Miro Color Etchings Among Top Sales at Baltimore Summer Antiques Show

Besides the fine art, antiques, jewelry and rare books offered at the show, the atmosphere at the Baltimore Convention Center is unmatched by any other show on the nation. From lush white carpeting, to the lavish floral arrangements, the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show offered visitors an invaluable environment to interact and engage with art and antiques.

Marvin Baer, of New Jersey-based Marvin Baer’s Ivory Tower commented, “We love this show because we are able to sell across the board at all price lines. There were very enthusiastic buyers eager to spend money and this year was one of the best shows I have ever had in Baltimore as an antiques dealer.”

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show is an impressive event and an important show for silver, Asian antiquities, rare books and decorative arts dealers in the United Sates. Collectors arrived seeking the fine art, furniture, porcelain, glass, Americana and more ranging from the antiquities to the 20th century—and they did not leave empty handed. 

Sales were very strong and spanned every category of the more than 200,000 items available at the show. Participating exhibitors shared their thoughts on the show, the industry and individual sales:

• Ed Weissman Antiques (Naples, FL) sold a 19th century Italian Bronze  of a court jester (c. 1887) and an extremely rare and special Queen Ann period chair made of Bermuda cedar with the unique characteristic of pierced “roundels” in the crest rail.
• David David Gallery (Philadelphia, PA) sold a major work by Amelie Rothschild to a new collector and subsequently new client, in addition to a recent work by James Atkins. 
• David Allen Fine Art (Arlington, VA) sold an important Gorham sterling Martele Centerpiece with a posted price of $75,000.
• Steven’s Antiques (Frazer, PA) reported the sale of exquisite 19th century mahogany Partner’s Desk among several important pieces.
• Lawrence Cantor Fine Art (Venice, CA) sold an exquisite oil and acrylic on canvas by contemporary artist Craig Alan titled “Requiem for a Fault.”
• M.S. Rau Antiques (New Orleans, LA) reported the sale of many astonishing pieces including that of a magnificent Ship Wordrobe patented by Compactom of London. Circa 1920.
• Masterworks Fine Art (Oakland Hills, CA) reported the sales of a pair of Joan Miro (Barcelona, 1893-1983) color etchings, Pic de la Marandole (1975) and Soleil Ebouillante(1969).
• Matheson Antiquarian Society (Indialantic, FL) sold an iconic bronze sculpture by J. Seward Johnson Jr., titled “Waiting.”

Aside from the exquisite selection of leaded glass Tiffany lamps presented by Ophir Gallery (Englewood, NJ), Edo Ophir also reported the sales of Art Nouveau objects by both American and European masters. 

Jewelry highlights included numerous sales of Renaissance, Baroque, and Victorian Period pieces in addition to modern, art deco, and estate pieces at the booths of many prestigious dealers such as Steven Neckman (Miami), R& A International (Miami), Michael Haber (Wynnewood, PA), Marie E. Betteley (Lewiston, NY), Benchmark of Palm Beach (Blue Ridge, GA), Camilla Dietz Bergeron (New York, NY) and Joyce & Steve Groussman (Scottsdale, AZ) among others. 

Furniture sales were prevalent on the show floor during all four days of the show. American and English furniture dealers such as John Orban Antiques & Fine Art (Cadiz, OH), LR Antiques (Houston, TX), Steven’s Antiques (Frazer, PA), Find Weatherly (Westport, CT), Tomlinson Antiques (Osprey, FL), and Zane Moss Antiques (New York, NY) among many others reported a heavy sales in all pieces.

Paintings, sculptures ceramics and tiles were plentiful around the floor. Artwork ranging from Old masters to the 20th century was represented at this year’s event. Attendees in search of fine art across the board, from old European masters to contemporary works left the building, with major works of art from the booths of Guarisco Gallery (Washington, DC), David David Gallery (Philadelphia, PA), Lawrence Cantor Fine Art (Venice, CA) , Robert M. Quilter Fine Art (Baltimore, MD) and McCarty Gallery (Philadelphia, PA) among several others. 

Many sales of important American and European works as well as modern and contemporary works of art solidified the show as an equally important art destination as it is an antiques experience.

“I have more than doubled my business here at the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show. It’s been an incredible show for French Cameo Glass, especially Daum, and we are happy to have brought such a wide range of inventory as there were collectors here on every level,” Ben Nejat, Enterprise Gallery.

Locally based, Robert Quilter of Robert M. Quilter Fine Arts commented, “Not only did I experience a great interest in my inventory at the show, but I’ve had a strong follow up afterwards—gaining new clients here in my hometown of Baltimore."

“The Baltimore Show just keeps getting better and better and it is a joy to be here year after year meeting new collectors we would have never met if we weren’t here!” Carl David, David David Gallery

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show is not only a great event for collectors and the novice antique-seeker, it is undeniably one of he most important events for dealer to dealer transactions, where inventory is purchased for the upcoming antiques season ahead. Not only was retail business booming at the show, but trade business was thriving as well. Exhibitors described the show as phenomenal before the doors were even opened to the public.

This year the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show enhanced the educational experience with a series of “Booth Talks” by industry experts on the show floor. Categories included topics from Collecting Silver to Recognizing Period Furniture—and even included topics such as “Finding Humor in Antiques.”

“The ‘Booth Talk’ series was a great addition to the show!” stated Gary Niederkorn of Gary Niederkorn Silver (Timonium, MD) who presented a Booth Talk on Saturday. “Many interested listeners attended and several came back to discuss items and further educate themselves. We truly enjoy engaging with both existing collectors and those who are just beginning.”

“I personally recommend this show to all dealers who have never participated and to those who passed this one, you missed out on one great antique event. Remember there is always next year,” concluded Marvin Baer, Marvin Baer’s Ivory Tower.

“The market for antiques, art and jewelry in the Mid-Atlantic region has always been strong and the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show has solidified itself as one of the top industry shows in the nation due to the diverse and quality selection of exhibitors and their collections,” Rob Samuels, Vice-president of the Palm Beach Show Group.

“I was incredibly pleased with the amount of buying and selling on the show floor this year, myself included—I’m once again leaving Baltimore with more than a dozen fantastic pieces to add to my personal collection. I believe that the activity here is a clear indication that the art, antiques and period jewelry industry is thriving and we are delighted to continue to fuel this commerce engine with our events, “ explained Diament.

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show will return to the Baltimore Convention Center for its 35th edition on August 20-23, 2015.