Pantry Box Antiques, Stafford Springs, Conn.

Review & Onsite Photos by Madelia Hickman Ring

DANIELSON, CONN. — In 2023, attendance at the 29th Country Antiques in Connecticut’s Quiet Corner — known colloquially as the “Quiet Corner Antiques Show” — on April 1 was at an all-time high: 750 showgoers compared to the 600-650 that usually attend. A blustery deluge that was forecast for March 23, 2024, materialized but that did not have too adverse an effect on traffic at the show and Jan Praytor, one of the show coordinators, noted, “Our gate was about 600 which is what we usually get. I was impressed that so many buyers came from so far and braved the elements. There was one lady from Paducah, Ky., and many from surrounding states.”

Early buying began at 9 am, and there were between 75 and 100 people who turned out, paying $20, instead of the show’s normal fee of $10. All the proceeds benefit the Parent Faculty Organization of H.H. Ellis Technical High School. Students were doing everything from building and placing walls and booth dividers to helping dealers set up and load out and serving as porters during the show.

Guardians of the gate! On the left, Paula Roswell, an art teacher at H.H. Ellis Tech, with Jan Praytor, one of two show coordinators.

The show, which is spread out within two large rooms and a hallway on the school’s first floor, fielded 52 dealers, 14 of which were new to the show; it was the most Praytor said had ever debuted at one time. One of them, Jacque Bradford, came all the way from Indianapolis, Ind., and had — by 10:30 am — sold a small, blue-painted apothecary and a chenille still life.

Eric Swanson, proprietor of Golden Ampersand, Windham, Conn., was another. An interior designer and dealer, he had sold redware and early tin and said people “are really shopping.” One of the things people were most interested in was a sign advertising “Free Bunnies.” Swanson did not have any at the show but joked he’d give a bunny away with any purchase.

Holiday items were the hot ticket with Julia Hoik of T. Hilmar Antiques, Wellesley, Mass. In addition to numerous pieces relating to both Halloween and Christmas, she had, by lunchtime, sold a sheep pull-toy.

Derik Pulito had a prime spot inside the cafeteria in a booth he fronted with a red-painted table he’d recently acquired at auction. He had already done some brisk trading when we caught up with him, including a tavern table he’d purchased the weekend before, at the Tolland Antiques Show. Among the paintings and drawings by listed artists, he had one of his own paintings, a landscape of Vermont. He told Antiques and The Arts Weekly he’d taken up painting after retiring and does clinics with several New England artists.

Derik Pulito buys, sells, and makes paintings! He painted this Vermont landscape and brought it to the show. If you see him at a show, ask him if he brought any of his own. Derik Pulito Antiques & Fine Art, Kensington, Conn.

Across the aisle from Pulito, Kris and Paul Casucci, Walker Homestead, had several impressive things, including a flat-top high chest of drawers, a vivid blue-painted apothecary cabinet and a hooked rug that featured a lion, ox and bunny and was initialed “DS” and “LS.” While we were in her booth, she transacted the sale of the high chest. Ian McKelvey, an associate of the Casuccis who is in South Windham, Conn., sold a pair of blue and white Asian style table lamps.

Business was brisk with the Casucci’s neighbors, Dan and Karen Olson. After the show, the Newburgh, N.Y., dealers posted on Facebook they had sold a Connecticut highboy, a red-painted chair table with provenance to Historic Deerfield, a pie safe and made about 20 other sales.

“There’s a lot of quality here. I’ve made a lot of sales, both during set-up, early buying and now,” said Jerrilyn Mayhew, Woodsview Antiques. The Sandwich, Mass., dealer has been doing the Ellis Tech show for about 20 years; it is one of a few shows she does in New England, logging miles to participate in the Midwest, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Ohio. She noted people were mostly buying boxes, lighting and smalls.

Jerrilyn Mayhew paired a French lantern she’d found in Wiscasset, Maine, with a Chet Wunder sporting painting and a French iron planter. Woodsview Antiques, Sandwich, Mass.

“This show is always so well attended. People come out for it because the vendors are energetic and they bring good things that are priced to sell,” reported Wellesley, Mass., dealer Rona Andrews, who said there had been good buying and selling. Paintings, lighting, smalls, a dropleaf stand and a cheese basket were things she’d sold by the middle of the morning.

Patrick Murray, Bricktown, N.J., was returning to the show for the first time since the pandemic and had sold “lots of lighting and pantry boxes.”

Paul Smith, Odd Lodge Antiques, Waterville, Maine, brought a large model of a steam iron he described as “one of a kind.” It got a lot of attention but by the time we passed through, was still available for sale. One thing that was no longer available was a tiered white painted stand.

Ivy Hill Primitives, Langhorne, Penn.

Brett Cabral was also having good luck with smalls, including stoneware and yellowware. Additional signs of selling included a shelf with Ivy Hill Primitives of Langhorne, Penn. Ironstone, textiles and woodenware were things Jamie Heuschkel of Hirsh Antiques had the most interest in, while Naomi Ayotte, Hidden Treasures, was doing a brisk business with primitives, stoneware and punched tin lanterns.

Sheila Robbins, Framingham, Mass., was with several dealers in a multipurpose room and had strong interest in early iron and homespun blankets. Around the corner from her booth, Troy, N.Y., dealer Warren Broderick wrote receipts for two paintings and some candles. Another transaction spotted was that between May Elliott, for a lantern. It followed the sale of a red painted hanging cupboard.

A Shaker box and Shaker chair, a basket and two rabbits were among the items Diane Dolphin found new homes for during the show. The Warwick, R.I., dealer has space at the Sturbridge Antique Shops and has been dealing part time for about 20 years but now deals full time since she retired from teaching.

SOLD! Kris Casucci discussing the merits of a flat top highboy with a client who ended up purchasing it. Walker Homestead, Brookfield, Mass.

Textile specialist Colette Donovan gave pride of place to an early Nineteenth Century Indian hand-embroidered panel she’d acquired “a while ago” from another dealer but had never shown it.

Laura McCarthy, Bayberry Antiques, framed a Nineteenth Century blue and white quilt from the South Shore of Massachusetts with baskets, lanterns, toleware, pantry boxes and butter molds but one of the things that got the most attention was a long table in the middle of her booth.

Dates for the next Quiet Corner Antiques Show have not yet been announced. For information, www.countryantiqueshow.com.