Scott Cook of Sandwich, Mass., in the company of his two bearded collies, Winslow and Willoughby, sat on the ground, surrounded by flowering plants, in front of the Oley Valley Middle School waiting for the 11 am opening of Antiques in the Valley on Friday, June 20. It was then a good hour or so before the show was to open, but being first in line has become routine for Scott. Within the hour he was joined by a couple of hundred others, all anxious to see what the 62 exhibitors had brought to this two-day show.
For the most part, it is a country show, filled with interesting, original finish furniture, lots of redware and stoneware, quilts and coverlets and the general run of smalls. “We work hard to keep the show interesting, and those who visit this show seem to have a good time and find things to buy,” John Bartley, one of the show’s organizers, said. The show moved this year to the new middle school, and, with more exhibition space, management decided to keep the show the same size but enlarge the booths for better display. “We had a nice gate, up slightly from last year, and the majority of our dealers reported doing well,” Bartley said.
A series of six 1922 photographs showing a car damaged in an accident that happened in Oley hung in the booth of Oley Valley Antiques of Fleetwood, Penn. On one of the photos it was noted by the 12- or 13-year-old daughter of the owner, “The man who hit Pop had too much to drink. And his father was a very good friend of my Pop.” Four bead-decorated jackets, a couple with both vest and pants, were once worn at the Order of Redman Lodge in Reading, Penn.
Marc Witus of Gladstone, Penn., decorated one of his walls with a number of carvings, including a wooden deer head, a wooden sheep head, a small deer with antlers and a large pottery head of a bull that was once used in a butcher’s shop.
A large triple portrait, oil on canvas, of Alice, Emma and Della Humphrey hung on the back wall in the booth of Neverbird Antiques, Surry, Va. The family was from Townsend Huron County in Ohio, and the painting, artist unknown, was circa 1850‱851. Of Bloomsbury, Penn., origin was a large sampler with a house, trees, birds, a dog and two people executed by Matilda Snyder in 1836. It was in the original frame and a genealogy was available.
Furniture filled the booth of Meetinghouse Antiques of Fort Washington, Penn., with a large drop leaf dining table in the front, English, pine, circa 1840, with a 62-by-53-inch top. It was 28 inches high and was surrounded by a set of six arrow back Windsor side chairs, American, dating from the mid-Nineteenth Century.
Axtell Antiques of Deposit, N.Y., and Vlasak Antiques of Binghamton, N.Y., split up this weekend, doing Oley as well as the Litchfield County Antiques Show in Kent, Conn. At Oley, a chrome yellow server in pine, with strong floral decoration on both the backsplash and the long drawer, was at the front of the booth, and a four-splat circa 1790 Delaware Valley rocking chair with rush seat retained the original finish.
Holding down one of the long booths in the school’s hallway was T.L. Dwyer Antiques of Barto, Penn., with one corner taken by a large Dutch corner cupboard, circa 1830, signed by H.H. Schicic, Ephrata. A small eagle weathervane with good green surface dated circa 1880 was on view.
A folky wooden garden gate in black paint, seven spindles with ball tops, was mounted on the wall in the display of Old Farm Antiques of Reading, Penn. A circa 1875 US Express wagon with old surface, metal-clad wooden wheels, was filled with three cloth dog dolls and two dolls in old Navy outfits. The wagon, shown against a Detectable Mountain pattern Pennsylvania quilt measuring 96 by 108 inches, was seen leaving the show and heading off to a new home in New Jersey. This booth, owned by John and Peggy Bartley, was filled with a number of toys, including a rocking horse, large wooden train with four cars, a caboose and locomotive and an early tricycle.
It appears that small collections of certain objects was the objective of Gene Bertolet Antiques, one of the local dealers in the show. He offered a selection from eight candle molds, ranging in size from four to 12 holes and in different shapes, a collection of six slaw boards and a good number of miniature baskets.
Two colorful penny rugs decorated one wall in the booth of Latcham House Antiques, Waterville, Ohio, and painted tole documents included two in black and one in red, all with good decoration. Furniture included a New England tabletop desk from the Nineteenth Century and a country Queen Anne painted decorated side chair, mid-Eighteenth Century, with the original rush seat.
A portrait of a young boy, blue dress, white cuffs and collar, holding a whip, oil on canvas on the original stretcher and in a period gilt frame, 25 by 30 inches, circa 1830‱840, hung in the booth of Halsey Munson Americana of Decatur, Ill. In fine red paint was a circa 1760‱800 lift top chest over drawers with ogee bracket foot base with bulged apron and three center drops. It was probably from Eastern Connecticut, pine and poplar, and measured 42 inches high, 39 inches wide and 17 inches deep.
From Chadds Ford, Penn., Ayscough Antiques offered a circa 1830 pine document box nicely decorated with compass stars on the top and sides, a nine-drawer small apothecary in old red wash, and a bright yellow quilt with a Cottage Rose variant.
A large gathering basket was filled with a collection of miniature baskets in the booth of Raccoon Creek at Oley Forge, Oley, Penn., and a Nineteenth Century garden gate, arched, with pointed pickets, hung as a piece of sculpture on one of the walls. A trade sign was in the form of a boot, and five pieces of stoneware, all blue decorated, including a jug, pitcher and 1-gallon jar, were displayed on a Pennsylvania decorated dower chest.
