The eagle on ball weathervane at the far end of the room is attributed to A. L. Jewel & Co., Waltham, Mass., and is from Olde Hope Antiques. The cheese strainer hangs above a Dentzel outside-row prancing carousel horse. Along the wall are two early nineteenth-century banner weathervanes. The smaller vane was from the Allen Daniels collection and the larger vane came from Bill Cyr. The nineteenth-century “Captain Jinx” cigar store figure is from the Robb Factory in New York City. Next to Captain Jinx is a goat carousel figure from the Charles Looff factory, New York.

Long before this quiet New Jersey couple met, little did they know that together they were destined to form one of the greatest collections of folk art in America. As a teenager, the wife saved her babysitting money to purchase her first piece—a small side table, at which her mother just shook her head. The husband grew up on a ranch in Nevada where he learned the skills to become a superb woodworker, gaining an understanding for the craftsmanship involved in antiques.

Their prairie-style home is set on a secluded hilltop and houses just a portion of their sizable collection. The collectors, who met at college, raised their children and pets in this home while accumulating the pieces displayed in vignettes that transition from room to room and throughout the gardens like acts in a play; sometimes whimsical, sometimes comical, and always dramatic. The contemporary furnishings and color selections are in neutral or earth tones so as not to compete with the decorative and important pieces. A long, high-ceilinged foyer lends a museum feel upon entering the home, enabling, the visitor, to be awestruck but never overwhelmed by the sight that greets them. This unassuming family lives and entertains with their priceless pieces and truly enjoys their guests’ responses to their works of art. Every piece has a story, which is told tenderly and individually with the passion and fondness that serious collectors share.

An early lion’s head fire-back hangs below a J. Howard banner weathervane, Bridgewater, Mass. The circa 1790 dome-top boxes and dower chest are painted and decorated by the Compass Point Artist of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The larger of the boxes is unusual in that it features a drawer, and, according to Winterthur Museum curator Wendy Cooper, is one of only three known. All three were purchased from Olde Hope Antiques. Hanging on the wall are two etchings, one of General Washington and the other of Napoleon Bonaparte, circa 1840, purchased from D. Copperfield Fine Antiques, New Haven, Vermont. An oversized, important American barber pole was purchased from Fred Giampietro The plough weathervane is by J. Howard. The couple purchased the circa-1935 penguins from Russ and Karen Goldberger of RJG Antiques. “We had just returned from an Antarctic excursion and we had to have them,” states the wife. The penguins are by Charles Hart (1862–1960) of Gloucester, Massachusetts, a stone mason who also made duck decoys and folk art carvings. He became enamored with penguins seemingly after Admiral Byrd’s first expedition to Antarctica in 1928 to 1930. The pair’s current placement is fitting since they were found in a home in Essex, Massachusetts, flanking the front door. The J. Howard horse and rider weathervane in the dressage position is one of few known.
This exceptional American nineteenth-century Dentzel carousel goat was purchased from Tim Hill and Allan and Penny Katz at the 2007 American Antiques Show in New York City. The figure has superb form and retains its original paint. Hanging on the wall are Marzipan boards by Jonathan Conger of New York: two citing Lafayette’s return to America in 1824. They were purchased variously from Arthur Liverant of Colchester, Connecticut, Axtel Antiques, and John Zan. The mermaid weathervane was an early purchase.
The horse and sulky weathervane, on the chest, is well known and has been in several major collections. Attributed to A. L. Jewell of Waltham, Massachusetts, circa 1865, it was purchased from Steve Miller, of New York City. The giraffe, purchased from a Pennsylvania dealer, is from the Dentzel factory of Pennsylvania, and thought to have been carved by Daniel Muller, circa 1910–1920. Muller’s work is identifiable by the buckles on the saddle. For the most part, the later carousel animals are more valuable than the earlier animals because the earlier were more primitive, while the later Victorian animals were more ornate and frequently embellished with jewels. “We had the giraffe delivered to our home on an approval basis,” says the wife. “Our daughter, in grade school at the time, fell in love with it. That was it—we had to have it.” The painted chest is from Ohio, one of a handful of such known chests. Purchased from Olde Hope Antiques of New Hope, Pennsylvania, it dates back to 1820. The oversized banner weathervane with cutout stars and scrolls is circa 1865 and was purchased from Cheryl and Paul Scott of Hillsborough, New Hampshire. The wooden running horse weathervane in oak was purchased from Splendid Peasant Antiques in South Egremont, Massachusetts, as was the chessboard engraved with the date 1812 and the initials PJE. It rests on an eighteenth-century tilt-top table. The Gopi board beside the fireplace hales from New Guinea and is an ancestral worship plaque.
Along a wall decorated with weathervanes in the family room is an ochre grain-painted New England six-board chest from Olde Hope Antiques. Atop the chest are whirligigs flanking a Papua New Guinea bride dowry bowl. The “Mashamoquet Indian” weathervane is by an unknown maker and is in virtually perfect condition. It was purchased from Bill Cyr and Fred Giampietro. The codfish weathervane, the work of J. Howard & Company of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, circa 1855, was purchased from Olde Hope Antiques, as was the circa 1888 Dexter with jockey by L. W. Cushing and Sons, Waltham, Massachusetts. The Goddess of Liberty is by Cushing and White, circa 1865, and was purchased from Steve Miller. The pig weathervane is also by Cushing and Sons, circa 1880, and the J. Howard banner vane, of the same period, was purchased from Splendid Peasant. The late-nineteenth-century hackney horse weathervane is attributed to Harris and Company of Boston. The painted pole, one of many in the couple’s collection, is a mortuary pole, which differs from a barber pole in that it is gold and black and not red, white, and blue.
The kitchen wall is the perfect backdrop for the collection of cabbage cutters and other household items. A gourmet cook and frequent entertainer, the wife explains, “I spend a lot of time in my kitchen and love it. I particularly like being surrounded by these objects which were enhanced by a husband for his wife as a token of love.” The circa 1860 rooster weathervane on the counter is by J. Howard & Co., Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The table, in the Nakashima style, was made by the husband. Horse, buck, and banner weathervanes are displayed along the upper window. Hanging from the ceiling is an American trade sign in the form of a skinning knife, which was purchased from a dealer in Pennsylvania.

