Date: Fri 30-Apr-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: SS

Quick Words:

PhiladelphiaArmory

Full Text:

Story For The 23 Street Armory Show - Gaglio

with many cuts already out

PHILADELPHIA, PA. - "All went very well this year, even with an army tank on

the floor of the show," Frank Gaglio, manager of the 23rd Street Armory

Antiques Show, said after his event closed on Sunday, April 11. He was

refering to the incident when the commander at the armory refused to take the

large vehicle off the floor during the run of the antiques show.

"We learned about this around two weeks before the show was to open," Frank

Gaglio said, "and we had to make a trip to Philadelphia to make a revisions in

the floor plan." As it turned out, adjustments were made to the front booth of

John Sideli, as well as to the configuration of the Kemble and Arader booths.

"We stuck the tank in the front left corner of the armory and built around it.

As it turned out, the booths worked just fine and no one even knew there was a

military vehicle back there," Frank said.

And of course, no one did and no one cared, for the visitors were there to

enjoy an antiques show and hopefully to add to their collections. The gate on

the first two days of the show matched last year, but the tally on Sunday was

down a bit, according to the management. However, Frank Gaglio added, "Even

with fewer people, many of the dealers registered good sales on our last day."

It was raining when the show opened on Friday morning, and it was raining

again as the dealers loaded out of the armory on Sunday. The leaks in the roof

of the armory were taken care of this time by management, even to the extent

of spreading plastic up there while it was raining.

"We are planning to stay at the armory and are not looking for a new site for

the show," Frank said, adding "we have sent out a questionnaire to the

exhibitors asking for any suggestions they might have for next year, as well

as seeking opinions on the possibility of a preview opening." He said that a

decision would be based largely on dealer response as far as a Thursday night

preview was concerned.

The garden presentation at the entrance to the exhibition floor was very well

done and brought the welcomed signs of spring into the building. A second

garden arrangement at the front of the hall included specimen trees, a statue,

and some flowering plants for color. Beyond that point, it was all left up to

the exhibitors, and their efforts both in material and presentation made for a

very attractive and interesting show.

This show is worth a trip from anywhere, and its presence in Philadelphia at

this time of the year only adds interest and provides more clout to "Antiques

Week" in the city.

John Sideli/Melissa Greene of Sheffield, Mass., were in the front spot with a

colorful booth, which included a basket quilt, padded applique, signed Anna

Bass and dated 1874; a corner cupboard in walnut, circa 1850, Pennsylvania or

New Jersey; and a horse and sulky weathervane, which came from a barn in

Levittown, Pa., circa 1880, with untouched surface.

Kemble's American Period Furniture of Norwich, Ohio, showed a two-part Dutch

cupboard with pie shelf, double spoon slots on shelves, in cherrywood, circa

1800. It measures 7 feet 1 inch high, 20 inches deep, and 5 feet 6 inches

wide. A Connecticut Queen Anne lowboy, circa 1760, had deep carved fan,

cabriole legs ending in double pad feet, with one drawer over three in the

case.

Judy and James Milne of New York City indicated that they had a good first

day, selling a large chandelier, a couple of hanging shelves, and weathervanes

including a large horse and a horse and rider example.

Yarmouth, Maine exhibitors Marie Plummer and John Philbrick offered an

American Queen Anne mantel, Connecticut origin, with yellow painted surface; a

Pennsylvania day bed with bulbous turnings, red wash and rush bottom; and a

New England tavern table with one drawer, red surface, maple and pine, circa

1730.

"The inn pictured by artist Andrew Melrose is still there, called the

Punchbowl Inn, which is on the route between London and Portsmouth," Taylor

Williams of Chicago said of the work hanging in his booth. He indicated that a

friend in England knew of the inn and that it was still doing business today.

Mr Williams also showed, in addition to his usual case filled with small

porcelain items, a bevelled mirror with "outstanding and original" fretwork.

This piece retained the original glass, dated circa 1740, and was of English

origin.

A gallery booth was designed for W. Graham Arader III of Philadelphia and one

entire wall was filled with a set of twelve hand-colored celestial engravings

from Vranometria, John Bayer, circa 1604.

A weathervane in the form of an airplane, heavy metal, said to have been made

to commemorate the solo flight by Charles Lindberg in 1927, was in the display

of Harvey's Antiques, Evanston, Ill. Also shown was a New England cant-back

cupboard with traces of old blue/green paint, possibly New Jersey coast, circa

1790-1830. This cupboard had originally been made as one piece, but in later

years the top portion had been separated in order to make it easier to move.

"We had a great show," Richard Rasso of East Chatham, N.Y. said, indicating

that sales were good during all three days. Of special note was a blanket

chest from Montgomery County, New York, with bright yellow surface decorated

with trailing vines and flowers in red, blue, black and green. "We considered

the piece to be unique to the area, having never seen another Montgomery

County piece decorated in the same manner," Rich said. Other items sold

included a large cut-out iron weathervane in the form of a witch and doctor,

which came from the home of Dr Blakesley of Mission Hills, Kansas. It was

dated 1923 and was one of two weathervane sold, the other of copper and in the

form of a dog. A seven foot tall cast iron hooded fountain by Fiske was sold

the first day, along with a couple of paintings, a painted bucket bench, and a

six-board blanket box. An interesting counter-top trade figure of a river boat

pilot, New Orleans, circa 1889, painted pine and cherrywood, stood in a

prominent spot in the booth, but failed to find a buyer.

