96 Dealers Fill Memorial Hall East — Surrounded By Snow
Show manager Melvin “Butch” Arion making a brief announcement about parking to his dealers.
Review and Photos by R. Scudder Smith
YORK, PENN. — “We kept the parking area around the front of Memorial Hall East clear of snow for visitors and just about every spot was taken on Friday, January 29, when we opened the York Antiques Show & Sale,” Melvin “Butch” Arion said, and he noted that “we had some serious buying from the first day right through Sunday.” He said that for a number of reasons, mostly health related, about 12 of the exhibitors who had signed up for the show canceled, but he was able to fill the booths with little trouble. “Chuck White was a last minute cancellation, so I offered his booth to Greg Kramer, who was more than happy to have it, doubling his exhibition space,” Butch said.
“I was pleased that many people came up to me saying how great the show looked,” he said, “and overall it went very well, with a greater attendance on Saturday than on opening day.” The show had color from quilts and rugs on the walls, interesting carvings and an abundance of weathervanes, and both painted and brown furniture. This was not a show you could race through, as there was too much to see.
Holding down one of the booths at the front of the 166th semi-annual show was James B. Grievo of Stockton, N.J., offering a Philadelphia game table in mahogany, Nineteenth Century, and a New England smoke decorated two-drawer blanket chest. A prancing horse weathervane sported a great weathered surface, along with a series of bullet holes attesting to someone’s sharp shooting. Dating from the Eighteenth Century was a New England oval tavern table with a checker board painted on top in gold on a black ground.
The Haneberg’s Antiques, East Lyme, Conn., showed a Baltimore spade foot oval Pembroke table in grained mahogany, circa 1800, along with a bold tiger maple high chest on bracket base, circa 1780. A St Julian sulky weathervane by Fiske measured 21 inches high and 40 inches long.
Jewett-Berdan Antiques, Newcastle, Maine
From just up the road in Manheim, Penn., Steven F. Still filled a large booth with a couple of cases chockfull of smalls, some folk art and furniture, including a pine bench table from Chester County, Penn., dating from the mid-Nineteenth Century and measuring 71 inches long and 33½ inches wide. A York County, Penn., corner cupboard, paint decorated, was also from the mid-Nineteenth Century, measuring 72½ inches tall, and a 32-drawer apothecary in the original paint decoration was signed G.A. Butler, May 3, 1869, Lempster, N.H.
A Queen Anne stepback cupboard with butterfly shelves and the original painted surface was against the back wall in the booth of Hilary and Paulette Nolan of Falmouth, Mass. The piece dated circa 1750, and a Rhode Island drop leaf maple table dated 1770–80. “I generally travel with one of our dogs, but this time our newest pet Musket stayed at home to keep Paulette company,” Hilary said, adding, “Next show he will come along with me to see the dealers.”
Dover House Antiques traveled up from Louisville, Ky., to do the show, offering a large optician’s trade sign, long carved pine with gold gilt frames and polychrome eyes, that was found in New Hampshire. A pine bench table with red painted base and scrubbed top, two storage drawers, was of Pennsylvania origin and dated circa 1830.
Samuel Herrup, Sheffield, Mass.
An iron gate, painted white and red with a row of stars across the top, drew attention to the back wall of the booth belonging to Pratt’s Antiques, Victor, N.Y. The gate came from Buffalo, N.Y., and dated circa 1900. Also standing against the back wall was a red painted jelly cupboard, circa 1850–60, and hanging on a side wall was a marble board game in yellow and brown with carved fans in the corners and dating from the late Nineteenth Century.
A pie safe in the original old blue painted surface, small size with two doors and four punched panels, was shown in the booth of Jewett-Berdan Antiques, Newcastle, Maine, along with a late Nineteenth Century tin house measuring about 15 inches tall. “We used this house at Christmastime, lighting a candle within and it was very nice with light at all the windows,” Butch Berdan said. A very large cutting board, rectangular with cut corners, stood against the back wall near a hooked rug dated Jan. 30, 1934, showing a black horse on a beige ground. A stack of graduated round kitchen boxes retained the original green paint.
“I am trying something new this time,” Sandy Jacobs said, as she arranged her collection of jewelry in a tall showcase instead of in the shorter ones that people can rest their elbows on. The Swampscott, Mass., dealer noted, “We will see what happens,” while pointing out that the rest of the booth was all done and she was actually a bit ahead of her usual schedule. On the back wall was shown a large Grenfell mat with sailboats and a large pair of pliers, a painted wooden trade sign, with the lettering “Get A Grip On It.”
