When you look for a new acquisition for your collection, do you seek out dusty and dirty objects with original surface or interesting patina? If you do, you’re not alone. The phrase “Grunge School,” describes this learned or acquired taste. There’s a sense of discovery and wonder when you come across a piece of antique furniture, a mirror, a painting, or almost anything that has been forgotten for a long time. Original condition and original surface mean an elevated value for most American antiques.
Tag Archives: Americana
My grandmother was a New Englander but moved to New Jersey later in her life. One time she brought several of her friends on a trip up to New England. She loved American antiques and old houses, and she told her friends, “You have to see the Wayside Inn.” She really talked it up and they were all very excited to visit.
The American antiques market has recently seen a strong comeback from previous seasons. While collecting trends come and go, some objects always find favor with bidders and consistently hold their value. It’s good to know what’s hot at auction right now; it’s better to know what remains popular year after year. That’s your best bet for selling auction-ready property and netting the highest price possible, no matter what the collecting climate.
The newest exhibit at the Winterthur Museum in Delaware opened this week on April 2nd: Paint, Pattern and People: Furniture of Southeastern Pennsylvania, 1725–1850. Skinner spoke with Wendy A. Cooper, the Lois F. and Henry S. McNeil Senior Curator of Furniture, and Lisa Minardi, Assistant Curator of Furniture for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Furniture Project, about the exhibition.
We’d like to take you on a virtual tour of some of the rare antique furniture and other fascinating objects on display.… Read More
Karen Keane, CEO of Skinner, and I had the opportunity to attend a gala opening of this remarkable exhibit on Thursday night. Everyone who walked in said, “This makes you feel so good,” and I agree. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. The exhibit is only open for a few days: from Friday, March 25th through Wednesday, March 30th, and it’s free to the public, so get down to New York and see it if you can.
Paint, Pattern and People: Furniture of Southeastern Pennsylvania, 1725–1850 is much more than just an exhibit on antique furniture. The well-documented objects chosen for the upcoming exhibition at Winterthur give us a window into people’s lives in an area that was home to incredible cultural diversity.
Skinner spoke with Wendy A. Cooper, the Lois F. and Henry S. McNeil Senior Curator of Furniture, and Lisa Minardi, Assistant Curator of Furniture for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Furniture Project, about what it was like to put together this fabulous exhibition, which opens on April 2, 2011 in Winterthur, Delaware.… Read More
Being an antiques appraiser is a little like being an archaeologist or treasure hunter. Sometimes in the course of an appraisal in a big, old house, as we’re scurrying from room to room, attic to basement, opening closet doors, and exploring out-buildings, great antiques get unearthered.
Reproduction furniture can be an affordable entry point to antiques auctions and choosing good quality, strong design and well-regarded manufacturers can also see a retention of value and growth potential over time.
The New York Times recently ran an article profiling Andrew Baseman, an interior designer in Manhattan who collects make-dos, or antique objects that have been creatively repaired rather than discarded.
You may be wondering, “What is meant by the term Americana?” Americana incorporates a broad range of American furniture and decorative arts.