A Big Show — With Big Sales: The Baltimore Summer Show

September 7, 2012
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Originally Published in Antiques and The Arts Weekly, The Bee Publishing Company, Newtown, CT.
Republished here with permission. May not be reproduced for further dissemination,
either in print or electronically, without express permission of the publisher.
Published by The Bee Publishing Company, Newtown, Connecticut
46 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — September 7, 2012
September 7, 2012 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — 47
A Big Show — With Big Sales: The Baltimore Summer Show
Michael Pashby Antiques, New York City
The mixed media abstract by Kurt Schwitters, upper left,
was “price on request”; Honoré Daumier’s “French Couple
in Bed,” bottom left, was $285,000; and “Deux Femmes” by
Fernand Leger, right, was “price on request” at King Art
Antiques, Milwaukee, Wis.
BALTIMORE, MD. — “There
is just no way you can see all
there is to see in one day,” stated one elated, but exhausted,
shopper as she departed the
Baltimore Summer Antiques
Show on opening day, Thursday,
August 23. Sporting a packaged
painting in hand, the shopper
added that she would be returning to the show to continue her
quest the following day. One of
thousands in attendance as the
Baltimore show opened for a
four-day run, closing Sunday,
August 26, the shopper’s views
were echoed by many in the
crowd.
The Baltimore show is massive — 575 dealers strong —
filling a chasm of an exhibition
area inside the convention center. Elegant in appearance, with
wide white carpeted aisles,
large booths and an endless
selection of wares, quality
abounds from the front booths
to the back booths. “The Baltimore Show exceeded all expectations,” said Scott Diament,
president and chief executive
officer of the Palm Beach Show
Group. “Items sold in all price
ranges, and the market proved
very, very strong.”
“There was a big change in
the floor plan,” commented Diament, with new locations for
refreshments and food services,
the newly designed space provided a better feel and flow to
the show. The book fair — a
show within the show, with
almost 90 dealers exhibiting,
also featured better presentation this year with a concentration of dealers in the northern
region of the fair.
Unlike other Palm Beach
Group shows, this fair is far
more diversified. “This show is
two and a half times the size of
our Palm Beach Jewelry, Art
and Antiques Show,” commented Diament, thus allowing a
broader selection of merchandise. Simply put, the high-quality levels seen throughout any
of the Palm Beach Group shows
are maintained, the broad scope
and mix of materials in Baltimore is more extensive due to
the sheer volume of dealers
exhibiting.
Art, jewelry, Orientalia and
formal antiques are prevalent,
yet so is a selection of Americana, a smattering of Twentieth
Century and a good mixture of
smalls and general antiques.
The art displayed around the
floor was exceptional with
artists such as Claude Monet,
Norman Rockwell, Alexander
Calder, James Buttersworth,
Fernand Leger, Jim Dine and
Hudson River School painters,
such as William Trost Richards
and Sanford Gifford all represented.
“I decided to bring them out,”
said dealer Alex Acevedo in
regards to a collection of “small
treasures,” paintings measuring less than 8 by 10 inches.
Acevedo has been collecting the
small paintings for years by
artists such as Richards, Robert
Salmon and William Silva and
has accumulated more than 250
over the past decades. The
paintings were attracting serious attention from collectors
with works, such as an oil on
canvas study depicting a mouse
in numerous poses that the
dealer thought exhibited similarities to Haberle’s work. A
small portrait of George Washington at Trenton by Thomas
Sully was displayed, as were
scenes that represented the dif-
Fresh from a collection, a superb selection of rarely seen
silver by Arts and Crafts period Chicago silversmith Kalo
was offered at Spencer Marks, West Hampton, Mass.
Review and Photos by
Antiques and The Arts Weekly
David S. Smith, Managing Editor
Streamline aluminum trains at Past Pleasures Moderne,
Annandale, Va.
New York City dealer Dean Borghi with a small oil on canvas by Sanford Gifford titled “No Man’s Island.” Accompanying the lot was a letter penned by Gifford that the dealer
discovered after purchasing the painting in which the
artist refers to visiting the region and executing the painting.
fering spectrum of American
art by the likes of Edward
Henry Lamson and Hayley
Lever.
New York City dealer Dean
Borghi occupied two stands at
the Baltimore Show, one that
featured Twentieth Century
works, the other presenting fine
examples of American Nineteenth Century art. A gem of a
painting was featured in the
Nineteenth Century selection, a
small painting that the dealer
had discovered in a small
upstate New York auction. The
attractive oil on canvas by Sanford Gifford was titled “No
Man’s Island” and depicted a
boat with fisherman off the
rock-strewn
island.
