Discover Mid-America | Is This An Antique?


News & Events Mid-America News Show Calendar State Event Calendars Regular Features The Antique Detective Antique Detective Q&A Common Sense Antiques Refurnished Thoughts Traveling with Ken Good Eye Books for Collectors Directories & Classifieds The Finder: Unique Shops Lodgings Directory Museum Directory Aviation Museums Wineries in the Heartland Classifieds Web Links Archived Features Antiquing in Colorado Dealer Profile Archive Editor's Notebook Heirloom Recipes Helpful Hints for Collectors Is This An Antique? Past Cover Features Reflecting History 2005 Best Of Winners *Destinations 2006*	Discover Mid-America — July 2005 Antiques, pleez! On a recent trip to Louisiana for a graduation, my son took me touring to see the lovely, well-kept homes of this part of the South. Visions of pre-Gone with the Wind mansions were awesome with all the spring foliage beautifying the spacious yards. Having visited several of these historically preserved homes, enjoying the grandeur of the furnishings and, of course, the docent's tales of what went on in certain rooms always makes these tours a wonderful experience. So, coming out of Baton Rouge, he needed a part for his racing bike, and I, with an eagle eye for antique shops, saw one nearby. He went one way, we, the other. This was a handsomely arranged store. Anything one might want for one of these mansions could be found here. The individual pieces were tall, wonderfully dark wood, carved exquisitely and just plain sumptuous! As we walked through, there were great pieces for added decor, oil paintings, mostly of American-style egrets, which have always been popular subjects for mid-nineteenth century home decor. But something began nagging at me. Then, it dawned on me. The patina was just too perfect. The wear that one might expect in truly antique furniture was just not there. Then I realized that all this beautiful furniture is being made somewhere and some unwary Americans that want the antebellum look might just be fooled into thinking that these lovely furnishings are true antiques. A good antiquer studies and studies. A new antiquer must study, handle and learn from those who are in the business, reputable, of course. It is only through learning of what makes a piece antique that will make you, the consumer, a smart buyer. But, as I have written before, I too, have been taken with the "look" and have gotten hooked into buying a fake antique! Watching the Roadshow is a good lesson. The Keno brothers do such a good job of telling the owners why their piece is the real thing, why it is probably a married piece or if it is a reproduction. Even Winterthur, where some of America's most famous antiques are preserved for us to study and enjoy, has been duped. They even have a section for such copies so we can learn what and how to look for things that are just not right. There was an extensive article in a magazine long ago about how a furniture maker decided to make a chair replica that would fool even the experts at Winterthur. It took him years, during which he patiently toiled at weathering and wearing the wood he was using. As he really knew his antiques, he worked each part of the chair with old tools, doing everything just as the original master craftsman had done. And with proper presentation, the experts at Winterthur were thrilled to find another chair to match the single that they had. After the excitement had died down, the workman came to them with pictures and chronology of just how he made the chair. Being genteel persons, they were properly abashed and thankful that he had kept such good records and that he was honest enough to tell them his of the story. We know that modern homes will not accommodate the furniture I saw in that "antique" store. This style of furniture is best placed in an historic home or a copy of one, in one the many mega-mansions the nouveau riche can furnish in whatever style they choose. But, readers, if there is a certain style that you really like, whether it is antebellum or Crafts Movement, and it suits you, go ahead buy it, specially if it does not concern you if it is an original antique or not. You, the user of the product, are the one that has to live with it. But in your heart, if you really want the antique, you have the pleasure of going to antique shows, to shops, to estate sales, yard sales, and when your eyes light upon just what you have been looking for, that is what you will enjoy at home. Norma Crews is a native Texan, graduate of Texas Tech, former teacher and rancher, mother of three grown sons and six grandchildren, and raised in South Texas on a ranch as a member of two pioneer families. Upon retiring from teaching and ranching, she and her husband James became pickers for large Texas shops, before branching into doing shows for a number of years in Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. She currently resides in Neosho, MO. > Is This An Antique? Archive — past columns	{rightside ad cell}
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Show Calendar
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Regular Features

