|
Thirst For Antique
Knowledge Draws Sell-out Crowd
to Smithsonian Seminar
by Bob Brooke
 It
was over 100 degrees on the Mall in Washington, DC. on Saturday, August
3. The humidity had climbed to near 100 percent. But three stories
underground in the cool comfort of the Smithsonian Institution’s S.
Dillon Ripley Center, 70 devoted antique fans sought refuge from the
intense heat by participating in a six-hour seminar, Collecting
Affordable Antiques and Fine Art, given jointly by AntiqueWeek
feature writer, Bob Brooke, and Walter G. Ritchie, antiques appraiser
and decorative arts consultant, as part of the Smithsonian Associates
Program.
The Smithsonian
Associates offers a variety of educational programs and study tours that
open the doors to the Smithsonian's world of opportunity. Topics,
offered by the leaders of contemporary thought, range from the latest
discoveries in astrophysics to the delights of regional cuisine.
Established over 30 years ago as the membership, cultural, and
educational arm of the Smithsonian Institution, The Smithsonian
Associates is recognized as the world's largest and most esteemed
museum-based continuing education and study tour program.
Brooke began the program
with a computerized presentation which showed participants the
difference between antiques and collectibles. He then went on to discuss
where to buy antiques, including comments on buying from dealers, at
shows and at auctions.
Participants seemed to be
particularly interested in how dealers determined prices for antiques,
as well as what determines value. When asked what makes a good
buy, Brooke said what pleases the collector’s eye and is affordable.
Affordability was the
theme of the seminar, and it was most likely the word
"affordable" which brought a relatively young–average age
35-40–audience to it. Participants seemed anxious to know how they
could begin collecting without spending a small fortune.
Brooke stressed the
importance of being an educated collector, learning as much as possible
about a particular type of antique or collectible. He discussed various
ways to learn about antiques, including visiting historic restorations
and museums, reading books and periodicals like AntiqueWeek. He
then discussed how to assemble, display and protect a collection.
 Walter
G. Ritchie, a noted appraiser and lecturer at George Washington
University in Washington, DC, continued the seminar with his discussion
of furniture while displaying a dual slide display of a myriad of
examples and interjecting anecdotes about many of the pieces. Beginning
with Victorian furniture, his specialty, he discussed the many styles,
especially emphasizing the "revivals." He said that because
there’s no such thing as a single Victorian style, identification of
Victorian pieces is more complicated.
Ritchie particularly
stressed how high-end examples carry the elements of style for a
particular period, but that mass-produced pieces are more affordable. He
also discussed various designers and retailers such as Herter Brothers
of New York.
Brooke and Ritchie
noticed that participants were particularly influenced by the Antiques
Roadshow–at least 85 percent of them watch it regularly. Their goal in
conducting this seminar was to dispel some of the myths of the show.
The third session of the
seminar dealt with decorative accessories from the Victorian to the
Atomic Age, including a discussion of potter and porcelain. Ritchie
showed participants how the
Industrial Revolution and
the emergence of a middle-class market in the 19th century, as well as
new materials and manufacturing techniques in the 20th century, affected
design. By showing examples of dinnerware, utensils, glassware and art
pottery, he was able to give the audience a good introduction into this
wide-ranging and sometimes complicated area of antique collecting.
The seminar’s last
session offered a brief overview of collecting 19th and early
20th-century art, including paintings done "in the
school or style of" a particular artist, engravings and etchings
such as those of Currier and Ives, sculptures like those of John Rogers,
and photographs of Wallace Nutting.
Both Brooke and Ritchie
emphasized value in their discussions. As a collector, Brooke related
his personal experiences in buying and selling antiques. And Ritchie
enlightened the audience with his professional knowledge of the
appraisal process.
Bob Brooke has been
writing about antiques for the past 10 years and has collected a variety
of items for the last 20. His antiques Web site, The Antiques Almanac is
fast becoming one of the leading antiques information sites on the
Internet. Besides AntiqueWeek, he articles also appear on various
antique Web sites. Beginning soon, he’ll have a new column, "The
Collector’s Corner," on AntiqueNC.com.
Besides his appraisal
work, Walter G. Ritchie is a featured instructor in the appraisal
studies program of George Washington University in Washington, DC and is
a member of the adjunct faculty of the School of Architecture and Design
of Philadelphia University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His Web site, www.walterritchie.com,
offers an enlightening discussion of the appraisal process, as well as
articles about appraising and the decorative arts.
Both Brooke
and Ritchie are available
to conduct this seminar or variations of it or others on separate
antique topics. Contact either or both of them by E-mail.
For more information on
the Smithsonian Associates Program, call (202) 357-3030 or send an E-mail
or visit their Web site. |
If
you’re like many collectors today, you’ve already discovered the
Internet, specifically eBay, for buying and perhaps selling antiques and
collectibles–for good or bad.
