26th Street Armory Antiques Show

Downtown, the 26th Street Armory Antiques Show, under new management, offered another approach to what's new in old things, featuring several dealers who don't come to NYC often. It is an opportunity to see lots of fresh merchandise, often at affordable prices. 

Scott Estepp, Cincinnati, Ohio, is a must-visit at any show, always bringing fresh, sometimes eccentric in-a-nice-way wares that add zest and color to the proceedings. A mix of folk art, modern, paintings, furniture and architectural details is chosen with the creative, original eye of an energetic, one-of-a-kind dealer.

Michele Fox, Wilton, Connecticut, is the source for flags, patriotic textiles, quilts, and bakelite jewelry, all in pristine condition. Michele is getting ready for her debut as a show manager in June 2014, with WOODARD & GREENSTEIN. The show will be a benefit for THE PECONIC LAND TRUST in Bridgehampton, New York. The brand new ANTIQUES & DESIGN SHOW opens June 21, 2014 for two days only, with a benefit preview party on Friday, June 20th. For details, email info@woodardandgreenstein.com.

Victor Weinblatt Antiques, South Hadley, Massachusetts, exhibited an exceptional collection of trade signs, a category that is becoming more and more difficult to collect. Victor, whose Grandmother was sorry to see him give up his career as a Professor at Harvard to sell "used" items, has set new standards in a niche area of collecting, bringing a wealth of humor and delight to a joyous career choice.

Bob Withington Antiques, York, Maine, has an eye for the strong, bold forms of European and American antiques, decorative arts, garden furnishings and folk art. His presence at an antiques show ensures that the attendees will get to see the unique, the unusual and the always lively exhibit of colorful and exciting objects he successfully delivers every time. 

American Garage, Los Angeles, California, reminds us why Folk Art and Americana will always be in style and provide delight to all. Their booth is like a small museum of objects that "speak to our heart", as owners Michael Ogle and Diana Douglass put it.

The Winter Antiques Show January 24th - February 2nd, 2014

And we thought last winter was cold... Every January New York is warmed up - that may be stretching it a bit - with the magnificent, 60-year old Winter Antiques Show to benefit the East Side House Settlement. 

Everybody who has even thought about antiques is either putting on a show, or paying to get into the many events held in this whirlwind frenzy antiques month in the big, cold apple. The local auction houses long ago jumped on the bandwagon and usually throw big auctions; this year's star being the collection of Ralph Esmerian, "Visual Grace". The auction grossed $12,955,943, a new record for an auction of American Folk Art. But nothing compares to this old chestnut of shows that, like Cher, will live forever! And I mean that in a nice way. 

Nathan Liverant & Son, Colchester, CT.
Arthur Liverant heads up the third generation of this family business which has been dealing in Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century American furniture, paintings, silver, glass and related accessories since 1920. I always try to tell Arthur that he really does not look 90, but he is always too busy with customers to joke around. 
(Just kidding).

Suzanne Courcier and Robert W. Wilkins, Yarmouth Port, MA.
Not only is Arthur Liverant not even close to 90, but Suzanne and Bob are not Shaker, although their strictness in exhibiting the finest of Shaker and Americana is worthy of old church discipline. They are a little looser when they party, however, thank Heav'n.

Olde Hope Antiques, New Hope, PA.
Veterans of 17 years at the Winter Antiques Show, this firm has always exhibited extraordinary examples of American Folk and Decorative Arts. It is not easy to make Americana seem fresh and crisp, but each year their booth hits a home run.

"R 20th Century", New York City.
Yep, Mod made it to the Winter Antiques Show. The elegance here is very seductive and we suspect we will be seeing more fine 20th-Century design at shows in the coming years.

Elliott & Grace Snyder, South Egremont, MA.
The Snyders are much admired authorities on early American furniture, paintings, textiles and Americana. Their presence at the Winter Antiques Show makes a significant contribution to the event. 

Barbara Israel Garden Antiques, Katonah, NY.
A fantasy comes to life here with garden furnishings of the highest caliber. Americans still have some catching up to do in this field of collecting, and Ms. Israel is here to help. 

David A. Schorsch - Eileen M. Smiles, Woodbury, CT.
Always with an outstanding collection, this year's booth included an Ammi Phillips masterpiece, a double portrait of twin brothers, Jacob Wessil Ten Broeck and William Henry Ten Broeck, painted in Clermont, Columbia County, New York, 1834.

