All signs at the York Fairgrounds and Convention Center pointed to Memorial Hall, the home of the Semi-Annual York, PA Antiques Show and Sale.

Review & Onsite Photos by Kiersten Busch

YORK, PENN. — The start of fall means that, once again, collectors and enthusiasts of Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century American, English, primitive and period furniture and accessories make their way to York, Penn., for The Original Semi-Annual York, PA Antiques Show & Sale, now in its 185th iteration. Spanning two days, September 19-20, approximately 60 select exhibitors gathered at the York Fairgrounds and Convention Center’s Memorial Hall, where two days of showing and selling took place. Purportedly the second oldest antiques show in the country, the York Show is known for its superb-quality merchandise and “top-notch” participants.

Stepping into the main hall, the first booth prominently on display was that of Joseph J. Lodge of Lederach, Penn. His cozy setup, complete with plenty of country furniture and textiles such as quilts, was a perfect draw for customers ready to start their shopping day off right. “The show is located in an area where there are a lot of collectors, and it’s not too far away for me,” Lodge explained of his 25 years of loyalty to the York Show. “It’s also ‘countrified,’ and I favor that. I like to match my interests with the audience.” Lodge emphasized that the mahogany tables in his booth were some of his favorite items. He also had a 1929 oil on canvas by New Hope School member Antonio Martino, which depicted a riverside scene near Philadelphia. We also noticed a mortar and pestle with a red “sold” tag already attached, barely 10 minutes after the show’s opening.

Donald Heller (left-most) conversed with a group of customers interested in a painting on the outside wall of his booth; inside lay a tiger maple highboy, several sailor’s valentines, an Eighteenth Century American tavern table and more. Heller Washam Antiques, Portland, Maine.

It was all smiles all morning for Nancy Douglas, who is Willow Springs Perennial Antiques, based in Rexford, N.Y. She’s been showing at York for the past four years and cited “the quality of merchandise, wonderful collectors and great customers” as why she’s kept returning. The back wall of her booth was entirely dedicated to horses, both in painted and weathervane form. Positioned directly in the center of the setup was an early Eighteenth Century English School oil on canvas of a rider on his horse accompanied by his hound dog. The work was flanked on either side by horse-form weathervanes, one a Blackhawk. “I acquired it from a person in New Hampshire that likes horses,” she explained. “It has so much action!”

Several red “sold” tags could already be spotted at the booth of Ziebarth’s Antiques, including one affixed to a painted wooden town hall pedestal from Willimantic, Conn. Owner Zac Ziebarth, who is also president of the Antique Dealers’ Association of America (ADA), was busy helping customers when we approached the booth, so his father, Terry, took a few seconds to speak with us in his stead. “We’ve been coming to York for five to six years,” Terry said. “It’s a good show. The buying out here is great, and we usually buy as much as we sell.” While Ziebarth’s Antiques generally specializes in Native American art, antique Americana is also something they enjoy and had plenty of in their booth: from vintage toys to stoneware to advertisement, and additional smalls galore.

It was Martin and Kathyann Weber’s first time showing in York, and the two, who make up Martin & Kathyann Weber Antiques in Middletown, N.Y., were looking forward to the new experience. “We’ve always heard it was a good show, and we knew people who showed here previously,” said Martin. “We’ve also recently been branching out into folk art and stoneware, so we wanted to give it a try!” Martin shared with us that he and his wife “look for the unusual,” and excitedly directed us towards a Civil War era presentation knife or short sword which was given to acting ensign Thomas R. Dayton, who was stationed aboard the USS Cimarron. “I researched [Dayton], and he was most likely brought in for the war as a seagoing expert, then presented this knife for his dischargement,” Martin added.

Martin Weber of Martin & Kathyann Weber Antiques, Middletown, N.Y., was quick to show us this Civil War presentation knife or short sword, which was gifted to acting ensign Thomas R. Dayton for his service onboard the USS Cimarron.