The couple began collecting when the husband was getting his doctorate at Cornell. They had purchased a farmhouse and in their spare time combed the countryside for old furniture, which the husband, would refinish. “We realize we shouldn’t have done that now,” admits the wife, “but we still have these pieces for they retain much sentimental value.” Reminiscing, she looks back, “We would buy a piece and not eat meat for a week. We would instead eat green beans, sit back, and admire our recent acquisition.” Over time the couple’s focus shifted and led to the purchase of their first piece of folk art, a running horse weathervane. That purchase ignited their passion for folk art.

“When we were just beginning we couldn’t afford ‘important’ pieces,” says the husband. But the pieces they bought all had a special significance for them. Pointing to a rocking horse, the wife remembers, “I noticed the painted horse rocker in a window of an antique shop one Christmas Eve. It was ten minutes to five. I inquired about the horse and was told by the shop owner the price was $400. I thought about it because at that time it was a tremendous amount, but I had to have it. I told the elderly woman I would take it and she wept.”

Apparently the woman and her husband had been in business for thirty years and were closing their shop for good that night. The rocking horse had been their logo and they had decided that if it didn’t sell that day, they would keep it. After hearing the story, the wife was reluctant to purchase the piece, but the owner insisted. Placing the horse in her car on that cold wintery evening, the wife assured the shop owner that her rocking horse would have a wonderful home and would never be sold. “It is a bittersweet story,” recalls the wife, “and that piece will always hold a place in my heart.”