Antiques Week 2013: Annual New Hampshire Extravaganza

It's what antiques fans wait for all year: The 56th Annual New Hampshire Antiques Show in Manchester, NH, August 8-10-2013. It is the grand duchess of a week of royal antiques shows in the area, in what is billed as Six Great Events in One Great State!

Ron Bourgeault's Northeast Auctions Summer Americana Auction in Manchester starts the ball rolling with the usual big bang, featuring prime items from important collections. Then, off to Deerfield Monday morning for Nan Gurley's Americana Celebration Antiques Show.  

Next is Frank Gaglio's Mid-Week Antique Show in Concord, followed by a return trip back back to Manchester, just in time for Antiques in Manchester.

Stay put in Manchester for the opening of the long-running event of the jam-packed antiques week, the New Hampshire Antiques Dealers Association Show. Everybody who is anybody gets in line early to find that special treasure or two. Afterwards, everybody gets together to socialize and to catch up on what's new in antiques.

Whew!  Even though everybody was tired, they wouldn't admit it and, of course, could not miss Frank  Gaglio's Pickers Market Antiques Show Friday morning, where one always hopes to find the bargain of the year.

Caught resting amidst the madness are two legends in the antiques world, our good pal Scudder Smith, the famous Editor-in-chief and publisher of the renowned Newtown Bee and The Antiques & The Arts Weekly, looking as dapper as ever in yet another knock-out bow tie. And the esteemed owner of Northeast Auctions in Hampton, New Hampshire, Ron Bourgeault.  Some people never seem to look different than they did three decades ago.

Barbara Pollack of Frank & Barbara Pollack Antiques, Highland Park, IL, as usual, features mouth watering items in vivid colors and forms. Painted chests, theorems, and a stack of rare mid-19th-Century wallpaper hat boxes in rich hues add sparkle to the exhibition. At the right is an unusual departure from the 19th-Century, a store display figure of a glamorous woman wearing a fashionable evening gown with upswept hair in a do typical of the 1930's.

Betty Berdan of Newsom & Berdan Antiques, Thomasville, PA and Hallowell, Maine, displayed a superb textile; a museum quality appliqued mat from the early 1800's. “ A New Hampshire Town Celebration” depicts a colorful gathering of town residents in militia uniforms, top hats, and best clothes, enjoying a memorable day. This wonderful naïve work depicts the joy it’s maker felt about the town, it’s inn dated 1744, the town church, children and animals.

Shaker experts and dealers  Suzanne Courcier & Robert Wilkins, Yarmouth Port, MA, somehow make it look easy to come up with rare Shaker and other period American furnishings year after year. It is not easy, and their efforts are always impressive. With a careful eye and tons of knowledge, Suzanne and Bob never fail to make an impact.

One of our favorite Southern belles, dealer and consultant Deanne Levison, is shown in the booth chatting with Bob. 

Olde Hope Antiques, New Hope, PA, can always be counted on to bring an elegant collection of fine Americana. A graduated stack of seven oval Shaker boxes circa 1830-70 shares the spotlight with a House Hooked Rug circa 1900, a Swan Decoy in old paint, a Centre County Pennsylvania Dower Chest Circa 1810-20, and three early folk portraits among other fine wares.

Elliot & Grace Snyder of South Egremont, MA, well known for their knowledge, expertise and wonderful taste, exhibited their usual array of early furniture, fine textiles, folk art, English and American metalwork and related accessories.

"The Fruits of Industry", a charming hooked rug designed by James and Mercedes Hutchinson in excellent condition.  American, Ca. 1925-35. Cotton on burlap. Also displayed in their booth is one of Grace and Elliot's favorite paintings, shown below.

Portrait of a Young Woman. This exceptional oil on canvas is a hauntingly sensitive portrait of a young woman in white, possibly the work of Henry Folsom. American. Circa 1810-20. Oil on canvas.

A visit to the Antiques at the Armory Show, NYC, January 25, 2013

A big event in antiques and the arts week in New York City is opening day at the Antiques at the Armory Show near Gramercy Park. This Stella managed winter extravaganza did not disappoint. Always exciting and energetic, the event was jammed with visitors from all over the country, eagerly checking out the fantastic line-up of wares from some of the highest quality dealers in the business. This show differs from many others in that it has elegance, charm, and glamour at, if you look carefully, affordable prices. Here are some of our favorites.

