Ralph Willard, antiques dealer turned antiques show manager, continued his charming country antiques show in the small village of Round Top, September 29 through October 3. Named for the facility where it is held, the Rifle Hall Antiques Show was purchased from Susan and Bo Franks by Willard in 2008, after more than 40 years in operation. Willard had been an exhibitor for all those years, missing only one show. He is working hard to sustain the show in a difficult economic time with some minor changes and improvements to the operation.
Dealer loyalty is strong at the show, with most exhibitors not giving up their space until they are ready to retire. Mary Wilmarth has been in the show “forever,” according to her husband, but this was her last hurrah before retirement. Her collection of fine early American household pieces and folk art was selling quickly.
Several gentlemen from the Northeast were exhibiting together in two large spaces in the back of the hall. Thurston Nichols, Breinigsville, Penn., Frank Martin, Allentown, Penn., and Mario Pollo, Woodstock, N.Y., were showing large furniture and an assortment of small antiques and early American art. Reported to be from Pennsylvania, there was a red and green painted step back hutch; a stack of pantry boxes was 12 inches high †they were likely to have been made by Shakers, tapered and in original paint; a collection of early samplers and more small wood boxes and art were on view.
Don Schweikert of Auditorium Antiques from North Carolina was selling an early walnut linen press he said was from Virginia, and a corner cupboard, a Southern piece, which was also made from walnut.
Burleson, Texas, is the stomping grounds for several dealers at this event. Melanie Johnson, Crescent Moon Antiques, was offering an early sawbuck table, a schoolmaster’s desk on stand, an early fireplace mantel and several painted cupboards. The Buckinghams, Karen and Charlie, offered a rope sprung fainting couch in a blue hopsacking material, a yellow painted sideboard and more furniture and folk art pieces.
Oriental rugs and early English and American furniture were the primary components of the collection offered by Paul and Shirley Cox, Salado, Texas. Jean Doty travels from her home in Beaumont, Texas, to New England to shop for many of the pieces she offered at this show. An early open cupboard in greenish blue paint was filled with interesting small objects, including redware, iron lighting, pewter and some woodenware.
The big top tent in the yard was filled to overflowing with more antiques. Heller Washam was offering a collection of early furniture from its Maine and Connecticut homes. Two pieces could be described as architectural: one was a fireplace mantel and the other a formerly built-in corner cupboard.
The Michael and Sally Whittemore collection was filled with folk art and also useable things: painted chairs, tables and weathervanes dominated the selection, which also included a giant grasshopper.
Fine antiques and smalls were in good supply as well. From Norman, Okla., Lou McGee was selling silver, mostly from America. Tina and Pat Farley, Merriam, Kan., were selling toys †highly collectible, early iron toys, that is.
Ralph Willard conducts this show twice each year and will be repeating the fun next spring, March 30⁁pril 3. For information, www.ralphwillard.com or 214-826-2584.
