“It was time to tighten things up, get a bit tougher, and that was the message we sent out to our exhibitors for 2008, and it worked beautifully,” Catherine Sweeney Singer, show director, said at the opening of the 16th annual Antique Garden Furniture Show and Sale on Thursday evening, April 24. And indeed it did work. The 35 exhibitors, with a few minor exceptions, presented a well-staged, attractive and very tempting display of garden antiques that attracted a record crowd from the opening gun on preview night right to closing time on Sunday at The New York Botanical Garden.
People come to this show expecting to find things large and small, a certain something that will fit into a small terrace plot or a large estate. And they are not disappointed, as is reflected in the steady buying. “People were buying right up until closing on Sunday,” Sweeney Singer said, “and they do so with added confidence as this show is vetted by a good committee made up of some of the exhibitors.”
Filling one of the largest booths in the show, and still looking for more space, James and Judy Milne of New York City offered a large and impressive pair of Nineteenth Century zinc architectural fans of New England origin with good color and patina. A cast stone pagoda had a provenance that included an estate in Philadelphia, and one of a pair of New England white painted wooden gates was shown. It dated from the turn of the Twentieth Century and was constructed of pickets under an archway frame.
An octagonal tin garden house dating from the mid-Twentieth Century, with fancy trim and a tall finial that made the object measure 3½ feet tall, was at the end of the booth of Bob and Debbie Withington. Seldom a year goes by when these York, Maine, dealers do not offer a fountain, and this year they showed a small boy holding a turtle, cast iron, circa 1880, standing in a vine-filled container with water running from his hands. Part of the back of the booth was taken by a large French baker’s rack, a corner model dating circa 1920.
One of the stars of the show was offered by Barbara Israel Garden Antiques of Katonah, N.Y., a cast iron standing Newfoundland dog, circa 1860, measuring 64 inches long and made by Wood & Perot of Philadelphia. A cast iron faux bois tree surround dated circa 1930, and a composition stone fully maned recumbent lion, 45½ inches long, was of English origin and dated circa 1890. In addition to some large statues of carved stone, much attention was given to a set of four cast composition figures from The Wind in the Willows that sold on opening night. The characters dated circa 1990 and did not fall into the ground rules of “every thing should be 50 years or older.”
However, Sweeney Singer said, “We will allow newer objects into the show if they are properly tagged and interesting, and these characters certainly meet those requirements.” A number of other objects, of good taste but not the proper age, were scattered about the show.
Aileen Minor of Centreville, Md., centered in her booth a Galloway terra cotta sundial dating from the Nineteenth Century, Philadelphia, with the original signed brass dial and measuring 46 inches high. It was originally in Peekskill, N.Y., on the 1865 mansion Mount Florence, a home built in 1865 by David H. Craig, founder of the Associated Press. Cast iron objects included a swan fountain and a 48-inch-high by 69-inch-wide panel, dated 1874, with grapevine design. In the regency style was a set of four armchairs and two tables in wrought iron by Erkins Studio, New York City.
A good place to shop for garden urns was in the booth of Kate Alex of Warner, N.H., who offered a pair in Southern marble, circa 1880. Terrariums were also available, including two Edwardian wooden frame examples (one sold during preview) and one of lead and wood, circa 1920, English. A pair of cast iron crows were stuck into a flower box, but left the first night with a collector.
Objects from many parts of the world were in the booth of Bunny Williams’ Treillage, Ltd, New York City, including a rare stone sundial, octagonal, from Holland. It dated from the first quarter of the Eighteenth Century and measured 41 inches high on a 12½-inch-square base. Belgium was represented by a 41-inch-tall bronze pineapple finial dating from the early Twentieth Century, and among the English pieces was a Twentieth Century copper urn, 23½ inches high and 25 inches in diameter, on a hexagon-shaped base. Several of the planters hailed from France.
One can expect the unusual from Michael Trapp of West Cornwall, Conn., and this year a very large copper batik making pot from Jakarta, Indonesia, took first place. It was positioned on a large table and was drawing the attention of all who passed by the booth. Measuring 6 feet long and 2 feet wide was a French wine making tub, circa 1880, that would probably end up planted on some patio.
Joseph Stannard Antiques of Norfolk, Conn., offered a large glazed terra cotta urn with matching pedestal, American, circa 1890, and a large selection of banded, double handled concrete pots, American, circa 1950. A pair of large terra cotta pots in blue paint with shell decoration were American and dated circa 1920.
Of interesting design was a cast stone table, the top four connected leaves, with old weathered surface, found in Maryland, circa 1950, in the booth of Linda and Howard Stein of Bridgehampton, N.Y. A massive faux bois armchair, also with good surface, dated from the mid-Twentieth Century, and a cast stone lion was circa 1920″0.
Eleanor and David Billet Antiques, LLC, New York City, offered a large pair of carved Vincenza stone urns, five parts, with egg and dart decoration on the top, double rams heads and garland decoration on the bowls. A pair of large painted American iron gates measured 32 by 86 inches, and a set of four French Deco clocks, circa 1940, were in stamped metal frames. Nice old green paint covered a pair of English vent caps that dated circa 1940.
One long side wall in the booth of the Village Braider, Plymouth, Mass., was taken up by two large clock tower faces, American, about 9 feet in diameter. A large copper pot, ready for planting, was 6 feet in diameter and dated circa 1890‱900. A boy riding a dolphin Deco statue, cast stone, was American, and a life-size man holding a child statue was of carved marble, Danish, circa 1936.The Sugarplum Antiques of Wilmot, N.H., showed three pieces of fluted columns, American, circa 1920, and a statue of St Fiachre, patron saint of gardeners. A pair of well-weather staddle stones, Victorian, were of English origin.