A good-looking pine tavern table with untouched red dry surface, two-board scrubbed top, circa 1800, pegged and dovetailed, found in Union County, Penn., was shown by Salt Box Antiques of Sugarloaf, Penn. Dating from the mid-Nineteenth Century was a walnut 48-drawer apothecary, a piece of local history with the original surface and pulls, that came from the Shanesville General Store in Oley Valley. And from Columbia County was a double-sided hotel/tavern sign from Briar Creek Hotel, pegged with the original hardware, that dated circa 1830‱840.
Of large size was a one-piece corner cupboard in cherrywood, tiger maple and walnut, Ohio or Kentucky, circa 1840, that was shown by Marie Miller of Dorset, Vt. A stack of quilts featured many designs, including flowers, eagles, bowties and stars, and a Sheraton bonnet chest from New York State dated circa 1820 and was of cherrywood.
Gary Promey Antiques and Folk Art of Atwater, Ohio, showed a Pennsylvania dower chest with the original hardware, lock and key, and a nice child’s sled, red painted with “Rover” in gold lettering. A New England shirred rug depicted a wide-eyed cat, gray and white, on a red rug, circa 1900.
A two-drawer Chippendale blanket chest in red paint, bracket feet, original brass, strap hinges, crab lock and key, dated 1786, was offered by Emele’s Antiques of Dublin, Penn. Other furniture included a bench table with two-board scrubbed top measuring 60 by 36 inches and red painted base. It would seat six to eight people.
Robert M. Conrad Antiques of Yeagertown, Penn., offered furniture, including a hutch table in berry red paint with scrubbed top, found in Franklin County, Penn., along with a step back cupboard that was filled with many objects, including a miniature stoneware jug, mocha, redware, chalk figures and small baskets. A sleeping gray and black dog on a green rug was depicted on a large hooked rug with a leaf border.
It appeared that the same hand was responsible for a child’s wheelbarrow and doll cradle in the booth of Jeff and Kathy Amon of Jamestown, Penn. The wheelbarrow, 28 inches long, circa 1900, was in the original red with green decoration and blue flowers and was displayed on a York County chest of drawers, untouched painted surface, 1860, and signed by John Rupp in pencil. The cradle, original red paint with yellow flowers, green interior, ex Joe Kindig Jr collection, was on a New York State or New England chest of drawers in the original paint, dated 1824 in the top drawer. The chest measured 45 inches high, 45 inches wide and 18½ inches deep.
A nice yellow painted dry sink with one small drawer was sold within the first ten minutes of the show from the booth of Joseph L. Lodge, Lederach, Penn. In original paint was a set of six birdcage Windsor side chairs, circa 1810, and weathervanes included a running horse, a beaver, a large cow with fine green surface, a peacock and a sulky.
A seven-drawer high chest from the Connecticut River Valley, sculptured bracket feet, circa 1770, was in the booth of Wesley T. Sessa Antiques of Coventryville, Pottstown, Penn. Also among the many pieces of furniture offered was a tavern table with one-board top, tiger maple legs, circa 1810, and a side table with one drawer, two-board top, circa 1820, and in pine. Sue Murphy and Carol Woodbridge Antiques of Milford, N.J., shared a booth that was filled to capacity with small and interesting objects such as shell boxes, all manner of sewing-related items, miniature baskets, cloth dolls with painted faces and a nice crib quilt with a large star in the center. A sign for the Middletown Democratic Club hung in the booth of Brasseur Fine Arts of Prospect, Penn., and sold signs were attached to a walking stick with a carved cow on top and a sign advertising “Hamburg Chilled Plows.”
A large brass molded eagle, with its talons grasping a bunch of arrows, Nineteenth Century and found in Pennsylvania, was on the left wall in the booth of Newsom & Berdan Antiques of Thomasville, Penn. Standing in the corner was a tall case clock by Jedediah Weiss, silversmith and clock maker from Beth, Penn. It dated circa 1820‱840.
The Herrs of Lancaster, Penn., in addition to the usual rack of coverlets, offered a selection of Lehn ware with the label of Joseph Lehn, Lancaster County, and a wonderful paint decorated miniature chest with key and bun feet, also from Lancaster County. Striking was the wall of 18 mortars and pestles, all circa 1780‱860, shown by John Chaski Antiques of Lewes, Del., of various sizes; examples included burl, maple, walnut and painted.
“We had about 15 dealers who were with us last year drop out, some due to health and others because they felt the show was not right for them, and we have filled the show with other dealers who have broadened the show with different things and retained the high level we are seeking,” John Bartley said. The show is run by the Oley Valley Antique Enterprises, made up of five area dealers who also take part in the show. “It works out very well, as we are on the floor at all times, there to solve any problems our dealers or the public may have,” he said.
Next June, when the kids move out of the school, the dealers will again move into it. It is a nice place to be at that time of the year, the show is really laid back, there are always good things to buy, everyone is friendly, and they serve delicious pork barbeque sandwiches. Keep it in mind.
For additional information, www.oleyvalleyantiqueshow.com , John Bartley at 610-779-0705 or Gene Bertolet at 610-987-3312.
