Collectors and the Curious Converge at Annual Show

The St. George's hockey arena was transformed into an elegant maze of antiquities over the weekend —all in the name of local charities preserving the past and looking toward the future. 

Kicking off Friday night, the 4^th Annual Newport Antiques Show's Gala Preview Party provided patrons a sneak peak at the wears of more than 40 top dealers from around the country. Attendees enjoyed hors d' oeuvres, wine, and live jazz while perusing the vast array of antiques on offer—including paintings, furniture, fine books and jewelry. Cases filled with silver, shelves adorned with porcelain, and impressive oriental rugs awaited at every turn. Walking into each dealer's space felt like walking into a living room, each designed to best present the antiques contained therein.     

The gala was folloed by two solid days of antiquing, booth lectures, and special exhibitions. 

A highlight of this year's show was a Loan Exhibition from the Newport Historical Society, featuring miniature portraits on ivory and American scrimshaw, most with a Newport connection. Much of the scrimshaw came from the collection of Captain John S. Dublois, a famous whaling captain from Newport who was known as the "real life Ahab" in his time after a giant sperm whale struck his ship, ultimately sinking it. A year later the same whale was caught, and a tooth was presented to Dublois; the resulting scrimshaw piece is on display.     

Phyllis Carlson, an antiques dealer from Vermont who has participated in the Newport Antiques Show since it began four years ago, loves the Newport show for its wonderful clientele.

"There is a lot of enthusiasm for the show here," Carlson said. "It is really well supported." 

For the antiques lovers who attend, the joy comes from discovering new, unique items at every turn.

"I'm passionate about miniatures, and I just found this amazing collection of late 19^th century, leather-bound books—the complete works of Shakespeare," said Deborah Merritt, a Middletown resident who attended the Gala Preview Party Friday night. "I'm just ecstatic."

Choosing which of the many great miniatures to display can get tricky.

"They just sort of call out to you," Merritt said. "It can be like an addiction, but it's just a wonderful thing to be addicted to." 

The show and Gala Preview Party were chaired by Anne Hamilton of Newport and Philadelphia. The show was managed by Diana H. Bittel, who hand-picked the dealers herself. Four years ago, Hamilton and Bittel were the driving force behind bringing such a large-scale antiques show to Newport, and have remained actively involved since. William Vareika Fine Arts, Ltd., of Newport, was this year's presenting sponsor, and Brown Brothers Harriman sponsored the Gala Preview Party.

Proceeds from the Newport Antiques Show benefit the Newport Historical Society and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County. 

When asked how the two seemingly disparate organizations became dual beneficiaries, Ruth Taylor, executive director of the Newport Historical Society, explained that when Hamilton and Bittel approached her about turning the Historical Society's annual Artisans and Antiques Fair into a full-scale antiques show, the organizers wanted to identify a second beneficiary. 

"The Boys & Girls Club made sense, because we could provide donors with the opportunity to invest both in preserving Newport's heritage, while supporting the young people who are Newport's future," she said.

Total weekend receipts from the Newport Antique Show, and funds raised to benefit the two local charities, were expected to be counted Monday.

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