Sharing this booth was Debra Queen of South Dartmouth, Mass., offering many “smalls,” including some doll-size cast iron garden furniture, an Adirondack armchair and settee, and an American child’s lawn chair in steel, circa 1940. Small garden hand tools, flower frogs and sprinklers were also available. “Apparently there is an interest in small things as they were constantly restocking this booth,” Sweeney Singer said.
“We have been setting up for three days and will be ready for the preview,” Tim Brennan said with about 20 minutes to go until opening. Together with his partner, Dave Mouilleseaux, the Northfield, Conn., dealers even had time for a change of clothing before they started selling to the opening gate. In the corner of their booth a set of cast stones figures, the four seasons depicting the arts, circa 1930, stood together, and at the front an elaborate trellis, Nineteenth Century, was made from a section of bronze fencing from the Frick Mansion in Pittsfield, Mass., in 1956. As always, the booth was filled to capacity, featuring a wide selection of lighting and many urns.
A Nineteenth Century wine storage container in terra cotta, signed F. Vanni, Italian, from the estate of Corola Rothchild in Bedford, N.Y., was shown in the booth of R.T. Facts of Kent, Conn. Also of Italian origin was a pair of limestone obelisks with good weathered surface and dating from the Nineteenth Century.
“I just got that and it is really wonderful,” Jef Steingrebe, Springfield, N.H., said of an elaborate squirrel cage displayed at the end of his booth. Dating from the late Nineteenth Century, it consisted of two tower buildings joined together with a spinning cage and topped off by pointed finials with weathervanes. It was all original, including the weathered surface, and was probably of French origin. A large sculpture of an American eagle by Carl Peterson, circa 1899, was of wrought iron and cast stone.
One of the most interesting fountains in the show was a lily pad with central flower, bronze, signed A. Stewart, from the Kunst Foundry, N.Y., offered by Jeffrey Henkel of Pennington, N.J. A late Nineteenth Century Italian carved marble center table had winged lion and scroll decorated bases, and against the back wall was a large model ship in copper and zinc from the original set of the silent movie Ben Hur , 1927.
Pound Ridge, N.Y., dealer Avant Garden Ltd, showed a large potting table with zinc top measuring 42 by 82½ inches, 27 inches high, circa 1940, of French origin, and at the back of the booth was a pair of driftwood lamps, circa 1950, covered with gilt gesso.
A pair of chalkware Sphinx, English, circa 1872, stood guard at the front of the booth Francis J. Purcell, Philadelphia. These large figures, originally for Henry Flager’s St Augustine Hotel, found a new home. Of special interest was a cast iron table bought by the Purcells about three years ago with an octagonal tilt top that was covered with old wallpaper. This Rococo Revival piece was from England and the dealers believe it was made for the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition.
“I started to clean the dark surface with a Q-tip one day and uncovered a small spot that showed a painting underneath,” Frances Purcell III said. There his work stopped and a conservator, Carol Abercauph, took over. Months later the table top showed Warwick Castle, just outside Stratford-on-Avon, England, in its landscape setting with a pond, boat and three people standing at the shore. “We were able to retain about 98 percent of the original painting,” Frances Purcell III said.
The Thompson Studio Garden Antiques, Berwyn, Penn., had an iron entry gate, leaf pattern tops, late Nineteenth Century and measuring 56½ by 49½ inches, and standing nearby was a pair of putti, with cymbals and flute, in old blue paint. Each measured 36 inches high, 12 inches deep and 16 inches wide. Joan Bogart Antiques, Rockville Centre, N.Y., showed a wrought iron sculpture of Big Bird by Robert Compston, 5½ feet tall and made from old machinery parts. Cast stone and cast iron dogs, cats and several doorstops filled a three-tier plant stand, with a large cast stone cat seated on a garden bench a few feet away.
The Finnegan Gallery, Chicago, had a large, inviting booth filled with garden seating, urns, statues and a pair of large post lamps. A Nineteenth Century Swiss cast iron table with tri-paw base was outfitted with a piece of old marble, 31½ inches in diameter, and from France was a cast stone figure of a winged Eros with fine old surface and dating from the Nineteenth Century. This figure was receiving attention in spite of missing part if its bow and left arm.
A plant stand was filled with all manner of lawn sprinklers in the booth of Dawn Hill Antiques, New Preston, Conn., and at the back of the booth was a spa table from Nancy, France, inlaid ceramic top and painted cast iron base. It measured 9 feet long, 28½ inches wide and 29½ inches high. This booth was also filled with a selection of white painted garden and patio furniture.
A pair of bronze lanterns, American, circa 1900, from Alberts Farm, Indiana Hill, Ohio, was offered from the booth of Mark Morris of Wadsworth, Ohio. A cast iron trough, American, 1870‱890, measured 4 feet long, and a pair of carved limestone urns, circa 1900, were from Indiana.
Kimball & Bean Architectural & Garden Antiques, Woodstock, Ill., was the only new exhibitor in the show this year, and centered at the back of the booth was an 11-foot-tall female figure holding a book. It was of red sandstone and represented Knowledge. The piece was designed by John Fairweather and it came from the Townhead Library in Glasgow. A pair of carriage lamps was mounted beside the figure, and a pair of large garden pots was placed in front.
“This was a grand year for the show and the garden as the gate was up 20 percent and buying was steady through the weekend. It did not taper off after the preview and opening day as it has some years,” Catherine Sweeney Singer said. She mentioned that a good indication of sales could be measured by the load out time and the schedule of the shippers. “We had busy shippers, and all of the dealers were gone by 9:30 pm Sunday, a record time,” she said.