The late nineteenth-century game board with paint and gilt decoration was purchased from Allan and Penny Katz. Its patterns create a wonderful modernistic visual impact. The circa-1825 grain-painted chest of drawers is attributed to the school of Thomas Matteson of South Shaftsbury, Vermont, and was purchased from Olde Hope Antiques. The two sailor whimsies were purchased from Kennie Manko’s daughter Kate. A pierced tin lamp purchased at Axtel Antiques in Deposit, New York, is eighteenth century. The doll’s head, presumably made by a ship’s carver, is a well-known piece that has been featured in many collections and folk art books. It was purchased at Northeast Auctions in New Hampshire.
The early N. Brown hotel trade sign is from the Baronholtz collection and is a well-known piece; it was purchased from Bill Cyr. Beneath it is a painted Mahantongo chest purchased from Olde Hope Antiques. The front is dated 1829 and the name of the person for whom the chest was made, Pali Drion, also embellishes the facade. The larger rooster, on the right, is a Lombard rooster, labeled 1880, from the John and Becky Zolar collection. Along the side are two works by Bill Traylor. The top is titled Two-Eyed Cat, and the bottom is titled Turned Him Out to Die. “Sort of a self-portrait,” explains the wife, referring to the second work. “Bill Traylor often referred to himself as an old horse put out to die.”
This carved roaring lion was made at the turn of the nineteenth century and came from the Dentzel factory in Philadelphia. It was made by the renowned head carver Salvatore Cernigliaro, known as “Cherni,” whose animals were almost lifelike.
An important, large cow weathervane separates the kitchen and family room. Made by J. Howard & Co., signed and dated 1865, this is a favorite piece of the couple and was purchased from Olde Hope Antiques. To the right of the cow, displayed on a plinth, is a Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, maple-handled dough scraper with cutout heart, also from Olde Hope. The Indian pipe was a gift from dealer Frank Maresca. The candleholders are scrimshaw, seen here along with other utilitarian scrimshaw and ivory pieces. “The cribbage box is an early one,” says the couple. The whimsy is slate and was purchased at Skinner Auctions.
The inlaid American tool box dating to the late 1800s was one of the couple’s first purchases. As elaborate inside as out, its maker would have brought it to a worksites to show off his skill and perhaps gain more employment. Resting atop the chest are two flying horse weathervanes both attributed to A. L. Jewell, Waltham, Massachusetts. The smaller dates to 1852 and the larger 1867. Hanging on the wall is a work by Bill Traylor titled A Black Shroud and featuring his signature blue poster paint for the purse and shoes. According to Lee Kogan of the Museum of American Folk Art, this is thought to be an image of Traylor’s deceased mother.

As their interest grew the couple began visiting shows and museums. Along the way they encountered dealers who understood their tastes and had exceptional eyes for quality material. One in particular, John Zan, who had an eye for masterpieces, the couple credits with upgrading their collection. “He knew exactly what we liked and would bring us piece after piece and we couldn’t refuse them.” The wife continues, “We were young and hungry for information so we also formed valuable relationships with other top dealers such as Patrick Bell and Edwin Hild of Olde Hope, David Wheatcroft, Tim Hill, Allan and Penny Katz, Steve Miller, Martin and Kitty Jacobs, Frank Maresca and Roger Ricco of Ricco/Maresca, and Russ and Karen Goldberger. “These dealers have played an important role in our collection,” she says, “and they have all become dear friends.”

In describing the folk art collecting community, the wife notes, “Every serious folk art collector owns something which was owned by someone else in that group. We own it and then pass it on for someone else to enjoy.” She points out that the supply of masterpiece folk art is quite limited. “Now we are considered a crossover collection,” she says, “meaning we now include newer works as well.” They both continue, “We have been branching out to include contemporary folk art such as Bill Traylor and Martine Ramirez.” They purchased their first two Traylors in 1997 from Hirschl & Adler Modern. Several days later, they acquired Woman in Black Dress with Blue Purse and Shoes at a Sotheby’s auction—the first auction at which they ever made a purchase. “There were twenty-six Traylors offered in the sale,” says the wife. “When I bought the Traylor, we held the world record for about ten minutes until another prominent folk art collector purchased several of the others for prices much higher than mine.” She adds, “At the time the prices were high, but in retrospect those pieces were well priced.” In addition to the initial three Traylors, the couple has two self-portraits: one painted when he first started painting and the other completed at the end of his career. Of the latter, the wife says, “They are interesting in that the first is in pencil and drawn early in his three-year career. The last he quoted himself, saying, ‘I am like an old horse put out to die’ and the subject of the painting is an old horse. Traylor died soon after and I am moved every time I look at the piece.”