I ordered a pastrami sandwich at this booth before I realized I was in the stall of old friend, dealer Victor Weinblatt.  Victor always manages to come up with wonderful Americana objects, especially his trade signs in old paint that offer sheer delight.

The textiles in Michelle Fox's extensive collection never fail to cause a stir, particularly with her patriotic items including historic flags and antique quilts, all in pristine condition.

Celebrating her birthday today, Country Living magazine columnist and appraiser Helaine Fendelmen chose a festive venue well suited to an expert in all things antique and art, the booth of Scott Bassoff-Sandy Jacobs Antiques. Left of Helaine is her husband, the famous vintage necktie collector, Burton, and to the right, a big admirer of both Fendelmans for four decades(!),  Partner Blanche Greenstein was behind the camera for this tour.

OK, so you wanted to be in shoe business? Sorry, couldn't resist, but this giant shoe in beautiful blue paint, presumably a trade sign for a shoe store, was irresistible in the booth of our old friends, Judy and Jim Milne, NYC.

Two killer hooked rugs and an architectural bird house in old white paint were just part of the knockout display presented by Jewett-Berdan Antiques, New Castle, ME.  

An outstanding collection of Grenfell hooked rugs were featured in the booth of  Robert Snyder-Judy Wilson, Wiscasset, ME. Music provided by antique figural andirons at bottom right. For more information on Grenfell mats, see Silk Stocking Mats written by our old friend, Paula Laverty, whose husband, Bill, is known for his superb taste in serious classic bow ties.

A striking Art Deco-style 4-panel screen painted by renowned painter and architect Richard Haas in 1983 becomes a chic abstract architectural element in the treasure filled booth of our pals, Joan and Harvey Weng.

Looking Back

Every so often a journalist will flatter my partner, Blanche Greenstein, and myself by interviewing us as "influential" or "notable" in expanding people's interest in quilts over the last few decades.  Suddenly feeling like dinosaurs, we are reduced to stumped silence by questions like "What did you do to influence the quilt world, and why?"  The last thing that ever would have occurred to two young, passionate quilt aficionados such as us in the early 1970's was to embark on doing something important and/or significant.  

Our prime focus was to get out there and find the best quilts possible, those amazing and peculiarly American marvels that quilters in the 19th- and early 20th-Century quilters created.  Competition was lively, and getting to flea markets like Shupp's Grove in Pennsylvania before dawn was imperative. Working hurriedly with a flashlight through fresh loads of goodies being brought in by country dealers, was exhausting and, sometimes, exhilarating.  "The lure of the chase" as it has been called was foremost in our minds.  

The delight at occasionally discovering genuine masterpieces is hard to describe.  Those real treasures of the quilting world were on this planet before we arrived, and hopefully will be here long after our departure.  We simply followed our passion, and, with a little luck and a lot of help from friends and clients, we are still at it.  To read more about our partnership, please see our web portrait on Quilt Alliance: http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/treasures/main.php?id=5-16-C

Vote for Your Candidate! Historic Bandanas for Campaigns for U.S. President

The presidential election season is entering its final days, and the trappings of campaigning are ubiquitous. It's during this quadrennial event that we look back at what Presidential campaigning was before mass media transformed elections into what they are today, replete with television and radio advertising, talk show appearances, and daily news. Long before bumper stickers, there was the colorful, graphic campaign bandana.

Grover Cleveland/Allen Thurman Political Bandana 1888
(click for additional info)

Martha Washington probably was not aware that when she commissioned a souvenir bandana depicting an heroic Commander-in-Chief as a surprise gift for her husband, she launched a kind of “bandana bandwagon” that never seems to run out of steam, even to the present day. That particular bandana, thought to be America’s first, is safely secure in the collection of the New York Historical Society, NYC. Important history was recorded in that unique textile, created by a defiant printer, John Hewson, despite the British ban on textile printing. Cannons, flags, and a salute to Washington as founder and protector of liberty and “independency” encircle a strong leader on horseback in this small cloth square, marking the beginning of America’s love affair with the lowly bandana.

Benjamin Harrison/Levi Morton Political Bandana 1888
(click for additional info)

Pre - television politics in America readily embraced the idea of using bandanas as a means of spreading the word to everyone, including the working classes, whose votes were needed to win elections. Portraits of the candidates surrounded by spectacular patriotic displays of flags, eagles, stars, and inspiring legends, such as PROTECTION & PROSPERITY and TARRIFF REFORM were printed on cotton, and some times silk, as textile advertisements.

