show, Rehs Contemporary Galleries, New York City, showed up with something for those looking for a more modern flair. Lucia Heffernan (b 1966) was represented on the walls with several examples from her “Yoga Chicks” series, as well as one from “Gym Rats.” Other notable artists filling the walls included Shana Levenson, Hiroshi Furuyoshi (b 1959), Chris Guest (b 1979), David Palumbo (b 1982), Carrie Goller (b 1961) and Stuart Dunkel (b 1952), who was in attendance and painted during the Gala Preview Party while surrounded by his works.
Rehs Galleries, New York City, is run by Howard and Amy Rehs, but their children, Alyssa and Lance are responsible for the contemporary side of the business. Amy noted that Rehs Galleries has been coming to The Newport Show since 2013. “It is one of the smaller shows that we do, but we’ve made so many friends here over the years and we’ve gotten a bigger booth now, which is really nice. The most important thing for us is that our clients can buy something they love at a price they are comfortable with. We want you to smile when you walk into your home. We want you to be happy to be there.” The inclusion of contemporary art helps broaden their clientele and offer that opportunity to more collectors who might be intimidated by the Nineteenth and Twentieth Century works featured in their primary gallery. In the Rehs Galleries booth, Howard highlighted “Monet’s Garden” (1983), a large work by Peter Ellenshaw (British/American, 1913-2007), a landscape painter who was also a matte designer and special effects creator for Disney.
Left: “Saint-Tropez, le Golfe” by Yvonne Canu (French, 1921-2008). Center: “Le Petit Déjeuner devant une Fenêtre” by Jeanne Selmersheim-Desgrange (French, 1877-1958). Right: “Le Chemin en Bord de Rivière” by Gustave Loiseau (French, 1865-1935). Gladwell & Patterson, London.
Art collectors could also find favor in the booth of Gladwell & Patterson, London. Emily Campin, the company’s director, said this was the group’s second year attending The Newport Show and they were pleased to be back in its “relaxed, happy environment.” She said, “We love coming here” and remarked on the city of Newport’s own history being an additional bonus to coming to the show. One of the new works Campin was excited to be exhibiting was a Neo-Impressionist work “Saint-Tropez, le Golfe” by Yvonne Canu (French, 1921-2008).
Also back for a second time was Peace & Plenty, Washington, DC. Josh Hildreth said they brought “an eclectic mix of things [they] love, including European antiques, country pieces and objects that have whimsy and charm.” Most of the art on display was Twentieth Century, though Hildreth, who is an interior designer, said, “I like a broad conversation at the end of the day. For me, it is not about creating a museum, it’s about making something comfortable.” He achieved this comfortable mix by styling various pieces of furniture, art, ceramics and other decorative arts.
Diana Bittel, Diana H. Bittel Antiques, Bryn Mawr, Penn., is one of the show managers and has also been an exhibitor at the show since it began. She said that The Newport Show stands out because of its “very strong, dedicated committee with Anne Hamilton taking great care of the dealers and supporting the show with purchases.” It also helps that there is an “educated client base” and “great dealers,” making for “a very strong summer show.” Describing her booth, Bittel said “It is full of everything I love: nautical, early furniture, weathervanes and shellworks.” Her favorite, most exciting piece on display was a large shellwork diorama including animals, birds and flowers, which she said was “extremely wonderful and rare.” She was pleased to report that it sold during the show.
Sailor’s shell valentines were displayed anywhere there was space in the booth of Diana H. Bittel Antiques, Bryn Mawr, Penn.
Newport newcomer, Carolle Thibaut-Pomerantz, New York City/Paris, is the author of Wallpaper: A History of Style and Trends. Her booth was well-stocked with a carefully curated selection of vintage wallpaper panels dating from the Eighteenth Century through the Art Deco period. All of the wallpaper panels were original woodblock prints on paper with the exception of one Chinese example that was hand-painted. Thibaut-Pomerantz was excited to be exhibiting at the show because, in her words, “Wallpaper is an art form that is not as well known.” Of course, many are familiar with wallpaper as a concept, but these original panels as a form of art, are often forgotten. She pointed out a few impressive examples, such as “Galacial Seas,” and one panel from the panoramic “Zones Terrestres,” designed by Eugène Ehrmann in 1855. The woodblock print was done during the second half of the Nineteenth Century, though “it looks brand new and could easily be displayed as art in a contemporary home,” according to Thibaut-Pomerantz.
