It looked like the Fourth of July upon entering the 23rd Street Armory on Friday, April 16, but it was really an exhibition of patriotic symbols in American antiques. “We need to celebrate patriotism every day,” Frank Gaglio said of the presentation that welcomed visitors to this three-day Barn Star event.
Eight dealers in the 23rd Street Armory Antiques Show lent things for the exhibit, which included a large Venetian blind painted as a flag, two early US Navy commodore’s pennants, a selection of flag-inspired jewelry, children’s items and painted parade shields. And on the floor of the show, at the front, were three paint decorated poles, each displaying about 15 small flags, making for a grand entrance.
“I really feel very proud of the show this year; we had good variety, most of the dealers did well, and the gate showed a nice increase over last year,” Frank said. He added that “it was encouraging to see a noticeable increase in younger people attending the show, ranging in age between 35 and 55, and they showed interest in things and were buying.”
Fifteen new dealers were in the show this time, giving management a chance to add new faces and broaden the scope of interests. Also, a well-received shuttle bus service was in operation on Saturday and Sunday, sponsored by Barn Star and taking visitors back and forth between the 23rd Street Armory and The Philadelphia Antiques Show at the Navy Pier.
A large eagle from Bucksport, Maine, carved in the round with stars painted on its chest, circa 1800, with paint over early gilt surface, measured 54 by 30 by 18½ inches and was displayed in the booth of Charles Wilson of West Chester, Penn. He also offered a large patriotic shield, measuring 56 by 34 inches, circa 1930, with a red, white and blue painted surface. This piece was originally displayed on a fire truck during holiday parades. “We have had a good show, no complaints,” Charles said on Saturday while he was adding to and moving things about his booth before the show opened. Sales at that time had included a Civil War hall tree, a couple of trade signs, five small cast iron animals, plus an owl, a cast iron washboard with a heart design and a couple of mill weights.
A carved marble recumbent dog from a Connecticut collection, 27¾ inches long, 12 inches high and 10 inches wide, rested comfortably outside the front of the show booth of Otto & Susan Hart, Arlington, Vt. Hanging on the back wall was a carved wooden serpent weathervane, maker unknown and paint decorated, measuring 47 inches long and with a Connecticut origin. A barber’s pole, red and white painted with gilt balls at either end, measuring 4½ feet long, circa 1870, was hung from its original wrought iron hanger. “Sales were OK for us, especially opening day,” Susan said, including several door stops, wood carvings and a few cast iron shooting gallery figures.
A large sign, spanning most of the back wall in the booth of Chuck White of Warwick, N.Y., sold opening day to a Pennsylvania collector. The sign originated at Beaver Dam Lake, Salisbury Mills, N.Y., Orange County, and dated circa 1900‱910. A New England secretary desk, circa 1850, was of bird’s-eye maple and had a pair of tombstone doors over three drawers.
One can always find several pieces of tiger maple furniture in the booth of American Spirit Antiques of Shawnee Mission, Kan. This time a New England Chippendale chest of four drawers, straight bracket base, circa 1780‱795, Southern New Hampshire, was among the pieces offered. It measured 35 inches high, 40 inches wide and 18½ inches deep. At the front of the booth was an American six-leg drop leaf table, also tiger maple, with turned legs and ball and ring turned feet. It dated circa 1830‱850 and measured 40 inches long, 29 inches high and 18 inches wide.
It appeared as if it had taken ten men to set up the booth of Francis Purcell, Inc, Philadelphia, when calculating the weight of the objects shown. There was an interesting pair of three-crane cast iron urns and a nice pair of signed fern armchairs, cast iron, from an Ohio foundry, but they were pale in comparison to the job of setting up two large working fountains. One was of French origin, 1890, 5 feet 3 inches tall and 36 inches in diameter, depicting a cherub holding a fish with water spouting from a surround of seashells. It was of cast iron and zinc. To the right of that fountain was one of terra cotta, Italian, 1920, with three cherubs among palms and holding seashells. The booth rivaled the display of garden-related objects Francis Purcell and son will present at the forthcoming Antiques Garden Furniture Show at the New York Botanical Gardens during the first part of May.
