ewmiller | July 31, 2009
Antiquarians know well the ways in which communication has changed over the course of the last two centuries. From the day in 1844 when Samuel B. Morse transmitted “What hath God wrought” by telegraph, the tools we use to communicate have continued to evolve. Deluged by the onslaught of e-commerce, email marketing and now social [...]
Hui | July 30, 2009
Another once-in-a-lifetime lot now available is a collection of over 200 etchings by Higgins (eBay number 180390114270). Higgins mastered the art of printmaking during his study in France. In 1957, the year before his death, the Library of Congress purchased 240 of his etchings. According to the seller, “the collection was squirrreled away by his dealer, Leonard Clayton Gallery of New York City, following Higgins’s death in 1958″, which “documents Higgin’s etching and printmaking career nearly completely with a few duplicates.”
Geo | July 30, 2009
The antiques business has undergone a plethora of change over the past couple decades and we had the opportunity to discuss some of them with Bob James of Armacost Antiques Shows. The discussion starts with the influence of Jacqueline Kennedy on the industry and traces it through the present day when boomers trying to dispose [...]
Geo | July 29, 2009
It would seem some people avoid opening the front door for fear of a customer walking in. It’s a bit of an overstatement, but not so far off the mark for those who shy away from social media. Like the telephone, email, snail mail and just chatting on a street corner, social media is simply [...]
Geo | July 29, 2009
On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s historic voyage to Manhattan from Amsterdam, that city’s Rijksmuseum will send The Milkmaid, perhaps the most admired painting by the Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675) to the Metropolitan Museum. To celebrate this extraordinary loan, the Metropolitan Museum will present Vermeer’s Masterpiece The Milkmaid, a special [...]
LindaC | July 29, 2009
Cherry Blossom is also one of the top 5 most collected Depression Glass patterns! The beautiful pattern is not only eye catching, but has a variety of pieces making it quite useful . It also can be found just about everywhere making it a little easier to collect than some patterns. This has also made it a target, as one of the most reproduced of all depression patterns. When I identify a reproduction (repro) in a person’s collection I always hear it can’t be as it was my grandmothers and she wouldn’t have reproductions. She had this set 50 years! Unfortunately, they were making repro’s back in the 1970’s, and some even earlier. If the collector was alive and possibly buying replacement pieces, it is quite possible many collections have reproductions in them. Trying to figure out if it’s real or a repro can be difficult with this pattern as there is not really a common thread to look for in the pieces.
Geo | July 28, 2009
Sometimes the antiques industry seems to be its own worst enemy. The first line of a press release for an upcoming antique show in St. Louis essentially asks if you’re still interested in antiques and collectibles. Perhaps you are one of the few, the proud, the last people on earth to still go to antique [...]
Hui | July 26, 2009
For me, an exhibition of human figures from one of the leading American Art museums is a must-see, even though their website shows few of the more than 150 paintings nor there exists a catalogue. After years of abstract modernism and hybrid installation taking over New York art scenes, the most fundamental and enduring, yet the most challenging art form: human figures and portraits spanning almost two century are a recollection of humanity which pushes us to examine people as posed sitters, subject in actions or self reflection. The rest is a slideshow which is intended to bring some of the pictures to those who are curious about this exceptional show, something that is not available through books or official website. No picture can do justice to real artworks, and I would hope those Guggenheim goers may find the neighboring smaller yet older museum has much if not more to say, with the t benefit of being surround by artwork, not visitors. [Read More...]
Geo | July 26, 2009
Sally Schwartz, Creative Director, Randolph Street Markets in Chicago told me about her view that younger people don’t understand the word “antique.” The buzzwords that do get their attention are “vintage” and “retro.” And so a new breed of “flea market” is rising to cater to these young buyers. I had to correctively substitute the [...]
Hui | July 24, 2009
By the time this blog is written, another seemingly irrelevant blog has raised some criticism at twitter. The Daily System from Pottery Barn looks dizzy and complicated not to mention it is also expensive. The point here is not about its design or price, but to use it as an example of uncluttering the house seems lack of logic. Unclutterring can hardly be achieved by adding another system on top of what has existed: The wall-attached daily system, by uncluterring items from drawers or tables, makes a declaration of modern clutter on the kitchen wall. As furniturlgirl (Alison Heath) on twitter has said: Products do not make for an uncluttered home. Uncluttering does. True, buying an antique furniture is still buying product, not uncluttering. But there is a big difference. Although cupboards or chair tables do not have the modern sleekness or fresh summer colors, they possess the virtues of what Pottery Barn lacks: the enduring value and permanence symbolism. By choosing enduring furniture, we are essentially committed to filter what can fit in and what cannot and make small adjustment around things stable and treasured, thus limiting ourself from impetuous shopping for “uncluttering” system. [read more...]