Wendell Willke Political Bandana 1940
(click for additional info)

The rage for political bandanas swept the country as an inspiration for songs about the “red bandana”, fashion statements featuring bandanas worn in men’s pockets, the formation of a Bandana Club, and enthusiastic displays of support for political party candidates by fired up delegates, cheering and waving their cloth banners in convention halls.

Benjamin Harrison/Levi Morton Campaign Bandana 1888
(click for additional info)

Much of the flavor and fervor of America’s political history has been captured and preserved in these colorful printed cloth squares, documenting important issues of the day, such as fair wages for workers, and even the words and music for a song entitled “We Want Teddy”.

Progressive/Roosevelt/1912/Battle Flag
(click for additional info)

The Smithsonian Institute, as well as other museums and private collectors, have recognized the significance of these textiles for providing an exuberant pictorial history of American politics. A number of outstanding examples from their collections are illustrated in Threads of History,(Collins, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC,1979) and The American Bandana,(Weiss, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1990), and Long May She Wave (Hinrichs & Hirasuna, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, 2001).

Labor Day is on it's way

Labor Day weekend is just about here! The perfect time to get out of the city and into the country to enjoy the fresh air, friends and family. In anticipation of the break we pulled together a few paintings and pieces all about travel and relaxation. As always, more information about our antiques is available on 1st Dibs. We hope you enjoy, and have a wonderful Labor Day!

Quebec Decoy early 20th century. Distinctive carving on tail feathers and wings, with blue and white painted details on wings, green painted beak.

Sailing Ship Diorama late 19th-Century.
Carved and painted three-dimensional image of sailing ship in wood frame behind glass.

Royal Scot Locomotive circa 1923-25.
Magnificent train, said to be the 6100-First Engine, early LMS (London-Midland-Scotland).

Pair of Golfer Bookends early 20th century. Detailed figures, each standing on a book.  

Grenfell Mat: Mallard Ducks Take Flight, circa 1930. Handmade by well-known cottage industry. Pictured in Silk Stocking Mats, Laverty, Paula, Page 84. Exceptionally vivid colors.

Gone Fishing early 20th century. A watercolor image of two men fishing. Inscribed "Too Bad", probably referring to the one that got away.

Rustic Landscape dated 1923. Oil on canvas. A finely detailed autumn scene. Signed and dated "R.M. Kelly. 10-23-26". All original in original frame, no restoration.

New Hampshire White Mountains circa 1920. Oil painting of Mount Chocorua and Lake Chocorua, New Hampshire. Signed C.A. Knight. View of the White Mountains, a picturesque area in New England, still visited by travelers year round.

Celebrating the Fourth

Over the years Woodard and Greenstein has acquired many rare pieces of Americana, including an extensive collection of 19th and 20th century campaign bandannas, and what more fitting time to showcase these unique and charming finds than on the Fourth of July? Here's a sampling of our favorite pieces paying homage to the red white and blue. As always, these and other American antiques can be found and purchased on 1stdibs.com. Have a happy Fourth!

Applique and Pieced Quilt top: GOD BLESS AMERICA c.1914-1920. A patriotic handmade quilt top mounted on stretchers with 48-star American flag, and a soldier at the pole base.

Campaign Bandanna: Harrison/Morton 1888. Inscribed "Protect Home Industry" with portraits of the candidates.

Political Bandanna: Harrison/Morton 1888. Inscribed "Protection vs. Free Trade / "Pension for Soliders / Aid for Free Schools". 

Political Bandanna: Wendell Wilkie 1940. Wendell Wilkie campaigned against  Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1940 presidential election.

Pair of Campaign Bandannas 1888. A pair of Harrison/Morton bandannas, included in "Threads of History" published by the Smithsonian Institute. 

Antique Quilt: Feathered Star Variation: Late 19th century finely pieced graphic variation of traditional design in red, white, and blue.

Pair of miniature Adirondack chairs and single Adirondack chair c. early 20th century. A charming pair of red and white painted wood miniature chairs, and a single red painted wood  miniature chair.

Trade Sign: National Union Fire Insurance Company c. 1900. Red white and blue patriotic shield with capitol building inspiring trust and confidence.

Paper covered barrel cover c. early 20th century. Patriotic colors and motifs decorate this exuberant advertisement for an American flour company.

Woodard Weave design Georgetown 254 brings our love of Americana to our Woodard Weave Woven Rug collection with bold red, white and blue.