Dated
“10/3/[18]77,” the dealer was
shocked when a rumor circulated at the auction in regards to a
letter penned by Gifford, written just two weeks after the
painting was completed, that
referred to the artist’s visit to
the region and executing the
painting. “This lady discovered
the letter when it fell out of a
book she had purchased in a
bookstore,” said Borghi, who
was ultimately able to acquire
the letter. “Over 130 years later
I was able to unite the letter
with the painting again,” he
said, “and now they will remain
together.”
Borghi’s Twentieth Century
stand featured a neat Jim Dine
mixed media “Heart.” Nearby
was Ralston Crawford’s “Suspension Bridge #10” and “Butterflies,” a lithograph by
Alexander Calder.
Reh’s Gallery, New York City,
was another dealer to mix contemporary art with Nineteenth
Century examples, with Daniel
Ridgway Knight’s oil, “On the
Path at Dusk, Rolleboise,” featured at the forefront of their
display. Marked at $125,000,
the painting was getting serious looks from collectors. Priced
similarly was a large oil by
Charles Leickert, a Belgian
painter primarily known for his
Dutch landscapes, titled “Figures Skating on a Frozen
River.” A series of contemporary
paintings was attracting a
younger crowd, including an oil
depicting two monkeys in biker
attire seated on a chopped BSA
motorcycle with “ape hanger”
handlebars.
A mixed-media abstract by
Kurt Schwitters, was “price on
Americana in the booth of Ed Weissman,
Portsmouth, N.H.
Susan Lapene of M.S Rau, New Orleans, La.,
with “The Majestic” 12.27-carat pink diamond ring, $7.85 million.
www.AntiquesandTheArts.com
Rob Samuels, left, and Scott Diament, principals of The Palm Beach Show
Group, promoters of the Baltimore Antiques Show.
The portion of the crowd awaiting opening began forming
a couple hours before start time on Thursday. There are
three entrances to the show, and each had similar lines.
Jason Jacques, New York City
Scott Diament greets shoppers at opening on Thursday.
request” at King Art, Milwaukee, Wis. Honore Daumier’s oil
depicting a “French Couple in
Bed” was prominently displayed and marked $285,000,
while a pencil titled “Deux
Femmes” by Fernand Leger
was “price on request.”
In the heart of horse country,
equestrian paintings were popular at David Brooker, Woodbury, Conn.; a classic pinup
painting of a vivacious lady in a
semitransparent
nightgown
playing with her mischievous
pup by Gil Elevgren was at
D&R International, Viola, Wis.;
and a selection of watercolor
cartoon illustrations executed
for Esquire magazine, circa
1950, were at Carlson and
Stevenson, Manchester Center,
Vt.
It was hard to concentrate on
just one item in the booth of
Post Road Gallery as the selection of impressive art and furnishings caused your eyes to
dart about at a rapid pace. A
Hugh Bolton Jones painting,
“Summer Morning,” was centered in the display. The Larchmont, N.Y., dealers explained
that Jones was a prominent
Baltimore painter whose works
are featured in the collection of
the Baltimore Historical Society. A massive bronze fountain,
“Boy with Heron,” by Philip
Martiny and marked by the
Roman Bronze Works was
offered, as were sets of American-made gilt-bronze sconces
executed for Peter A.B. Widener’s Lynnewood Hall, designed
by Horace Trumbauer, circa
1900.
“Expect the Unexpected,” an
ink, wash and gouache by Norman Rockwell from 1958, was
at M.S. Rau Antiques, New
Orleans, La. Aside from the
captivating artwork, which also
included a Claude Monet oil, a
standout in the booth was a
diamond ring. Perhaps the
most rumored item in the show,
“The Majestic” 12.27-carat pink
diamond ring captured the
attention of all the ladies’ eyes,
stickered at $7.85 million.
Opening day sales at Ophir
Galleries, Englewood, N.J.,
This first edition of George
Dixon’s Voyage Round The
World, 1789, was $7,500 at
Bauman Rare Books, New
York City.
A. Parker’s Books, Sarasota, Fla.
Signed copies of Walt Whitman’s Two Rivulets and
Leaves of Grass were displayed by John Bale Book
Company, Waterbury, Conn.
Tamerlane Books, Havertown, Penn.
New to the show this year
was London dealer William
Cook, Wiltshire, UK.
Heller Washam Antiques, Portland, Maine
Axe Antiques, Denver, N.C.