Daniel & Karen Olson, Newburgh, N.Y.
A hutch table with shoe feet, scalloped base, old dark blue original surface showing through the later red paint, was in the booth of Cabin On The Hill, Georgetown, Texas. A circa 1860–80 apothecary with dovetailed drawers and a store display board hung with a collection of wooden mallets and a variety of wooden knobs were shown against the back wall of the booth.
“On An Old Turnpike,” a watercolor on paper of probably a stage coach stop in either New England or New York State, circa 1920, was by Joseph C. Clayhorn and hung in the booth of Neverbird Antiques, Surry, Va. Among the portraits offered was a teen girl in black dress holding an umbrella, oil on canvas possibly by Henry Walton, an upstate New York artist, dating circa 1830–35 and in the original frame.
A selection of 15 pieces of mocha, including pitchers, mugs and cups, was shown on top of a Federal inlaid walnut huntboard, probably Piedmont region of North Carolina, in the booth of John Chaski Antiques of Camden, Del. It dated circa 1811 and measured 60¼ inches wide, 36¾ inches high and 26 inches deep. A paint decorated pine blanket chest, Berks County, Penn, was dated 1819 and measured 40 inches wide, 23 inches deep and 26 inches tall.
Stephen-Douglas, Rockingham, Vt.
“We did Jim Burk’s show many years ago and this is our first with Butch [Arion],” Ken Pike of Nashua, N.H., said. He added, “I have done some good selling and the show looks really good.” Among the things in the booth were a six-sided penny rug in excellent condition and colorful, a child’s sled in red paint, a sheet metal weathervane depicting a tea pot and cup, white painted with some yellow decoration, and an early wooden shovel with the original red painted surface.
A large stretcher base dough table from the Hanover area of Pennsylvania, dating circa 1840–60, was shown across the front of the booth of Steve Smoot, Lancaster, Penn. Displayed on the table were two Indian baskets, one a Pima deep basket with geometric design, circa 1900–20, along with a pair of sand weighted candlesticks in tin, circa 1830–50, in all original condition.
A set of six Windsor-style, spindle back side chairs, circa 1840, retained their original paint decoration and was shown by Axtell Antiques of Deposit, N.Y.; a yellow wall box, pine and bass wood, was of New York State origin and dated circa 1810. “That box is 100 percent and has that wonderful lollipop top, a single drawer and storage under the lift top,” Richard “Smitty” Axtell said. A ship’s figurehead representing Jenny Lind was once on a Boston-based vessel, circa 1855, a painted carving attributed to John Mason, a Massachusetts carver.
Colette Donovan, Merrimacport, Mass.
A tall whirligig, dating from the late Nineteenth Century, was shown on a pedestal in the booth of Joseph Lodge of Lederach, Penn. The male figure was dressed in a red vest, ruffled collar and hat with brim. A set of six painted ladder back side chairs with the original yellow rush seats dated circa 1795 and were from the Delaware Valley. “We have had those chairs in our collection for many years and have never seen another set like them,” Joseph said. Other furniture included a Queen Anne table in cherry, 36 inches in diameter, dating circa 1775.
Harold Cole and Bettina Krainin, Woodbury, Conn., offered a large bucket bench, which served as a perfect display piece for several weathervanes, including an early peacock with original surface by Jewell, New York City. Harold, who is known for having weathervanes, said, “This peacock is one of only two that I have ever had and it is in fine condition.” Sharing space with the peacock was a Howard Index vane, circa 1855, and a Rochester rooster, large, with a wooden tail.
The Norwoods’ Spirit of America, Timonium, Md., once again left little unused space on the walls of the booth, showing pictures, rugs and pieces of folk art, including a nice oval hooked rug depicting an urn of flowers on a black ground and a theorem on velvet for Sarah Ann Hickman (b 1811) Boston, featuring a lady leaning against a monument that was on a small island surrounded by water with a sailing ship and several swimming ducks. A crow decoy was attributed to the Illinois River carver Charles Perdew (1874–1963).
Missouri Plain Folk, Sikeston, Mo
Furniture filled the booth of Philip H. Bradley Co., Downingtown, Penn., including a Pennsylvania knuckle arm Windsor settee in old red paint, circa 1780, 84 inches long, and at the front of the booth was a Montgomery County, Penn., lift lid chest in walnut, inlaid with initials and date, H.L. 1779. The chest, measuring 28½ inches high, 49½ inches wide and 22½ inches deep, is attributed to joiner William Yocum of Franconia and Lower Salford Township.
