A single aisle on the left was for the Northern New England Book Fair dealers, about 30 in all. The center and right aisles were where the 40 dealers for the NHADA June 1 show were set up.

Review & Onsite Photos by Madelia Hickman Ring

CONCORD, N.H. — The New Hampshire Antiques Dealers Association (NHADA) is a group of nearly 200 dealers from around the US that was formed in the 1950s to “elevate and maintain the standards of the antique business in New Hampshire, to increase general public awareness and appreciation of articles of antique value, to promote the best interests of all phases of antique dealing.” The organization held its first show soon after it was formed and it’s an event that has continued with few breaks; this coming August, it will mark its 68th edition. That annual show, the final and capstone event of the week-long New Hampshire Americana Week, usually hosts about 60 dealers, all NHADA members.

The August show isn’t large enough for all the NHADA members to participate, though many exhibit in other shows during New Hampshire Americana Week. This year however, NHADA launched a one-day show to give those dealers who don’t show in August the opportunity to show with other NHADA dealers. It was scheduled for June 1, to coincide with the Northern New England Book Fair (NNEBF), which has been at the Douglas Everett Arena for at least 30 years. NNEBF’s manager, bookseller Richard Mori, confirmed that — like many antiques and book shows around the country — interest from dealers and shoppers had flagged but was quick to point out that the June 1 event “has revived the show in terms of excitement and interest.” He pointed to the event’s attendance, which was more than 500, as an improvement over the book fair’s recent previous events.

“It’s not the first time books and antiques have been found in the same place, and I, and everyone I talked to, felt it was great. We were very pleased to have NHADA dealers on the floor with us,” he shared.

NHADA gave priority to dealers who are not regulars at the August show, eventually opening it up to August dealers to fill out the floor. The event turned out to be largely evenly comprised between those dealers who don’t do the August event and those that do.

This folky sculpture was assembled from a cottage door stop with a collection of Britains animals on a mossy base. Ken and Robin Pike, Nashua, N.H.

Whereas the August show features large booths with fixed walls, the June event was more casual: small booths fitted with folding tables and fewer walls. “Smalls” — small decorative objects in a myriad of categories — that have been strong sellers at antiques shows recently were the predominant offerings, and many dealers brought books, manuscripts or ephemera to capture cross-over interest from NNEBF visitors. A few dealers brought furniture.

NHADA dealers who don’t show in August and took advantage of the new event were Ken and Robin Pike, Mike and Lucinda Seward, Samuel Herrup, Richard Bojko and John Mullen, Martin Ferrick, Scott Winslow, MG Art & Antiques, Dennis Raleigh and Phyllis Sommer, Stephen C. Burkhardt, Bettina Krainin, Robert Markowitz, Frandino Antique Oriental Rugs, Mead Americana (who will be participating in the upcoming August event for the first time), Tom Goddard, John and Liz DeSimone, Rachel Gurley, Michael Hingston, Elliot and Grace Snyder, Don Heller, Brian Cullity and Ted and Jennifer Fuehr of American Spirit Antiques.

After a rainy day for setting up on May 31, June 1 dawned partly overcast and cool, but dry. More than 50 people were in line to enter the event for its 10 am start and numerous NHADA members who did not participate — as well as nonmember dealers — were out in force to support the event, including NHADA vice president Sharon Platt, treasurer Peter Sawyer and past president Tommy Thompson.

Ted and Jennifer Fuehr are probably the dealers who traveled the farthest for the show — from Leawood, Kan. — but they had combined the road trip with the Spring Antiques at Rhinebeck event the weekend before. Small tables and chests of drawers provided appropriate support for half a dozen weathervanes (visitors could choose from a cow, dog, fox, horse, rooster or whale example) and a similar number of carved eagle wall plaques were artfully displayed on cloth-covered folding tables.

Want a carved eagle for your wall? American Spirit Antiques had several to choose from. Leawood, Kan.

The Fuehrs’ booth backed up to that of Lucinda and Mike Seward, of Pittsford, Vt. Two long cloth-covered tables displayed an eclectic selection of burned bowls, pottery, toleware, stuffed animals, glass and small paintings. In this latter category was a charming painting of a cat named “Bigelow” (or so it said on the back). It, and a circa 1950 decorative centerpiece made by Doris Stauble with papier-mâché and found objects, were among the pieces Lucinda said they had acquired just before the show.

Ken and Robin Pike, from neighboring Nashua, N.H., had a nice gameboard and other toys, a colorful hooked rug, a red and white crib quilt, a tabletop apothecary cupboard, a painted clock face, two small drums, some metal objects and decoys.

Across the aisle from the Pikes, Richard Bojko and John Mullen also had a varied selection that included a bowl with a wonderful landscape painted on its interior surface, a selection of blue and white Dedham plates and bowl (all offered separately), a crazy quilt and a large sampler, made in 1822, that Bojko thought was English.

Martin Ferrick participates in a lot of table-top shows and always brings at least a few pieces of furniture. This show was no exception, and he offered a New England maple chest-on-frame, a square one-drawer Federal stand from New Hampshire, a Classical tilt-top stand from the Hudson River Valley and a slant-lid desk with a boldly shaped apron and fan-carved bottom drawer. Still life paintings and other small objects rounded out his offerings.

The stand in the foreground was from the Hudson River Valley and the chest on frame behind it was from New England. Both paintings were from the Nineteenth Century. Martin Ferrick, Lincolnville, Maine.