Bertram Wolfe’s Three Who Made Revolution inscribed by
Fidel Castro, $2,500, and a 25th anniversary edition of Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are, $5,000, at Kenneth Mallory Bookseller, Decatur Ga.
www.AntiquesandTheArts.com
September 7, 2012 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — 49
48 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — September 7, 2012
Guilford & Company, St Michaels, Md.
The Palm Beach Show Group advertises its
events heavily, including in unique ways
such as this pen displayed by promoter
Scott Diament — complete with a built-in
retracting poster.
“I decided to bring them out,” said dealer Alex Acevedo in
regard to a collection of “small treasures.” Acevedo has
been collecting the small paintings for years by artists
such as William Trost Richards, Robert Salmon, Hayley
Lever, Thomas Sully and William Silva.
Haig’s of Rochester, Rochester, Mich.
From Here to Antiquity, Hamden, Conn.
Asiantiques, Winter Park, Fla.
A stellar selection of Amphora displayed by James Infante,
Jersey City, N.J.
Bill Union, Art & Antiques Gallery, Worcester, Mass.
Il Segno Del Tempo, Milan, Italy
A large selection of native American items was displayed
by Sandra Whitson, Lititz, Penn.
The Baltimore Summer
Antiques Show
Picasso pottery in the stand of Shand
Gallery, Boca Raton, Fla.
Christian Arnoux
Chris Mulloy’s Antiques, Palm Springs, Calif.
Sands of Time Ancient Antiques, Washington, D.C.
Charles Washburne, Chappaqua, N.Y.
A rare pair of Eighteenth Century blue and
white water coolers at Santos, New York
City.
Trace Mayer Antiques, Louisville, Ky.
www.AntiquesandTheArts.com
A classic pinup painting by Gil Elvgren at
D&R International Antiques, Viola, Wis.
were excellent, according to
proprietor Jack Ophir. “We were
glad that we were able to make
such a strong start. It’s the best
show I’ve had in 11 years,” he
said. The dealer displayed a
good selection of art glass,
including Tiffany, a diverse
selection of lighting and an
interesting assortment of Art
Nouveau
furniture. Listed
among the numerous sales was
a collection of important
Tiffany Favrile vases that went
to a private collector. Rare
lighting in the booth included
several highly unusual examples by Loetz and another by
WMF Geislingen.
Fresh from a collection, a
superb selection of rarely seen
silver by Arts and Crafts period
Chicago silversmith Kalo was
offered at Spencer Marks, West
Hampton, Mass. “I have never
seen this many Kalo candlesticks in one place,” said the
dealer, who termed the firm
“the preeminent Arts and
Crafts metalworkers.” The oldtime collection yielded five different sets of the hammered silver candlesticks, with pairs
ranging in height from 10 to 15
inches tall, a rare large bulbous
water pitcher, vases and a
dome-covered meat platter, the
largest known example to have
come from the shop. Also displayed was a massive sterling
tray by Falick Novik. Highlighting the sales for the show at
Spencer Marks was a monumental Art Nouveau Tiffany
vase that listed an Andy Warhol
provenance.
Collectors that came from
Japan specifically to shop the
Baltimore Show went home
Dealer Tim Stevenson with a color cartoon
by an unknown artist executed for Esquire
magazine, circa 1950. Carlson and Stevenson, Manchester Center, Vt.
A rare selection of lamps by Loetz and WMF Geislingen at
Ophir Gallery, Englewood, N.J.
In the heart of horse country, equestrian paintings were
popular at David Brooker Fine Art, Woodbury, Conn.
pleased with a host of purchases, including several pieces of
silver from D&R International,
Viola, Wis., including an ornate
sterling salt casket set and a
rocaille silver butter dish.
Americana dealer Jeffrey
Tillou, Litchfield, Conn., presented a wonderful arrangement of Americana that included numerous weathervanes
that ranged from an automobile
and a ship to animals, such as a
rooster and a steer. The dealer
also displayed a folky carved
wooden cane wrapped with a
snake, trade signs, stylish early
American furniture and paintings. Listed among the dealer’s
sales was a Harriet Frishmuth
bronze.
Classic American folk art was
offered at The Norwoods’ Spirit
of America, Timonium, Md.,
with items ranging from a large
carved and polychromed figure
of a man in a derby to a selection of tin wedding anniversary
pieces that included a top hat,
eye glasses and a bowtie. The
dealers reported a good show
with an Eighteenth Century
Massachusetts
schoolgirl
Osuna Gallery, Washington, D.C.