A Pennsylvania Dutch cupboard with 12 pane doors, original grain painted surface, dating circa 1820–40, was against the back wall of the booth of Bertolet House Antiques, Oley, Penn., and a Pennsylvania farm table with two-board top, red painted base, circa 1850, took up most of the space at the front of the booth. Also of Pennsylvania origin, York County, was a double door dry sink, circa 1850.
Thomas Longacre of Marlborough, N.H., once again gave up a portion of his booth space to his wife, Bev, for her to show off part of her large collection of Christmas-related decorations. This time she featured a number of feather trees, leaving no limb untrimmed, with a back-up supply as the trees were picked clean. Meanwhile, Tom sold his Americana, including a hooked rug with two opposing cats in light brown on a darker brown ground, Nineteenth Century and likely of New England origin. Another rug featured two sheep in a field with trees and a mountain, circa 1890–1930, and a third hooked rug, small size, early Twentieth Century, showed a three-masted schooner at sea. An early New Hampshire weathervane was in the shape of an arrow, and a second weathervane was a small train that found a buyer as the show opened. Against the back wall was a two-tier bucket bench with boot jack bracket base, pine and in the original green paint. It was of Pennsylvania origin and dated 1820–40.
Samuel Forsythe Antiques, Columbus, Ohio
The booth of Michael Whittemore Antiques & Folk Art, Punta Gorda, Fla., looked like a weathervane shop, with 13 vanes of various shapes and sizes filling a large booth. Five horses were both standing and running, two fish were swimming in opposite directions on the back wall of the booth, a rooster stood in the corner, a banner was at the front of the booth as if pointing out the selection, and a trio of cows were just standing about doing nothing. The most active form was a Sportsman’s Dog, on the run with his tail straight out, by Thomas W. Jones, New York City, dating circa 1880–90. “The dog is a very rare form and this is only the second time I have come across one,” Michael said. In addition to the vanes, he offered a large trade sign in the form of a large hand saw, blue handle and yellow blade with red lettering advertising “Saws Filed.” A large Great Lakes tug model retained all of its life boats and original paint, and a large apothecary drug store trade sign filled a corner of the booth.
James M. Kilvington, Inc, Greenville, Del., showed a diminutive George II mahogany game table, circa 1750, in the original condition, and a Chester County, Penn., Queen Anne tea table in the original condition with casters, circa 1765. Against the back wall was a handsome yellow pine mantel from Halifax County, Va., circa 1790.
A large hot dog trade sign, dripping with yellow mustard, took up the major part of the end wall of the booth of Newsom & Berdan Antiques, Thomasville, Penn., and on the opposite wall was a collection of five checkerboards, all in different original paint surfaces. A large folk art farm rug from Lancaster County, Penn., depicted a running horse flanked by roosters with red combs. It measured 67 inches long and was dated 1902.
Stiles House Antiques, Woodbury, Conn.
“I will be 78 years old on the opening day of the show and to celebrate I brought my collection of burl bowls to the show,” John H. Rogers of Elkin, N.H. said. The bowls, about 15 of them and most of large size, were displayed on two tables with bottoms up, making a very impressive display. John noted that it took many long years to put the group together, some of them going back about 50 years in his personal collection. When there seemed to be a shortage of butter stamps on display, an area of collecting that he is well known for, he lifted up the skirt around the tables revealing about six large tubs, each filled to capacity with butter stamps. “A collector called me and said he wanted to see every one I had, so there they are and he has his work cut out for him,” John said.
Thomas Thompson, Pembroke, N.H., likes early litho-covered blocks and showed up this time with two graduated sets, one eight blocks high with the alphabet displayed, the other six blocks high with colorful birds on all sides. An early yarn winder on turned lags was complete and never painted or stained, and a tall stepladder retained its original grain painted surface.
Lisa McAllister, Clear Spring, Md., offered a Pennsylvania display case in cherry, Nineteenth Century and in great condition with portioned interior, as well as three nice paper-covered boxes, rectangular and oval. A pull toy had a pair of small elephants mounted on board, with small metal wheels.
The 167th Semi-Annual York Antiques Show & Sale will take place on September 23, 24 and 25 at Memorial Hall East on the York Fairgrounds. For further information, contact Melvin Arion at 302-875-5326 or visit www.theoriginalyorkantiquesshow.com.
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