History and Natural Beauty Abound at the ADA/Historic Deerfield Antiques Show
On Columbus Day Weekend (October 10-11, 2015) the Antiques Dealer's Association of America, Inc. (ADA) will once again present their annual art and antiques show in picturesque Deerfield, Massachusetts. Held on the campus of Deerfield Academy, The ADA/Historic Deerfield Antiques Show is celebrated for its stellar dealer roster and remarkable selection of eighteenth and nineteenth-century American art, antiques, and design. According to James Kilvington, a Delaware-based antiques dealer and President of the ADA’s Board of Directors, “In terms of quality, it’s the best show in New England and I think that other people would agree. Combine that with the beautiful setting, especially this time of year, and it makes for a very nice experience. It’s a lovely weekend.”
Fun and informative, the ADA/Historic Deerfield Antiques Show is considered by both serious and casual collectors to be one of the year’s most important events. In fact, the show’s appeal is so far-reaching that it attracts collectors and enthusiasts from across the country. Jeffrey Tillou, owner of Jeffrey Tillou Antiques in Litchfield, Connecticut, and a longtime Deerfield exhibitor says, “I’m always amazed at the groups of people who drive up from New York and New Jersey as well as from the rest of New England.” Kilvington adds, “We’ve had people visit our booth who have come all the way from California.”
In addition to Kilvington and Tillou, this year’s exhibitors include Joan R. Brownstein, Peter H. Eaton Antiques, Inc., Elliott & Grace Snyder, Bernard & S. Dean Levy, Steven S. Powers, Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge, Inc., and Greg K. Kramer & Co. “I think that it’s one of the best groups of Americana dealers in the country,” says Tillou. He adds, “Part of the success of the show comes from what Deerfield brings to the table -- the exhibitors, the clientele they have, the patrons of the museum, and the quality of the [collectors] that come to the show.”
The 2015 ADA/Historic Deerfield Antiques Show also features a number of exciting events such as two book signings on Saturday, October 10. Historic Deerfield’s President, Philip Zea, will sign copies of the recently released 'Rich and Tasty': Vermont Furniture to 1850 and Gail and Rich Mellin, owners of Mellin's Antiques in Redding, Connecticut, and acknowledged experts in the ceramics field, will sign their new publication Collecting Canton: In Pursuit of the Best. While in Deerfield, collectors have the opportunity to visit the fascinating houses of Historic Deerfield as well as the changing and permanent exhibitions in the Flynt Center of Early New England Life. A highlight of the visitor experience for 2015 is the new exhibition titled Greek Gods, Roman Ideals: Neoclassicism and Style in Early America. 2015 also marks the fiftieth anniversary of Historic Deerfield’s textile gallery, which presently houses around 8,000 objects. Some of this material is on view at Fashioning a Legacy: The 50th Anniversary of the Helen Geier Flynt Textile Collection.
Looking ahead, Historic Deerfield will host a Fall Forum titled Yankee Ingenuity and New England Decorative Arts from November 13 to November 15 at the Deerfield Community Center. Authorities in the field, including Peter Benes, Deborah Child, David Jaffee, Amanda Lange, Ned Lazaro, William McMillen, Mary Cheek Mills, Sumpter Priddy, Andrew Raftery, Christine Ritok, and Philip Zea, will come together to discuss the decorative arts of New England’s inventors, merchants, and peddlers during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Click here for more information.
For more information about the ADA/Historic Deerfield Antiques Show, visit the ADA's website as well as Historic Deerfield's website.