Date: Fri 25-Sep-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: DAVIDS

Quick Words:

NHaven

Full Text:

New Haven Show

w/cuts

NEW HAVEN, CONN. -- For more than 50 years, the New Haven Antiques Show had

been a mainstay in the Northeast biannually attracting dealers and collectors

from near and far.

The show was well known for its high-end decorative flair and was long

regarded as one of the most important events in New England for Victorian

accessories and Orientalia.

However, due to health problems -- first with promoter Milton Cottler and then

with his son, Robert, who had been his father's successor for a score or more

-- the show was eventually canceled.

New Haven and loyal area collectors apparently missed the show. They missed

the aisles filled with shimmering cut glass, the exotic auras cast by Handel,

Tiffany and Pairpoint lamps, and the quality displays of Satsuma, Imari and

other porcelains from the Orient. Recognizing this, show promoter Jesse Kohler

of JMK Promotions decided to fill the void by bringing a new show to the

Coliseum. While the flavor of the old show would remain the same, the new

promoter incorporated a little more variety. "We looked back at the history of

the show," stated Kohler, "and many years ago, it was mostly furniture, and it

eventually evolved into a more decorative show."

The old New Haven show waned in its final years. Once majestic and filling not

only the main arena but also a large backstage area that housed nearly as many

exhibitors as the main floor, in final outings, it had trouble filling just

the main hall. JMK was faced with the same problem of not being able to

entirely fill the Coliseum floor. Yet, management seemed optimistic for the

future of the show, reporting numerous inquiries for invitations to next

year's show.

Conflicting with Brimfield certainly did not help the premier effort in New

Haven for JMK. According to management, it had no choice but to accept those

dates for this year (alternate dates later in September are being discussed

for next year's show). Still management reported a "good crowd for opening,

although it slowed during the day but picked up again between dinner hours and

the 9 pm closing time." Saturday was reported as "slow," but "Sunday was

extremely busy," said Kohler. Management also reported that most of the 75

exhibitors did well with "50 percent of them doing quite well, and 30 percent

doing OK." Although the remaining 20 percent "did not do well," management

said that many of those exhibitors expressed an interest in returning to the

show.

As would and should be expected of the New Haven Antiques Show, there was

plenty of glitz, and much of it emanated from the booth right at the entrance

to the show. Sieg and Linda Monroe of Past-Tyme Antiques offered a wide

variety of cut glass, with each of the major pieces being well displayed, as

tradition would have it, in front of mirrors. Highlighting their booth was a

rare Clarke cut glass champagne pitcher with sterling top in the Henry VIII

pattern and a striking cut glass Meriden lamp in the Thalia pattern. The

dealers also offered a selection of art glass and silver. Among the other

outstanding items featured was a Dresden fish set consisting of ten plates and

a platter.

Long-time New Haven exhibitors Al and Judy Bagon pleased many of the old-time

New Haven shoppers as they again returned to the coliseum with a fine

selection of jewelry. For as long as the Bagons have been doing the show, Al

has been offering a great selection of men's watches. This year he had on

display a fine selection of 18 karat gold men's pocket watches in the highly

desirable 18 size. Among the multi-colored gold examples was a large calender

watch with moon dial and several repeaters.

Management sought out several furniture dealers, including Quebec dealer Ray

Kisber, who took six booths to display a wide variety of furniture that ranged

from classical French Renaissance to early American. While the variety of

displayed would certainly seem to clash, the large space proved quite

accommodating for the broad range. It actually worked quite well.

Wavecrest items filled the booth of another old-time New Haven show exhibitor,

Brookside Antiques, which offered a grand selection of extremely rare boxes.

Other Wavecrest rarities included two large vases with rare ormolu mounts and

a rare dark glaze.

Chicago dealers Elegant Reflections offered a good selection of high style

antiques with a large-size French bombe commode with bronze mounts in the

Louis XVI style at the forefront of its booth. Also featured was a palace-size

Sevres clock set in gilt bronze with large cupids atop of the piece.

Haig Gallery was one of many of the dealers presenting the Orientalia

selections. Among the items of note from their booth was a Tang Dynasty figure

of a horse that dated from AD 500. A large imperial cloth of state was also

among the numerous stand-out items displayed. The rare piece, circa 1860,

originally hung in a palace and was of the Ching Dynasty period.

SPQR of Elkins Park, Penn., offered a wonderful selection of reverse painted

and leaded glass lamps, including a Handel in the Daffodil pattern, a Handel

"pagoda" lamp, and a nicely colored Tiffany lamp in the Acorn pattern.

While the new New Haven Antiques Show has a long road to travel before

reaching the splendor previously achieved by the old New Haven Antiques Show,

it seems to be off to a grand beginning. A tentative date for 1999 in New

Haven will be the last weekend of September.