Davidian Americana, Dennis, Mass.
The Spyglass, Brewster, Mass.
A long line began forming at the entrance to the Cape Cod Antiques Dealers Association Show (CCADA) more than an hour prior to the opening on Friday evening, August 6. By showtime, the line extended out the front door of the school, down the stairs, across the sidewalk and well out into the parking lot. The anxious crowd was made up of a wide assortment of shoppers ranging from the trade, to collectors, to local enthusiasts and, naturally, the garden variety Cape Cod vacationer.
The show, a benefit for the Bob Burns Scholarship Fund, hosted 50 quality New England exhibitors, the majority of whom are from the Cape. A few “foreigners” take part in the show with the one New Yorker, one Vermonter, one Mainer, and one New Hampshirite rounding out the dealer list.
Collectors traditionally congregate annually in this area of the Cape during the first weekend of August as there is much to do aside from go to the beach. Eldred’s annual Americana auction is always taking place, there are more shops than you can shake a stick at, and, of course, the CCADA show.
The show opened promptly at 5 on Friday evening and as the doors swung open the crowd was all business. Sales were quickly recorded in many booths and dealers were kept busy answering questions and quoting prices while writing up sales receipts amidst their packed booths. Sales witnessed in the opening moments included a pair of early mohair teddy bears in the booth of Ester Gilbert, and a nice New England folky portrait of a gentleman from the booth of Works of Art Antiques.
“Traditionally there are things to be found at this show,” commented CCADA President Roy Mennell. Among the rdf_Descriptions “found” this time around was a nice Nantucket basket that left the floor at a very reasonable price.
Mennell, who operates Bradford Trust Fine Art and Antiques, stated he was “very pleased with the results of the show. Each year the show strengthens a little bit.” Mennel, whose booth consists of primarily paintings and artwork, was somewhat perplexed by his sales. “We were selling furniture, he said, “although basically we are fine art dealers.” The dealer sold a nice corner stand, a whale-end shelf and a Vermont chest at the show.
Several paintings also found buyers including a C.D. Cahoon picture of a lobster shack on the beach. “Cahoon always sells,” stated the dealer, “the challenge is finding more of them.” Mennell stated that serious interest was also expressed in a C.D. Cahoon marsh scene and a Robert Vickery scene of a girl in a yellow dress.
Charles and Barbara Adams displayed an exceptional offering of Bennington pottery, but also featured Capey rdf_Descriptions such as a half-hull ship model that had been discovered in a local boat shed on the Cape. Jackie Sideli wooed the crowd with a nicely green and black grain painted wall mirror, a stylish wicker chair in yellow and green, and an unusually large wooden train set.
“Uncommon antiques and decorative furnishings for the home and garden,” was how Edythe and Co, East Sandwich, Mass., described the contents of their booth, while a selection of prints of all sorts were offered by Christine Ehert Antiques, Barnstable, Mass.
The booth of Betsey Hewlett proved popular at the show with the dealer offering an extensive assortment of pattern glass ranging from glasses in a wide variety of patterns to rarities such as a New England pineapple bar bottle and a Sandwich open loop compote.
A nice tall stack of firkins in old paint was catching the eye of buyers in the booth of Orleans dealers Bayberry Antiques.
Arts and Crafts furniture and American art pottery was seen in the booth of Crones Collectibles. Dealers Meg Chalmers and Judy Young offered a selection of Saturday Evening Girls, Rookwood, Newcomb College and Schier pottery, along with furniture by L&JG Stickley.
A stately sheet metal ship weathervane was featured in the booth of Cummaquid Antiques, a large selection of Canton was offered nearby in the booth of Henry Callan.
A handsome piece of stoneware took the forefront of William Wibel’s booth. The extremely rare Edmunds, Charlestown, churn was decorated with an incised and cobalt filled yellowlegs shorebird with an eel in its bill on the front, while the back was strongly decorated with a spouting whale.
Farham was the father of Martha Cahoon, the wife of Ralph Cahoon. Reportedly, Farham taught Martha his style of painting, she in turn taught Ralph.
Another highlight in the booth were two pieces of Maine paint decorated furniture that, although having been found many miles apart, had been executed and painted by the same hand. The green grained blanket chest with yellow banding had been in the dealer’s inventory, the blanket box with nearly identical paint had been plucked from Eldred’s Americana auction the day before the show opened.
The show will return for 2005 with dates scheduled for the first week of August.
The Cape Cod Antiques Dealers Association has also announced the dates for its annual Fall Seminar, September 22 at the Daniel Webster Inn in Sandwich. The event, open to the public, will present three lectures by Lark Mason, Gloria Lieberman and Kenneth Gloss. There is a $55 registration fee; reservations can be made by contacting Shelia Mennell at 508-430-1482.