“We’ve been collecting 52 years, and this is our third show at York. Our children didn’t want our collection, so we’ve been doing shows, and selling everything off slowly,” said David Bagney, who, with his wife Cindy, is Lucinda’s Collection of Fine Antiques. The pair’s favorite offerings in their booth were a selection of Cortland, N.Y., stoneware, as well as some large oil paintings that certainly drew this reporter’s eye. Hung on the leftmost side of their back wall were two separate paintings of young girls, one depicted with a lamb, and the other in a decorative blue dress. “There isn’t much information on the girl with the sheep,” shared David, “but the girl in the blue dress is by [Joseph Goodhue] Chandler, who is well-known.” Also populating the Bagneys’ booth were several antique dressers and highboys, as well as carved burl wood bowls and some paint-decorated boxes.

Longtime subscriber to Antiques and The Arts Weekly and six-to-seven-year York Show veteran Marc Calicano of Clifton Heights, Penn., was talking with a customer about numismatics as we walked into his booth, which gave us ample time to browse his merchandise before he was able to speak with us. A few stand-out items included a Royal Bonn porcelain mantle clock which was hand painted with roses, as well as a framed 1815 geographical map of China and Tartary. “This show is like walking into a museum,” Calicano told us after he had finished up with his customer. “Also, the quality of the people is amazing. The personalities are fabulous!” Calicano specializes in many things “across the board,” but has a special fondness for coins and jewelry. However, his most interesting find thus far, which he promptly pulled out of the glass case at the front of his booth, was a sterling silver monkey-form inkwell made in 1851. “The drum opens up,” Calicano said, demonstrating how the face of the drum swiveled aside to reveal where a quill would be placed. “The only similar one I’ve found sold at Christie’s for $11,000.”

Thurston Nichols, Bethlehem, Penn., pointed out the decorated Pennsylvania chest decorated with 49 compass stars (far left) and the large trade sign of a lion (far right), which he found in southeastern Pennsylvania, as his favorite items on offer.

It was hard to miss the booth of Thurston Nichols, which was filled with colorful paintings, decorative Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century furniture and other smaller objects, like a pair of Nantucket friendship baskets and a cow-form weathervane. The biggest draw, however, at least for this reporter, was a gigantic trade sign of a lion that populated the entire top half of one wall of Nichols’ booth. “I got it out of a tavern in Southeastern Pennsylvania,” said Nichols, who has been attending the York Show as an exhibitor and dealer since 1999. Everything in the booth was hand-selected by Nichols, including his favorite piece: a decorated Pennsylvania chest, which contained 49 compass stars. “The condition is extraordinary,” he shared. “I found it on a farm in York County, and it descended with the family who owned the farm. It was also supposedly inspired by Halley’s Comet.”

Antiques and The Arts Weekly readers may be familiar with Swampscott, Mass., dealer Sandy Jacobs, who we made sure to check in with a few hours into the morning. “It’s been going well, better than expected,” shared Jacobs, who was constantly busy behind the glass jewelry cases housing treasures from an array of different eras. The earliest piece in the case, shared Jacobs, was a double snake ring from the 1500s, which she had bought off of a friend while in New York. “I was enamored; I had to buy it. It’s rare to find anything from the 1500s,” said Jacobs. The ring, which was set with various precious jewels, was at least 22K gold. After the weekend came to a close, Jacobs reported that the “Show was good” and that she “sold across the board,” including folk art, weathervanes and jewelry. She concluded, “In jewelry, I sold things from the late 1700s up to the 1970s.”

“I got it in New York from a friend. I was enamored; I had to buy it. It’s rare to find anything from the 1500s, and it’s at least 22K gold,” said Sandy Jacobs of this double snake ring, offered in the booth of Scott Bassoff & Sandy Jacobs, Swampscott, Mass.