Searsport, Maine, dealers Dennis Raleigh and Phyllis Sommer found a buyer for a trade sign advertising “Ice.” Two charming portraits, which Sommer said they had only recently discovered, presided over their booth from the back wall. For collectors of miniature portraits and silhouettes, they had a flat case with a good selection, including some of husbands and wives.

Collectors get confidence from — and often like to buy — pieces that have been published. Robert Markowitz had a miniature Classical sofa attributed to New York that was identical to one illustrated in Herbert F. & Peter B. Schiffer’s Miniature Antique Furniture, Including Doll House and Children’s Furniture from the United States & Europe (Schiffer Publishing, 1972). The only difference was the upholstery, which he thought was an old replacement.

Pre-eminent show managers Rachel Gurley (Gurley Antique Shows) and John and Liz DeSimone (Goosefare Promotions) seemed happy to be at a show that someone else was running. The DeSimones found a buyer immediately for a cupboard and were busy talking to showgoers as we passed through.

“A few Canton plates” found new homes, thanks to Manchester, N.H., dealer, Mike Hingston. He still had a good selection of them to choose from when we came through, as well as Arts & Crafts studio pottery, silver and a few shorebird decoys on driftwood bases.

When the large Tabriz that hung from his back wall sold early in the show, Don Heller replaced it with paintings. Portland, Maine. Don Heller photo.

Don Heller initially planned his booth around a 10-by-13-foot Tabriz carpet, dated to 1875-90, that cascaded down from the top of his booth’s back edge, but when it sold early in the show, he had to do a complete rehang. Despite the scramble, he had arguably one of the most neatly organized presentations, effectively creating a miniature show booth that offered comparatively few — but choice — objects. In the center of his booth, a William and Mary walnut tavern table was flanked by a Pilgrim Century New England ladder-back armchair and a Queen Anne New England maple rush-seat chair. The back wall was resplendent with two theorem, a Stanley Woodward seascape and a Hubert Nichols winter landscape that hung over a pair of black Windsor sackback armchairs.

Colchester, Conn., dealer, Nathan Liverant and Son has been exhibiting at the NHADA August show since its inception — for decades — and associate Kevin Tulimieri was delighted to be in Concord for the early summer event. Their booth was anchored by a Windsor child’s chair and black-painted ladderback armchair that flanked a tavern table, while the accompanying tables were loaded with miniature furniture, Black dolls, pottery, metalware, folk portraits, a model masted ship, small leather cow, painted boxes and more.

Bob Jessen and Jim Hohnwald’s booth was strong in textiles and painted furniture. One of the most charming pieces in their booth was a mid Nineteenth Century German Noah’s Ark.

Tom Jewett and Butch Berdan tucked some of their sales into a trunk, but Jewett showed off some of them to Antiques and The Arts Weekly: a painted bucket with polka-dot design and a painted box that had belonged to Janet Blume. The Newcastle, Maine, dealers had vintage and antique holiday cards, painted boxes and small pieces of furniture, baskets, Belsnickel Santas and three pull toys: two lambs and a giraffe.

Holidays are a particular interest with Tom Jewett and Butch Berdan, who offered Santas in many different sizes (including ones not shown here), as well as a reindeer. Newcastle, Maine.

Bruce Emond said he had written up seven sales in the first hour. A collection of French engravings, depicting furniture designs, was prominently displayed alongside a framed pair of mittens, a mirror in a grain-painted frame, a Continental rural landscape with a church and pond and a genre painting of two Black cotton pickers that had a partially obscured signature.

Bob Withington had several things that caught our eye, including a black-painted Victorian table with shaped and notched top, a pair of silhouette portraits, a pair of brass Art Nouveau candlesticks, a white-painted cast-iron planter that had a wonderful rusted surface, a Grand Tour bronze tazza, an Eighteenth Century painted arch and an eight-page folio by Cecile Leo titled Schattenschnitte.

David and Jane Thompson gave the show glowing feedback. “We really enjoyed the new NHADA show and think it’s a great idea to combine the book show with the antiques show. One of our antiques buyers told us she was thrilled to find an early hand-written schoolgirl friendship book from her town by asking the book dealers at the show if they had anything from her area, so the combined book and antiques show was a winner for her. We were pleased to meet interested customers in all age ranges we had never seen before, as well as old friends. We thought the show had a great list of dealers for both shows and are looking forward to it happening again.”

Jane Thompson said Halloween was the “hottest” holiday collectible and they had two binders of cards, from two lifetime collections. David Thompson Antiques & Art, South Dennis, Mass.

After the show, NHADA president Richard Thorner, who said he had a very good show, reported that he felt fantastic about how well the show did.

“A couple of antiques dealers told me it was the best show they’ve ever had. For many years, Richard Bojko and I felt it was important to do a second show for NHADA members so that those who don’t participate in the August show could get the full advantage of membership in the organization. We wanted to find a venue that was affordable and easy, which this show was. As with any new show, there’s always some uncertainty about how it will do, but this one proved itself, and I’m very optimistic that word will spread and that we’ll get more dealers who don’t do the August event to participate. I also want to recognize how strong the support was from the antiques community, both other dealers and buyers.”

Dates have not yet been announced for a repeat performance next year but the NHADA will certainly announce it once it’s scheduled. For information, www.nhada.org.