Silla Antiques, Shippensburg, Penn., was another first-timer. Andrew Silla was excited to show off many of his favorite pieces during the preview party. “We have mostly 1860-1930 sculpture but some paintings as well. I’m drawn to depressive, atmospheric works.” Examples he pointed out included a bronze statue of a kneeling man, seemingly in excruciating pain, and another was a stormy and turbulent maritime painting. While it didn’t quite fit his description of interest, an especially unusual piece was a French bronze of a Native American on horseback by Édouard Drouot (French, 1859-1945). Making it even more peculiar was the fact that the figure was accurately portrayed and not a dramatized caricature like many examples at the time, especially foreign, tended to be.
First-time exhibitor, Silla Antiques & Art, Shippensburg, Penn., specializes in bronze sculpture. Andrew Silla said his favorite piece was the center example of a man kneeling on a rock, Alfredo Pina’s (Italian, 1883-1966) “Homme Genoux sur un Rocher,” alternatively titled “The Extreme Effort.”
Bibi Mohamed, owner of Imperial Fine Books & Oriental Art, New York City, was happy to answer questions about her collection of rare, leather-bound sets and fine bindings. She told us she had “special editions of classic American, English and French books, library sets and children’s books,” but the most important set on her shelves was a 12-volume, extra-illustrated presentation set of Life of Napoleon Bonaparte by William Milligan Sloane (New York: Century & Co., 1896). She said the set had more than 250 illustrations and documents relating to Napoleon.
Interested in antique rugs? Look no further than Shaia Oriental Rugs of Williamsburg, Va. Frank Shaia, who said it was his third time at the show, only had rugs, though those in his stock were diverse. “We do okay here. We have mostly antique rugs, though we brought some new ones like the fish and turtles, which sell well, especially in coastal areas like Newport.” About 80 to 90 percent Shaia’s stock were Persian, and the rest were mostly Turkish and Caucasian, except for the contemporary pictorial rugs which were Indian.
Another highly specialized area was outdoor furniture and garden ornaments. Thankfully collectors had several booths to peruse for these items. Barbara Israel Garden Antiques, Katonah, N.Y., had architectural pieces, figural and animal statues, fountains, sundials, urns and garden furniture. Most of the objects were stoneware, marble, cast iron or bronze. In their 11th year at The Newport Show, Francis J. Purcell, Inc., Philadelphia, Penn., had English and French cast and wrought iron furniture and a two-tier fountain from 1877 that had turtles and tadpoles around the zinc basin. They also had early American antiques and furnishings, including fireplace mantels, all predating 1870. Sheryl Dunleavy of The Ann Parke Collection, Darien, Conn., had a whimsical display seamlessly bridging the in- and outdoors. Stone dog statues, planters and a Victorian cast iron bench did not appear out of place among a floral embroidery screen, an assortment of Nineteenth Century Staffordshire dogs, majolica, mirrors and framed art. Dunleavy said the opening night was “great” and noted that she had already made some sales, meaning her booth would be rearranged for the next day.
Marble, bronze and stoneware sculptures, as well as stoneware urns and cast iron furniture, in the booth of Barbara Israel Garden Antiques, Katonah, N.Y.
Rebecca Bertrand, NHS executive director, said, “At Newport Historical Society, our team is devoted to helping people explore history and finding engaging ways to help people connect with the past. What I love most about The Newport Show is that we take pieces of history that are often out of reach or protected behind glass, and we bring them forward, allowing the community to see, smell and touch history.”
Details about the 2025 Newport Show have not yet been announced. For more information, www.thenewportshow.com or www.newporthistory.org.