Waynesboro, Va., dealer Christopher Evans Antiques showed an early Nineteenth Century six-board blanket chest in the original old blue painted surface, bracket feet, that had descended in the Skidmore family of Huntington, N.Y., and a bucket bench painted green provided the stage for a series of blue decorated stoneware pitchers in graduated sizes, ranging from two gallons to one quart. The largest was attributed to Remmey Pottery, Philadelphia, and the smallest one was from the mid-Atlantic states.
“That just came out of a house three weeks ago,” David H. Horst of Lebanon, Penn., said of the very colorful Christmas Rose quilt that hung on the back wall of his booth. He added that it was found in Maryland, near the border of Carol County and Frederick County. At the front of the booth was a large stretcher-base table in walnut with a three-board top.
Another Pennsylvania exhibitor, Baldwin House Antiques of Strasburg, offered a Queen Anne tall case clock, signed George Huff, Lancaster, Penn., dating circa 1769 and with an eight-day brass movement. It rested flat on the floor, never having feet. A double panel chest over drawers was of Long Island origin, circa 1760‱800, in pine and with mid-Nineteenth Century paint over the original blue/green.
An Eighteenth Century tavern sign for the Van Der Hayden’s Inn, Watervliet, N.Y., circa 1796, pine with the original iron hardware, depicting George Washington on horseback, hung in the booth of Kocian DePasqua Antiques of Woodbury, Conn. Of Pennsylvania origin, Lancaster County, was a tall case clock with painted dial by Gustavus Stog, circa 1810, in walnut with carved sunflower rosettes.
New to the show this year was Dover House Antiques, Louisville, Ky., with a nice variety of objects, including a Maine hutch table, circa 1820, with a two-board top and old brown paint on the base. A ship diorama featured a masted American ship with flag, late Nineteenth Century, and a marine oil on canvas, mid-Nineteenth Century, depicted a fully masted ship flying an American flag and a steam vessel in the background. It was in a period gilt frame.
Holden Antiques of Naples, Fla., now operating from the summer address in Sherman, Conn., offered a large half hull ship builder’s model of the Pouyer-Quertier , a ship designed and built by the Charles Mitchell Co. of Newcastle, England, in 1879. The firm was located on the Tyne River and the model is 70½ inches long. “That is just what you need,” Ed Holden said to a person looking at one of his “fun” things, a painted cutout of Pimpo the clown, a figure about 3½ feet tall that rocked when struck by a bean bag. Adding to the carnival look of that corner of the booth was a colorful clown bag-throw face and a carousel horse.
Port ‘N Starboard Gallery, Falmouth, Mass., showed a 28-inch-high figure of Jack Tar, a ship handler’s sign dating from the Nineteenth Century, hand carved and polychrome. The figure was holding a telescope and had “H.M.S.” painted on his hat. An oil on canvas measuring 22 by 36 inches depicted the tugboat Sylvester L. Ward by Solon Francis Montecello Badger. The boat was built in 1893 and the painting is signed lower left and verso.
Seven Grenfell Mission rugs and mats decorated the better part of one wall in the booth of A Bird In Hand Antiques, Florham Park, N.J. Represented on these pieces were flying ducks, a bear and an Eskimo with dog sled. A pair of well-carved and black painted carriage curtains from a hearse, Pennsylvania origin, dated circa 1850‱880.
A red sold tag was attached to a set of five hand puppets in the booth of The Norwoods’ Spirit of America, Timonium, Md., a grouping that included two devils and three other strange-looking characters. A large hooked rug showing a fancy peacock, Nineteenth Century, had been professionally mounted for hanging.
For those interested in peacocks, one had only to go to the next aisle to the booth of Thurston Nichols, Breinigsville, Penn., to find a large oil on canvas of “Peacocks on a Landscape” by Jessie Arms Botke, 1883‱971. This very detailed work was signed lower left by the artist. A Sheraton tall chest with the original paint decoration, yellow and orange grained drawer fronts with stencil decoration of eagles, tulips and maple leaves, dated circa 1850 and was from Somerset County, Penn.
