Date: Fri 14-May-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: SS

Quick Words:

GramercyPark

Full Text:

Gramercy Park Antiques Show

NEW YORK CITY -- A rainy day can be dismal in New York City. Water often fills

the gutters due to clogged drains, walking the streets requires the artful

dodging of umbrellas, and taxi cabs are generally in great demand. One bright

spot to such a day, Friday, April 23, was the opening of the Gramercy Park

Antiques Show, a new event on the Stella Management calendar. One hundred

dealers set up on the exhibition floor of the 69th Regiment Armory offering

collections of furniture, glass and porcelains, lamps, fabrics, Oriental

objects, paintings and a smattering of folk art.

This armory, which is home to a number of Stella shows, filled rapidly with

people as the show opened at 11 am, and there was a good deal of buying right

from the start. By closing time on Sunday, Leanne Stella, show manager, noted

that "it was a mixed show and dealers did not do well across the board.

However, we are very happy with it for a first-time event at this time of the

year."

A survey of some of the exhibitors included Ed and Betty Koren of Bridges Over

Time in Walden, N.Y. Mr Koren, noting that "it was a wonderful show for us,"

added that sales listed a Han Dynasty pot, Austrian Deco sofa, American and

European paintings, Empire tole wall sconces, Sienna marble pedestal and Deco

steel and brass mirror.

Doug Taylor of Praiseworthy Antiques, Guilford, N.Y. and a new shop at 106

Lexington Avenue, offered a round table on bronze pedestal base with a cut

linoleum sunburst pattern on top, circa 1930, and a large map of the United

States, also on linoleum, circa 1940. Among the advertising items in the booth

was a large enameled thermometer for Staven's Inks. Doug said that "we had a

good show and lots of things moved out of the show cases. Large things did not

seem to be the order of the day."

A circa 1816 painting by Harvey Otis Young, "Early Autumn in Westchester

County", in period frame, sold from the booth of The Artful Eye, Lambertville,

N.J. for $19,000. Lou Clemente of Lido Beach, N.Y. said that he had a "great

show" and had to bring in more stock on Sunday.

Male Antique Decor of Roxbury, Conn., had a customer debating the purchase of

a pair of Black Forest bears, umbrella stands, right after the show opened,

just two of a number of Black Forest objects in the booth. Against the back

wall was a four panel screen, French, Eighteenth Century, showing the Four

Seasons.

Darwin of Philadelphia showed a cast iron garden table from a Gladwynn spring

house, one of several pieces in the booth which were ready for outdoor use.

More garden items were in the booth of David Ramsay and Pete Boutilier,

Limington, Maine, including a set of Four Season figures on bases. A number of

gilt decorated mirrors were also part of this display.

A mirrored screen was marked sold in the booth of Evergreen Farm, West

Hampton, N.Y., and a case filled with some unusual shells was against the back

wall. A small classical garden figure had a nice surface.

White upholstered furniture filled the booth of Karen and Bill Podmore,

Centerport, N.Y. including a pair of large armchairs and a day bed with a red

sold sign attached. Ready for an enclosed patio area was a set of bamboo

furniture, yellow with green pillows, a couch and two chairs, in the display

of South Willington Antiques, Willington, Conn., along with a large wind toy

with double propeller in front and a fish rudder behind. It had an old painted

surface and was of New Hampshire origin.

A handsome turn of the century oak table with six legs, inlaid top, was in the

front of the booth of J. Augat Antiques, New York City, along with an Oriental

console, hand carved, original painted surface, mid-Nineteenth Century. With

spring upon us, Karen Marshall of Noah's Ark, Chappaqua, N.Y. sold a number of

engagement rings from her collection of jewelry, and Mark Meaders of Kozloff &

Meaders, Pittsburg, Pa., noted that "Friday was our best single day ever."

Jolie Kelter of Kelter-Malce, New York City, had the left front booth at the

show and she noted that "as a result of the publicity in The Bee , we have

sold a couple of our Navajo rugs." More were displayed over the backs of two

carved animal figures at the front of the show, and against the side wall of

the booth was a large life-size cut-out of a horse which was once a trade

sign.

Stella will be returning to the armory in October with two shows, one opening

on October 8 with modern objects, and the other on October 15 with antique

textiles. This same armory was home to Stella's first garden show early this

year and, according to Leanne Stella, "we hit the nail on the head with that

one," adding that "it was a great success with 70 exhibitors and we are

already working on the show for next year." She indicated that there has been

a strong interest in the show from some of the well-known dealers in this area

of collecting.

For more information concerning any of the twenty-two shows produced by

Stella, call 212/255-0020.