The sun was shining bright on Friday morning, June 18, the temperature just about right for most of us, and, in fact, it was really too nice a day to be indoors. That is not what a sizable crowd thought, however, as visitors waited outside the Oley Valley Middle School for the 11 am opening of Antiques in the Valley, the popular antiques show now in its sixth year.
“It was the best show we have ever had. The parking lot was full all day Friday, and a good crowd was in attendance on Saturday,” John Bartley, a member of the Oley Valley Antique Enterprises, said. Close to 1,300 people came to the show and spent hours shopping the booths of 63 exhibitors. “We had only four or five dealers come to us with reports of poor shows, and nothing but positive comments from the others,” John said. As a result, very little dealer turnover is expected for next year.
Antiques in the Valley started life in the totally air-conditioned Oley High School and was there for three years. A water problem caused the show to move to the Oley Valley Middle School, where it has been for the last three years, neatly filling the gymnasium, part of the cafeteria and a few of the wide hallways. The gymnasium at the middle school is not air-conditioned, requiring the use of a large generator and an added expense. As of the moment, however, the committee is planning to keep the show at the middle school since it affords a better floor plan.
Holiday-theme collectors gather things all year long, and Robert Apgar of Denver, Penn., was ready for the Halloween and Christmas people. For October 31, he had candy containers in pumpkin form depicting devil and cat faces, as well as several traditional pumpkin faces. Three Christmas balls, kugels from Germany, circa 1850‱890, two red and one blue, measured from about 4 to 8 inches in diameter.
An oversize child’s rocking horse, two sides supporting an upholstered seat, was mounted on the wall of the booth of Marc Witus, Gladstone, N.J., showing the original paint to advantage. “I bought that piece many years ago and it is the first time it has been out,” Marc said. Suspended close by was an early cooper’s trade sign, three carved wood barrels and an acorn, in green paint with gilt highlights that was found in Philadelphia.
A colorful basket quilt from Lebanon County, Penn., dating from the Nineteenth Century, covered most of the back wall in the booth of Brad Selinger Antiques, East Berlin, Penn. Also of Pennsylvania origin was a paint decorated two-drawers-over-two-doors Empire jelly cupboard with an unusual scalloped gallery with open cutwork.
Several pieces of small furniture were offered by Halsey Munson Americana of Decatur, Ill., including an early Eighteenth Century stretcher base tavern table with one-board oval top in pine and scrubbed surface. It is probably from Essex County, Mass., circa 1710‱740. A portrait of a mother and child seated on a sofa, oil on canvas, circa 1840, measured 35 by 27 inches, sight, and was found in Philadelphia. Fresh from a New England collection was a red breasted merganser drake decoy in the original paint, circa 1900, of Maine origin.
One of the largest pieces of furniture in the show was a two-piece Dutch cupboard in poplar, original red finish, with two 24-light doors in the upper section, circa 1840, in the booth of Donald and Verna Stump of Sinking Spring, Penn.
Gloria M. Lonergan of Mendham, N.J., offered a red painted bucket bench with tapering legs, early 1800s, along with a running horse on arrow weathervane, cast zinc head, copper with green surface, measuring 47 inches long and dating from the late 1800s.
“We have a smaller booth than we generally have at other shows, so we have less furniture and more smalls this time,” said Greg Kramer of Robesonia, Penn. Among his inventory were a folky carousel horse with the original park paint, Nineteenth Century; a rare small size paint, decorated blanket chest with two drawers, original swirl blue painted surface, Nineteenth Century and of Pennsylvania origin; and a set of six plank seat, arrow back spindle chairs, bamboo turned legs, stencil decorated and of Pennsylvania origin.
Dark Moon Antiques, Johnsonburg, N.J., had a large mantel against one wall of the booth, outfitted with all manner of early cooking implements, including wrought iron toasters, tin ovens, brass ladles and strainers, pokers and andirons. A large animated Guernsey cow, dating from the early Twentieth Century, was possibly used at one time for a World’s Fair exhibit. With glass eyes and real horns, this large animal was equipped with an electric motor that created head and tail movement, as well as breathing and chewing action.
One of the local dealers in the show, Bertolet House Antiques, showed a corner cupboard in the original red, 12-light door, circa 1850, and a Pennsylvania pierced tin hanging pie safe, circa 1880, with horse, tree and well pump punched decoration. A “Jerry Martin” sand base lamp, old tin, had a great blue painted surface.