“We have had lots of interest in several items, including our selection of Northeast Indian baskets and the elephant pull toy that was large enough for a small child to ride,” Stephen Corrigan of Stephen-Douglas of Rockingham, Vt., said. The dealers reported a good show with sales of a wonderful miniature stoneware jug with blue fish design and the initials EC, an early sampler, two polychrome bird carvings, several pieces of ceramics, including Canton, an iron footman and three tole ballroom sconces.
DBR Antiques, Douglas Ramsay, of Hadley, Mass., had a nice early pair of hog scraper candlesticks with wedding bands and a self-portrait of Sheldon Peck, circa 1820, an oil on poplar board. He also showed some examples of treen, including a number of large chopping bowls with blue and yellow painted bottoms.
“It took 25 years to build this collection of Indian moccasins, and he discarded many of the inferior ones,” Ron Van Anda of Lititz, Penn., said of the 27 examples mounted on a stand. Very colorful and of different designs, they dated 1860 to 1900. And since Ron was sharing part of his booth with his wife, Sandra Whitson, one tall case was filled to the brim with figural napkin rings and patriotic pins.
Malcolm Magruder Antiques of Millwood, Va., had an outstanding trade sign that was once outside a shop in Bath, Maine, 1875, advertising the house and sign painting talents of Chas. D. Clark. It was of an elaborate design, two-sided, with fancy white letters on a striking blue ground. A pair of portraits, attributed to Bass Otis, dated from the Nineteenth Century and were in ornate gilt frames. The gentleman, in yellow vest, was holding an envelope with a Wilmington postmark.
A large Pennsylvania chalk cat with blue ribbon around its neck stood guard outside the booth of RGL Antiques of Pittstown, N.J. Against the back wall was an American two-over-five-drawer chest in cherry, original red wash, Pennsylvania origin, that measures 67½ inches high, 44½ inches wide and 22 inches deep.
About 30 Pennsylvania rifles were either displayed or available from the booth of Hornberger & Associates of Trappe, Md. Among them were several signed J.P. Beck, Lebanon County, circa 1780, with raised carving.
An extensive display of barometers was presented by The Barometer Shop, Cushing, Maine, including an Admiral Fitzray “prize metal” stick barometer in a carved oak case and made by Davis & Co., circa 1885. One of the English sextants offered had a label indicating that the instrument had been repaired at one time by F.W. Lincoln Jr, mathematical instrument makers. Lincoln was the grandson of Paul Revere.
SAJE Americana, Short Hills, N.J., offered an English convex mirror with a deer and oak leaves on top. Dating circa 1805 and with the original glass and gilding, 27 inches wide and 42 inches high, it was made by Thomas Fentham. A large oil on canvas landscape with a river, bridge and cows was by Alfred T. Creek, Albany, N.Y., circa 1872, and measured 57½ by 34 inches. “We had an excellent show,” Steve Shapiro reported, listing sales that included an important Portsmouth wing chair, a mirror, a brass fender and an Export tea caddy. “In total, we had close to a dozen sales,” Steve said.
“I had lots of attention on the nautical diorama I offered, an island ferry of Maine origin,” Hilary Nolan of Falmouth, Mass., said. It sold opening day, as did a number of smalls, including a nice scrimshaw ditty box. Hanging on the back wall was the sign from the Union Hotel, Milford, Conn., dated 1834, oval with the original paint. Among the furniture in the booth was a rare diminutive slant front desk in mahogany with the original brasses, of Pennsylvania origin and dating circa 1800‱810.
A rare pair of American prints, 1761, gave views of the Hudson River and the river with the Catskill Mountains in the booth of Dana Tillou of Buffalo, N.Y. A Thomas Chambers oil on canvas, 18 by 24 and in a period frame, was of a mountain landscape with figures walking through the woods. A nice painted wood relief carved picture had deer, trees, a house and a “sold” tag.
Barn Star is now working on its next shows, the Manchester Pickers Market Antiques Show, Monday, August 9, and Mid*Week in Manchester, Wednesday and Thursday, August 11‱2. Frank Gaglio noted, “We will know shortly if the Furniture World Building will be available again. If not, we have two alternative plans, and the shows will go on.”
For information, www.BarnStar.com or 845-876-0616.