On a tour of their home the couple point out their love of utilitarian household objects embellished to make them special for a loved one or sweetheart. They focus on carved and initialed laundry, or washing, sticks and to the cabbage cutters mounted on the kitchen wall. “The fact that someone took the time to make a hard life a little bit nicer,” says the wife, “is what makes these objects exceptional.”

This incredible piece was drawn by David Davidson, a Jewish micro-calligrapher best known for his work for a New York City temple. Made when Davidson was in Boston, this work on paper encompasses George Washington’s farewell address and the Declaration of Independence. It is signed and dated “Executed and written by David Davidson 80 Washington Street Boston 1862.” Davidson normally did religious subjects, so this patriotic piece is quite rare. Perhaps the most astounding aspect is that it is drawn in reverse with the background painted in, leaving the outlines to create the words.
This exceptional circa–1830 New England grain-painted two-drawer lift-top blanket chest was purchased from Olde Hope Antiques. The silhouette horse and rider weathervane is attributed to A. L. Jewel and was purchased from Bill Cyr.
An early New York State blue-painted hutch purchased from Axtel Antiques, houses a collection of pewter, tins, and other collectibles. The impressive painted barber pole originated with the shop of James Jackson, Lexington, Virginia, General Robert E. Lee’s barber. The outside-row carousel horse is by Charles W. Parker and is dated 1917. The carved bird on book was purchased from Allan and Penny Katz and rests upon an eighteenth-century Irish table.
The trade sign from the E. B. Davis Hotel on the Whitehorse Pike, probably New Jersey, centers a room filled with images of horses. To the right and resting atop a grain-painted card table purchased from Allan and Penny Katz is a jumping horse weathervane from the David Davies collection. Above them is Woman Addressing Man by Bill Traylor, again incorporating the blue poster paint he favored. To the left is a miniature carousel horse from the Mangels factory, New York, dating to 1909, and purchased from David Wheatcroft. The beloved rocking horse was purchased one Christmas Eve at a New Jersey antiques shop on closing day.

 The husband’s office is home to more than fifty of the barber poles the couple owns. They also love grain-painted pieces, which include their many chests displayed throughout the house. Asked the criteria for adding to their collection and they both agree that they select pieces that “speak to us.” “We have things that are sort of his or mine but our collecting is simpatico and we have never disagreed on any piece,” says the wife. “My husband is a former cowboy and a superb horsemen. He and his horse are one, but the horses in our collection are more my passion.” This collection reflects not only the passion these collectors have for fine folk art but their home and style reflect their expertise as well. The sum of which has been a wonderful adventure.


This article was originally published in the 10th Anniversary issue of Antiques & Fine Art magazine, a fully digitized version of which is on afamag.com. AFA is affiliated with Incollect.com

Walking each garden path, one passes by striking sculpture. Along the rear garden, a pair of cast iron arms protrude from an iron slab. The arms were cast as a gas lamp and a horse tie. Created by antiques dealer John Zan, the intention was to create a walled garden room.
A collection of five J. Howard index horse weathervanes, in varying sizes and dating from 1860, rest atop a handmade African Bubinga-wood table commissioned from furniture maker Dick Rossman in Pennsylvania.
Another outdoor vignette contains a grouping of seven metal and wire lurchers, or English hunting dogs, made by the contemporary English sculptor Sophie Ryder, and purchased on a trip to London about twenty years ago. The dogs are interactive in that their formation can be rearranged.
Garden clubs and museum groups have toured these spectacular gardens in every season. This path leads to a sculpture by Maria Colonna. Purchased in London, the piece is called Metamorphosis. One side is a vine and the other reveals the form of a woman.