Marna Anderson of New Paltz, N.Y. registered a strong show in Philadelphia,

and her booth was dotted with red stickers within hours of the opening. A

quilt top of fabric paintings hung against the back wall of the booth, with a

unique pattern showing a blue urn holding flowers appliqued on black cloth. It

dated from the late Nineteenth Century. A small-size index horse weathervane,

circa 1870, by J. Howard and Sons, Bridgewater, Mass.; a Nineteenth Century

candlestand with legs in the shape of legs, was 30 inches tall, 18 inches in

diameter, Nineteenth Century; and a portrait of a young woman, oil on canvas,

was painted and signed on the reverse by N. Lakeman, Danvers, Mass.

Joan Brownstein, who noted that "this is the most full-time job I have ever

had," was busy taking photographs for future advertising, lugging a piece of

furniture up a flight of stairs, and awaiting a customer due to arrive in

fifteen minutes, when we spoke to her last Wednesday. She did have time to say

that "Philadelphia was good for me and a couple of sales late Sunday made for

a nice show." Two Philadelphia four drawer chests, one in cherrywood and the

other of mahogany, molded tops and ogee bracket feet, went out to the same

buyer. In addition, she sold a smoke grained stand and stoneware crock with

cobalt decoration of a dog carrying a basket. Other items offered by this

Ithaca, N.Y. dealer included a Queen Anne drop leaf table, Rhode Island or

Eastern Connecticut, in tiger maple with pad feet, circa 1750-70; a large

still life by Sarah J. Prentiss, vase with autumn leaves, circa 1870, oil on

canvas in a period or possibly original frame; and a watercolor, possibly

American Hudson River with view of Breakneck Mt., complete with a hot air

balloon, castle, burning buildings, figures with a dog, boat and view of the

river. Joan Brownstein, who moved over to the Gaglio show from the Center City

Show, where she exhibited last year, said that "I saw the market developing

the first day, people were buying painted furniture and objects."

Newsom and Berdan of Hallowell, Maine, sold well each day and among the items

in the booth were a pair of folk art dolls that were found in Ohio, last half

of the Nineteenth Century. One of the figures was black, the other white, and

each was dressed in a velvet suit and measures 18 inches tall. A Pennsylvania

bench table, poplar with walnut cleats, dated circa 1820, and an interesting

squirrel hat box in blue, circa 1835, was signed with a New York label.

A portrait of Sarah Livingston, attributed to John Wollaston, oil on canvas

measuring 25 by 30 inches, circa 1750, hung over a Massachusetts or

Connecticut ball foot blanket chest, circa 1710-1720, in white pine, single

bead molding, in later second red paint, in the booth of Buckley & Buckley,

Salisbury, Conn. "Both of those items sold the first day," Don Buckley said,

adding that "we had a very good show, especially Friday." He noted that the

other two days were a bit slower, "but we did business each day and have

always had a good show there." Also sold was a ship model with log, and a

crested banisterback side chair, circa 1710, one of only twelve known with the

H-stretcher.

Harold Cole/Autumn Pond, Woodbury, Conn., showed a folk art carving of a black

man, dated 1934, by M. Walter Huber, Watertown, N.Y. On the base of the figure

was carved "Free and Bewildered," and it measured about 36 inches tall. Among

the weathervanes in the booth was a Hambletonian, American, painted tail and

mane, dating from the last half of the Nineteenth Century, and a Connecticut

slant-front desk, 1760-80, had a 32 inch case and old surface. The outside

wall of the booth was hung with nine carved architectural heads from the Crary

Mansion, Bridgehampton, N.Y., 1897.

Russ and Karen Goldberger, Hampton, N.H. displayed a nested pair of swing

handle baskets, rectangular shaped, Pennsylvania origin and dating from the

mid-Nineteenth Century. "We really love these baskets," Karen Goldberger said,

adding that they were a part of their personal collection until this show. A

bittersweet painted chest with two drawers beneath a deep well, 40 inches

wide, New England, circa 1790, was among the pieces of furniture, along with a

Federal candlestand in yellow paint, New England, circa 1800, in maple with an

18« inch diameter top.

Tom Brown of McMurray, Pa., sets up his booth very fast, not because he wants

to, but because he has to. The reason is that his area is the last

constructed, since it is located in front of the large doorway to the

exhibition space. Nevertheless, he had everything in place well before the

opening and included were a fan carved highboy of cherrywood, Connecticut,

circa 1770, with cabriole legs and pad feet; a Boston corner chair in walnut

with scrolled arms, serpentine seat, pad feet, dating circa 1760; and a walnut

lowboy, Pennsylvania, circa 1770, with shaped knees and ball and claw feet. It

measured 22« inches wide, 29 inches high, and 20 inches deep. A life-size

figure of the RCA logo, Nipper, was early Twentieth Century and came from

Springfield, Ohio.

Furniture and weathervanes were in good supply in the display of George and

Debbie Spiecker of North Hampton, N.H. An American tall chest with six

graduated drawers, circa 1780, had an old surface, while a Hepplewhite card

table, probably Salem, Mass., circa 1790, was in mahogany with rectangular

folding top, round corners, and shaped skirt with inlaid edges. An American

Hepplewhite corner cupboard in maple, with molded cornice over double doors,

each with eight glass windows, was from Lancaster, Pa., and measured 83 inches

tall.

"I am very pleased with the effort on the part of my dealers and they really

put on a great show," Frank Gaglio said both before and after the show. He

noted that "everyone works well together, and it shows in the results."

At present, in addition to the show in Philadelphia, Gaglio manages the

Mid-Week in Manchester Show in August, and last year added the Bedford Pickers

Show during the same August time period. Will there be more Gaglio promoted

shows? According to Frank, who has won dealer and customer approval for

presenting well managed events, "we are looking towards the mid-west and there

is a good possibility that we will have a show going there next spring." He

declined to pin-point a location, but one thing is certain, if another show is

born it is sure to have the same good looks and quality exhibitors that are

associated with a Barn Star promotion.