A rare sterling necklace
designed by Jean Arp.
Drucker Antiques, Mount
Kisco, N.Y.
Guarisco Gallery, Washington, D.C.
www.AntiquesandTheArts.com
September 7, 2012 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — 51
50 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — September 7, 2012
Jim’s of Lambertville, Lambertville, N.J.
Davenport and Shapiro Fine Art, East Hampton, N.Y.
Art glass from The Emporium, Great Barrington, Mass.
Art glass lamps at Philip
Chasen Antiques, Oyster
Bay, N.Y.
Stevens Antiques, Frazer, Penn.
Daum and Lalique busts in
the stand of LR Antiques,
Houston, Texas
Eighteenth Century Chinese imperial court coats at Jon
Eric Riis, Atlanta, Ga.
Glass lamps by Bellova in the booth of Bonnie Heller, Kinnelon, N.J.
Best of France, Mechanicsburg, Penn.
TK Asian Antiquities, Williamsburg, Va.
Jeff Bridgman American
Antiques,
York
County,
Penn.
The Norwoods’ Spirit of
America, Timonium, Md.
Ralston Crawford’s “Suspension Bridge #10,” left, and
“Butterflies” by Alexander Calder at Dean Borghi Modern,
New York City.
Paintings by Jean Pierre Cassigneul, Paul Signac and Paul
Emile Pissarro at Linda Bernell Gallery, New York City.
The Daniel Ridgway Knight painting, “On the Path at
Dusk, Rolleboise,” left, was marked $125,000 at Rehs
Gallery, New York City.
Coliseum Antiques, Los Alamitos, Calif.
Contemporary porcelains by Katherine Houston of Boston.
English textile specialist Marilyn Garrow,
London, displayed an imperial vest worn by
the Dowager Empress of China, late Nineteenth Century, $10,450.
The Baltimore Summer
Antiques Show
Rumi Galleries, Ontario, Canada
The Philip Martiny bronze
fountain, “Boy with Heron”
marked by the Roman
Bronze Works was at Post
Road Gallery, Larchmont,
N.Y. The American-made
gilt-bronze sconces are from
two sets, both executed for
P.A. Widner’s Lynnwood
Hall, designed by Horace
Trumbauer, circa 1900.
A graphic cover in the revolutionary spirit by Abbie
Hoffman at Old New York
Book Shop, Atlanta Ga.
Toulouse Art Gallery, Los
Angeles
www.AntiquesandTheArts.com
needlework selling to a client.
The needlework was featured
in the Massachusetts chapter of
Betty Ring’s landmark book,
Girlhood Embroidery, according to Beverly Norwood.
The book fair was popular
with all sorts of items available
ranging from Woodstock Nation
by Abbie Hoffman, with a
graphic cover depicting a revolutionary spirited clenched fist
at Old New York Book Shop,
Atlanta Ga., to signed copies of
Walt Whitman’s Two Rivulets
and Leaves of Grass displayed
by John Bale Book Co., Waterbury, Conn. Bertram Wolfe’s
Three Who Made Revolution
was inscribed by none other
than Fidel Castro, $2,500 and a
25th anniversary edition of
Maurice Sendak’s Where The
Wild Things Are, $5,000, were
shown at Kenneth Mallory
Bookseller, Decatur, Ga. A first
edition of George Dixon’s Voyage Round The World, 1789,
was $7,500 at Bauman Rare
Books, New York City.
The
Baltimore
Summer
Antiques Show kept things
lively and informative off the
show floor, as well, by hosting a
series of lectures that were popular with attendees. Lectures
ranged from “Collecting East
Asian Lacquers” presented by
Robert Mintz, PhD, chief curator and the Mr and Mrs
Thomas Quincy Scott curator of
Asian art at the Walters Art
Museum to a presentation by
contemporary ceramics artist
Katherine Houston.
“This was a breakthrough
year,” stated an elated Diament
after the show, “We are very
much looking forward to Baltimore 2013.”
The next show for the Palm
Beach Show Group will take be
the Dallas International Art,
Antique & Jewelry Show scheduled for November 8 through
12. For further information
www.palmbeachshow.com
or
561-822-5440.
David Weston, Cranbrook, UK
Jeffrey Tillou, Litchfield, Conn.
The Warren Platner chairs were displayed at June Greenwald Antiques,
Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
“Expect the Unexpected,” an ink, wash and
gouache by Norman Rockwell from 1958,
was at M.S. Rau Antiques, New Orleans, La.
www.AntiquesandTheArts.com