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20-B Maine Antique Digest, April 2017
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SHOW -
20-B
Washington, D.C.
Washington Winter Show Continues with Style
by Walter C. Newman
T
he Washington Winter Show celebrated
its 62nd year over the weekend of January
13-15. This marks the seventh year that the
show has been held at the Katzen Arts Center on
the campus of American University.
The longstanding event benefits three
Washington, D.C., charitable organizations:
the Founders Board of
St. John’s Community
Services; the Bishop
John T. Walker School
for Boys; and THEARC,
Town Hall Education Arts
& Recreation Campus. The Washington Winter
Show continues its tradition of contributing
to charities such as these whose efforts are
concentrated on meeting a variety of needs of
underserved youth and families in the District of
Columbia.
The theme of this year’s event was “The Art of
Style.” In that vein, what could be more stylish
than the show’s loan exhibit, which focused on
legendary French fashion designer Coco Chanel?
With her “little black dress” and perfectly tailored
suits, her name became synonymous with style
as her designs changed the fashion world. The
exhibit featured several large-format original
portraits of Chanel (1883-1971) by American
artist Marion Pike, who painted the couturière in
Paris from 1967 through 1971. Also on display
were several examples of Coco Chanel’s designs,
including a wool suit given as a gift from Chanel
to Marion Pike’s daughter, Jeffie Pike Durham, in
1969. Most dramatic was Pike’s original 5' x 8'
Coco Chanel – Big Head
. It greeted each person
who entered the show.
Karen DiSaia, the manager of the Washington
Winter Show, credits the hard work of the show
committee for the show’s continued growth and
success. The show attempts to attract a wide
range of patrons. There are speakers and events
that are specifically designed to attract all ages,
demographics, and levels of involvement in
the collecting, antiques, and style universe. For
example, “Jazz Night” is aimed at new collectors.
DiSaia stated that the evening was attended by
400 patrons. Children ages eight through 12 are
exposed to the world of collecting with a special
tour and scavenger hunt on the show’s final day
during “Sundaes on Sunday” events. Guess what
they are allowed to create following the tour.
In addition to those Sunday festivities, the
style theme was reinforced by Saturday’s panel
This section of Jesse and Carol Goldberg’s booth was devoted to early
exploration. The Goldbergs of Artemis Gallery, North Salem, New York, offered
a circa 1830 oil on canvas portrait. Neither the artist nor the subject is identified.
Perhaps he’s a sea captain or a ship owner. He is shown seated at a terrestrial
globe with a set of dividers. The gentleman wears a stickpin that displays an
image of Benjamin Franklin and sports a watch chain with a dueling pistol
pendant. The painting was tagged $4950. The ship portrait depicts the
Java
leaving port and displaying a 21-star American flag. That flag was official for
only one year, 1819-20. The ship portrait was marked $2850. The floor model
terrestrial globe and the table model on the left are by members of the Carey
family of London makers. They date 1842 and 1812 respectively and were priced
at $14,500 and $6500. The third globe, by Boston maker Gilman Joslin, circa
1880, was marked $2950.
This charcoal and pencil portrait, circa
1840, is likely from New England. The
image depicts a young woman in a fine
dress with a three-tiered lace collar
fastened with a heart-shape brooch. She
wears a tortoiseshell hair comb and looks
directly at the viewer with piercing eyes.
Doug and Bev Norwood of The Norwoods’
Spirit of America, Timonium, Maryland,
tagged it $2200.
These commemorative ceramics were in
the booth of Robert Sears and Harold
Tither III of Somers, Connecticut.
The flow blue plate with the image of
Abraham Lincoln is by Wedgwood
and dates 1899. It was priced at $110.
The pitcher, from the “Historical
Pottery” series imported by Rowland
& Marcellus Co., dates from the late
19th century and is decorated with
nautical images related to the discovery
of America. It was priced at $110.
The two similarly decorated plates
display a central image depicting the
landing at Plymouth. They are actually
commemorative plates celebrating the
life of George Washington. Each was
tagged $195.
Period to Mod is the rebranded name of Brennan and Mouilleseaux, Northfield,
Connecticut. This group of items fits within the first half of the moniker. With one
exception, they are all George Washington related. The chalkware figure of Washington
on horseback was priced at $1100. The circa 1800 profile print in its original shadow box
frame was $635; the bas-relief chalkware ax head with Washington’s profile was $495;
and the small bust of the general was marked $485. The fabric pen wipe with paper cutout
head and hands was tagged $565. The mourning print, circa 1800 and in its original
frame, was priced at $1100. The lone non-Washington item was a bas-relief profile of a
soldier. The frame edge of the casting is covered in marbled paper. It was priced at $975.
Here is one of the dozens of flags
offered by Jeff R. Bridgman
American Antiques, York County,
Pennsylvania. This is an example
of what is commonly referred to
as the “Betsy Ross” flag. The item
description states that this finely
stitched flag was made by Sarah
Wilson, great-granddaughter of
Betsy Ross. It dates from 1904
and is assembled from strips of
silk ribbon, with the canton field
being silk taffeta with five-point
stars. The flag is in an archival
frame. It was priced at $9500.
“Now it is
a shopping
experience.”