Heading out of the main hall and back into the first room of the show, which housed a handful of dealers, the cafeteria and the restrooms, we were immediately drawn to the booth of Richard Fleshman, the proprietor of New Market, Md.-based Fleshman’s Antiques. Although packed with American federal furniture of all shapes and sizes, Fleshman singled out a faux-painted tiger maple and bird’s eye maple on pine corner cupboard, which still maintained its original surface, as his favorite piece. Fleshman has been coming to York for 20 years and finds that the “great crowds and wonderful interests” keep him returning.
After the show’s conclusion, Fleshman followed up with us via email, offering a few words about the weekend. “Like most shows today, some folks did very well and some just got by. The gate was great on Friday, but disappointing on Saturday compared to the last show. Nice weather contributed to people having many other options on how to enjoy their day outdoors.”

Across the way from Fleshman was another 20-year veteran to the York Show, Jane Langol. When asked why she makes the journey all the way from Medina, Ohio, Langol cheerfully responded, “Oh, it’s easy! This is such an artistic community, and so are the surrounding areas of Baltimore, Philadelphia, Lancaster, Penn., and Reading, Penn. It’s a wonderful environment, with a lot of enriched cultural material and knowledgeable customers.”

Langol specializes in three areas: art pottery, quilts and Impressionist paintings, all of which she had available in her booth. She offered a few decoys as well, which she was interested in because of their unique curved forms. She also offered us insight into how she curates her booths: “When I pick something out, I think, ‘Is it well designed? Well patterned?’ It has to be something I would have in my home, that I feel has real merit.” Included in that criteria were two Amish quilts, one from Ohio and another from Pennsylvania, which Langol explained had been “well received” so far.

Twenty-year York veteran Jane Langol was well-stocked with all three of her specialties: art pottery, quilts and Impressionist paintings. The Ohio Amish-made quilt hanging on the far wall was “investment-level” and had been “well received.” Jane Langol Antiques, Medina, Ohio.

After the show, Langol shared, “The York Antiques Show was a great success for me in two particular areas: I sold six pieces of art pottery and three important paintings. Luckily, I had back inventory that I could pull from behind the wall to fill my display area that appeared sparse. I mention the art pottery as a lead-selling category because the York market is decidedly Americana in nature. Yet the strength of mid-Ohio-made art pottery was foremost in my sales success. Midcentury design material is strong. The customer attendance was outstanding, with interested people ready to buy. This is so reassuring in these days of uncertainty. To see the confidence of the customer displayed in a real purchase is a wonderful thing! Beautiful weather helped to cultivate an active selling experience for the dealers and customers. The York Show continues to dominate the antique activity in September.”

Behind Richard Fleshman’s booth was that of Judith Lesser, who is Antiques From Home, based in Bethesda, Md. She’s been selling and showing at York for around five to six years, beginning before the Covid-19 pandemic. “It’s a good show, with beautiful things, and people appreciate what you bring,” she said. Lesser’s booth was split in half, mostly to accommodate a pathway that led back into the main hall, however, it also marked the split between her two main interests: ceramics and garden items. “I have a long history with gardening, and I used to live on a farm,” she explained. “I’m a volunteer for the Smithsonian Gardens, too, and I source a lot of my merchandise from England.” One of those pieces was a light green painted hose reel, made for a smaller garden, which Lesser began talking to a customer about as we were leaving her booth. She also happily shared that she had sold two signs earlier in the morning.

Judith Lesser (pictured), who is Antiques from Home, split her booth between her two passions: garden on the left, and ceramics on the right. The green hose reel she is discussing with a customer was sourced from England and made for a “smaller garden. I love the color.” Bethesda, Md.

During a quick follow-up phone conversation with show promoter Melvin L. Arion — or just “Mel” for short — after the weekend’s end he explained, “The show went very well! I got many compliments on the quality of the merchandise from the public, and four of my dealers said it was the best York Show that they have ever had.”

The next iteration of The Original Semi-Annual York, PA Antiques Show & Sale will take place on January 30-31. For information, 302-542-3286 or www.theoriginalyorkantiquesshow.com.