July 18, 2024
By: Newport This Week Staff/Marion Laffey Fox
When the Newport Antiques Show debuted in 2007, it was considered a noble experiment by naysayers and benevolent cognoscenti. Now, it is acknowledged as one of America’s most consistently successful and summer shows.
Reverberating with the can-do gusto of its founder, Anne Hamilton, the event has remained true to its philanthropic mission of benefiting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newport County and the Newport Historical Society. To date, the show has raised over $3 million, which has been divided between the two nonprofits.
“After 17 years, it is amazing to realize how that initial show has blossomed,” said Diana Bittel, one of the show managers along with Karen DiSaia.
Hamilton recalls the event’s inception, when volunteers often compared it to the popular children’s book, “The Little Engine that Could.” Today, it is a fixture on Newport’s summer calendar, with a core of invited dealers.
Enjoying its position as a must-attend annual event that dominates the last weekend of July, this year’s show opens on July 26, at 5 p.m., with a gala preview party at the ice rink at St. George’s School, sponsored by Meg Braff and John Peixinho. Known for its festive atmosphere, the spirited party showcases a curated selection of fine and often rare offerings.
“We have 38 dealers, with around 15 that have participated since the beginning,” said Bittel. “The 2024 show is proud to welcome four distinguished new and two returning members, representing 12 states, as well as entrants from France, England and Portugal.”
Among them is Barbara Israel, who returns after several seasons with her exceptional collection of garden ornaments that includes statuary, plinths, columns, plant stands, figures and furniture. In addition, Janice Paull, the world’s leading authority of “English Ironstone China,” notably Mason’s ironstone China from 1790 to 1850, has secured a booth for her popular wares. Paull, who consistently magnetizes world-wide collectors to her Warwickshire, United Kingdom shop, has served on the Advisory Board as well as the vetting committees of major American shows.
Carolle Thibaut Pomerantz, author of “Wallpaper: A History of Style and Trends,” makes her debut with a refined collection of vintage wallpaper panels that span several centuries.
Silla Antiques, of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, joins other first- timers with an outstanding mixsolid ture of American and European art and antiques from 1860 to 1930, as well as fine estate jewelry. CM Leonard, from South Salem, New York, debuts with unique 18th and 19th century French and English antiques that often creatively “make a room.”
By virtue of a respected international network, French Accents, from Baltimore, Maryland, evolves as a tour de force of high-style furniture and decorative objects that include Louis XVI, French Empire, Italian Baroque and Austrian Biedermeier.
Fashion-conscious women always gravitate to Gem de la Gem, where Shahn Rosler features a plethora of choice vintage clothing, including dramatic capes, handbags, scarves and accessories from bygone eras. Rosler enjoys a reputation as a seasoned expert, able to discern copies from originals.
I love the fact that each year, this local, very sweet spot-on Aquidneck Island, in the tiniest state in the country, mobilizes disparate dealers to showcase important and unusual worldwide objects to seasoned collectors,” said Rosler. “In an incredible way, the Newport [Antiques] Show has become the catalyst that draws a sophisticated audience to the island.”
At the show’s entrance, the loan exhibit highlights the city’s history. The current collaboration of the Newport Historical Society and South County Museum in Narragansett, called “Stitches in Time,” features textiles and rarely shown needlework.
“During research of this exhibition, we were captivated by the color and texture of these treasures,” said Rebecca Bertrand, NHS executive director, who worked with Rebecca Kelly, executive director of South County Museum. “Handcrafted textiles frequently carry personal stories. Quilts and needlework particularly, are passed down through generations to narrate familial connections, milestones and memories. Our hope is that these seemingly humble objects will give visitors pause to consider how they preserve traditions, document social change and provide a tangible link between the past and future.”
This year, the addition of Newport Design Week events creates another smorgasbord of innovative reasons to visit town. The brainchild of architect Anne Fairfax of Fairfax & Sammons Architects, and interior designer Carol Swift of Swift Morris Interiors) the forum begins with a cocktail party on July 24 at the Newport Art Museum.It will be followed by three days of lectures, panels and book-signings at Ochre Court and the Young Building at Salve Regina University. Registrants are also invited to subscription dinners.
“It’s wonderful to see our city encouraging new events around long-time staples, such as the Newport Jazz Festival, Newport Folk Festival, Newport Flower Show, annual induction ceremonies of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and our show, to mention a few,” said Hamilton. “While we enjoy our stardom on the island’s summer calendar, we always welcome new entrants to join Newport’s remarkably lively scene.”
View this story online at: https://www.newportthisweek.com/articles/newport-antiques-show-has-come-a-long-way/