The Antique Detective
Antique Detective Q&A
Common Sense Antiques
Refurnished Thoughts
Traveling with Ken
Good Eye
Books for Collectors

Directories & Classifieds

The Finder: Unique Shops
Lodgings Directory
Museum Directory
Aviation Museums
Wineries in the Heartland

Classifieds
Web Links

Archived Features

Antiquing in Colorado
Dealer Profile Archive
Editor's Notebook
Heirloom Recipes
Helpful Hints
for Collectors
Is This An Antique?
Past Cover Features
Reflecting History

2005 Best Of Winners
Destinations 2006

Discover Mid-America — July 2005

Antiques, pleez!

On a recent trip to Louisiana for a graduation, my son took me touring to see the lovely, well-kept homes of this part of the South. Visions of pre-Gone with the Wind mansions were awesome with all the spring foliage beautifying the spacious yards. Having visited several of these historically preserved homes, enjoying the grandeur of the furnishings and, of course, the docent's tales of what went on in certain rooms always makes these tours a wonderful experience.

So, coming out of Baton Rouge, he needed a part for his racing bike, and I, with an eagle eye for antique shops, saw one nearby. He went one way, we, the other. This was a handsomely arranged store. Anything one might want for one of these mansions could be found here. The individual pieces were tall, wonderfully dark wood, carved exquisitely and just plain sumptuous!

As we walked through, there were great pieces for added decor, oil paintings, mostly of American-style egrets, which have always been popular subjects for mid-nineteenth century home decor. But something began nagging at me. Then, it dawned on me. The patina was just too perfect. The wear that one might expect in truly antique furniture was just not there. Then I realized that all this beautiful furniture is being made somewhere and some unwary Americans that want the antebellum look might just be fooled into thinking that these lovely furnishings are true antiques.

A good antiquer studies and studies. A new antiquer must study, handle and learn from those who are in the business, reputable, of course. It is only through learning of what makes a piece antique that will make you, the consumer, a smart buyer. But, as I have written before, I too, have been taken with the "look" and have gotten hooked into buying a fake antique!

Watching the Roadshow is a good lesson. The Keno brothers do such a good job of telling the owners why their piece is the real thing, why it is probably a married piece or if it is a reproduction.

Even Winterthur, where some of America's most famous antiques are preserved for us to study and enjoy, has been duped. They even have a section for such copies so we can learn what and how to look for things that are just not right.

There was an extensive article in a magazine long ago about how a furniture maker decided to make a chair replica that would fool even the experts at Winterthur. It took him years, during which he patiently toiled at weathering and wearing the wood he was using. As he really knew his antiques, he worked each part of the chair with old tools, doing everything just as the original master craftsman had done. And with proper presentation, the experts at Winterthur were thrilled to find another chair to match the single that they had.

After the excitement had died down, the workman came to them with pictures and chronology of just how he made the chair. Being genteel persons, they were properly abashed and thankful that he had kept such good records and that he was honest enough to tell them his of the story.

We know that modern homes will not accommodate the furniture I saw in that "antique" store. This style of furniture is best placed in an historic home or a copy of one, in one the many mega-mansions the nouveau riche can furnish in whatever style they choose. But, readers, if there is a certain style that you really like, whether it is antebellum or Crafts Movement, and it suits you, go ahead buy it, specially if it does not concern you if it is an original antique or not. You, the user of the product, are the one that has to live with it.

But in your heart, if you really want the antique, you have the pleasure of going to antique shows, to shops, to estate sales, yard sales, and when your eyes light upon just what you have been looking for, that is what you will enjoy at home.

Norma Crews is a native Texan, graduate of Texas Tech, former teacher and rancher, mother of three grown sons and six grandchildren, and raised in South Texas on a ranch as a member of two pioneer families.

Upon retiring from teaching and ranching, she and her husband James became pickers for large Texas shops, before branching into doing shows for a number of years in Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. She currently resides in Neosho, MO.

> Is This An Antique? Archive — past columns

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