A Hepplewhite drop leaf dining table in tiger maple, 48 inches square and dating circa 1815, was surrounded by a superb set of six balloon back side chairs in mint condition, green with paint decorated backs and splats, circa 1830‱840, in the booth of Emele’s Antiques, Dublin, Penn. A small size cupboard with one door, high feet, original red surface, was of Pennsylvania origin and dated circa 1840.
Raccoon Creek Antiques, Oley Forge, offered a small size, possibly a child’s, step back secretary desk, black surface over the original red, Midwestern origin, and a Delaware Valley pie safe with the original sage green surface, six-star decorated tin panels, circa 1860‱870. A small bench table with salmon red base and scrubbed top, dated circa 1850, and a pilot house-form copper and zinc eagle weathervane, Nineteenth Century, was of large size and retained an old oxidized gilded surface.
A small Chippendale chest in mahogany, with molded edge top, ogee feet, 355/8 -inch case, circa 1770‱780, from the Delaware Valley, was among the furniture offered from the display of Van Tassel-Baumann American Antiques, Malvern, Penn. A number of samplers were hung, including a floral example by Hannah Knight, 1837, Delaware Valley, depicting a urn of colorful flowers and vines, with tulip and vine border on the sides and rose border top and bottom. Maria H. Miller executed a Chester County sampler, dated 1820, with delicate lettering and design on fine linen gauze.
In excellent condition was a nest of 16 children’s blocks from Germany with colorful pictures of birds and animals, offered by Lake Ridge Antiques, Quakertown, Penn., while The Norwoods’ Spirit of America, Timonium, Md., showed four recently acquired Berks County fraktur, including a baptismal example, Mary Ann Stoner, Exeter Township, dated 1840.
Holding down one of the hallway booths was Joseph J. Lodge, Lederach, Penn., with a red surface chair table with large overhang, circa 1820, and a set of six decorated arrow back Windsor side chairs, circa 1830, in chrome-yellow paint. Two weathervanes, full bodied, copper, were a running fox and a pig with curled tail.
Also in the hallway was the booth of T.L. Dwyer, Barto, Penn., with a Montgomery County broken arch corner cupboard in cherry, circa 1820, and at the opposite end of the booth, a Chester County Queen Anne tall chest with red surface, circa 1750.
What to do with a large purple martin house when it comes down off its pole and moves indoors? Level it out, put a round piece of glass on top of it, and, presto, you have a conversation piece table. Such an offering was in the booth of Uptown Antiques of Lancaster, Penn., who also showed a rare farmer’s market backboard, all original and dating from the Eighteenth Century. With the early iron hooks and hex design across the top, this piece came from Lancaster.
Kocian DePasqua Antiques of Woodbury, Conn., had a Lebanon County tall case clock, circa 1810, with eight-day brass works and painted dial signed by Gustavus Stoy. It was all original and in a walnut case. Measuring 34½ inches long was a sheet iron butcher’s trade sign in the form of a pig silhouette, old salmon painted surface, circa 1860‱890.
“We have had lots of wafer irons, but none with a double eagle before,” Richard Smitty Axtell of Deposit, N.Y. said. The piece, which was found in Guilford, Conn., was among the first items sold on opening day. A hanging shelf was filled with a collection of ten colorful fabric balls, Pennsylvania origin, Nineteenth Century, and a large Indian ash burl bowl from New York State dated circa 1740.
A colorful quilt showing 25 stars with a red and yellow border, circa 1840‱850, out of a home in Rochester, N.Y., was displayed by Charles Brehm Antiques, Thorndale, Penn. He also showed a yellow paint decorated jelly cupboard, circa 1830‱850, from the Lititz, Penn., area.
Hilary and Paulette Nolan, Falmouth, Mass., had an 1834 trade sign for the Union Hotel, all original paint, that was found in a cellar in Milford, Conn., and at the front of the booth was a six-leg drop-leaf table in walnut, Southern origin, Queen Anne and dating from the Eighteenth Century. The table retained an old finish.
Gene Bertolet Antiques, Oley, had a booth filled with primitives, including a Pennsylvania drying rack in the original old red surface, a large wooden bowl in red stain and a squirrel cage, tin and complete with finial and flag on top. And, as usual, there was a collection of cookie cutters in many forms, including fish, horses, people, squirrel, rooster, cat, etc.
In addition to the show, visitors were treated to an exhibit never presented before of “Samplers from the Valley,” a collection curated by Kathy Lesieur, resident sampler authority. She also presented a lecture each day at the show.
The Oley Valley is a treat to visit, even more so when it offers an antiques show. It’s a perfect package and well worth the trip. Keep it in mind next year.
For information, John Bartley at 610-779-0705, Gene Bertolet at 610-987-3312 or www.oleyvalleyantiqueshow.com .
