May 2009

One Man Exhibition

I am delighted to announce that I have been asked to exhibit antique American flags once again at New York's venerable Union League Club. One of the city’s most exclusive institutions, the Union League was founded in 1863 by a group of concerned and influential citizens, to aid President Abraham Lincoln in his quest to preserve the Union. Over ensuing years, the club has quietly rendered distinguished service to the nation. Its members were instrumental in establishing The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1870, played an essential role in the founding of the American Red Cross, and helped to erect both the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor and the Lincoln Monument in Union Square.

Many prominent civic, state and national leaders have enjoyed membership in the ULC. Theodore Roosevelt managed his early political career from the Club’s chambers and chose them as a place to hold interrogations during the time when he served as New York’s Chief of Police. Fifteen Presidents, seven Senators, many Congressmen, cabinet members, diplomats, and scores of CEO’s of major corporations have been members during the past hundred and forty years. J. Pierpont Morgan was a regular, along with John Jay, William Cullen Bryant, Chester Arthur, and Thomas Nast. During this time the Union League has become home to important, original oil paintings of all but one of the Republican American Presidents, as well as other significant works of art.

Hours are as Follows:

Tuesday, May 12th
6 – 9 pm: Gala opening with wine and champagne served from

7 - 8:30 pm: For an additional cost of $20 / person you may attend a dinner at 7:00, which will be accompanied by a lecture on the finer points of flag collecting, given by Jeff Bridgman. Reservations are necessary and may be obtained by calling (717) 676-0545. Space is limited. (Actual cost of the dinner is $60, with Jeff R. Bridgman American Antiques subsidizing $40 for interested guests).

Wednesday, May 13th
Jeff will be available in the gallery from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm.

May 14th – May 30th
The exhibit will be up until May 30th in the first floor gallery and I can meet those with significant interest by appointment with advanced notice. To schedule, please call me at (717) 676-0545 or email me at info@jeffbridgman.com

Please note that the club rules prohibit jeans, shorts, and cell phone use (our sincerest thanks for your cooperation).

The Union League Club is located at 38 East 37th Street, New York, New York 10016

June 26 - 28, 2009

Let me start by saying that there will be two tractor-trailer sized air conditioners again this year at the Litchfield County Antiques Show. The three-day fair is held in the beautiful town of Kent, along the Connecticut / New York State border, 15 miles north of New Milford and about 25 miles west of Litchfield proper. It is a classy, vetted, indoor event, managed by the Antiques Council. Here you can expect to find some of the best dealers in the nation, exhibiting formal furniture and accessories, garden antiques of the season, country furnishings, plus high quality folk art, paintings, oriental rugs, ceramics, silver, antiquarian books, and jewelry. The show will be held on the beautiful grounds of the Kent School in the hockey rink, and it benefits Greenwoods Counseling Services, a non-profit organization providing free mental heath referrals in Litchfield County.

There will be a benefit preview party on Friday, the 26th, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. The cost to attend the benefit is $100 / person (of which $60 is tax deductible). For ticketing, please call (860) 567 0613 or email lcashow@optonline.net.

Regular show hours are Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 10-5. Click here for directions.

July 30 - August 2, 2009

BARTLETT’S FARM is the exciting new location this year for the 30th Annual Nantucket Historical Association Antiques Show. The show will be under one huge air-conditioned tent, with a raised, carpeted floor, a simplified layout, and plenty of easy-access parking.

So once again one of the most highly coveted antiques events of the year can be found in one of the most beautiful and historic New England vacation destinations, Nantucket Island. Come see 38 of the nation’s top dealers at this benefit charity for the Nantucket Historical Association, which maintains several properties and holds marvelous collections that are not to be missed while you are on island.

For those unfamiliar with Bartlett’s Farm, know that they operate the best farm market and grocery store on the island. They grow many of their own vegetables, the most famous of which are Bartlett’s Farm tomatoes. The land has been operated and farmed by the Bartlett family since the early 19th century.

Show hours are as follows: There will be a benefit preview party on Thursday, July 30th, from 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm (for tickets call 508-228-1894, ext. 130). Regular show hours are Fri. & Sat. 10-5 and Sun. 10-4. This is a vetted fair, managed by the Antiques Council. Click here for ferry and flight information.

September 3 - 6, 2009

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show is a huge, 550-dealer event to be held downtown in Baltimore’s beautiful Inner Harbor at the Baltimore Convention Center. The show is in its 29th year, but two years ago marked a major change for the show as it was taken over by the Palm Beach Show Group. This new, aggressive promoter has revamped the event and up-scaled the dealer list to include some of the exhibitors from its prestigious, Palm Beach show that takes place in February and bears a two-million dollar ad budget. The result is a much different show than its long-time predecessor. Merchandise ranges widely in price, starting at less than $100 in many booths and ending at several million in a few.

My neighbor at the show two years ago offered a 41 carat clear diamond (the only one known to exist) and a case full of the largest canary diamonds I have ever personally seen, all accompanied by a wired, armed guard in black tie attire. So there is truly something for everybody on the price and quality scale. 60 antiquarian book dealers are included, which is a nice feature.

There is no preview. The show opens at noon on Thursday, September 3rdt and the hours are as follows: Thursday 12 noon – 8pm, Friday and Saturday 11am – 7pm, and Sunday 11am – 6pm. For more information visit the www.baltimoresummerantiques.com.
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October 10 - 11, 2009

When I first walked through the door to the ADA / Historic Deerfield Antiques Show in 2003, it didn’t take me long to decide that this was, hands down, the highest quality American antiques event that I had ever seen.  My mouth fell open numerous times as I walked from booth to booth and I recall the overall quality as extraordinary, especially in light of the continual drop in quality across the board at antiques shows.  Having exhibited at more than 500 of them in my seventeen plus years as a dealer, I regarded this as a milestone of no small significance.  I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to become involved in the event and am eager to return for my sixth year.

This year's show takes place on the beautiful autumn weekend that precedes Columbus Day, which makes it the perfect time to get away to Western Massachusetts for a long weekend, view the foliage, and tour the hallowed streets of this 18th century town. 

For those unfamiliar with Historic Deerfield, know that it is one of the best places in America to view carefully preserved 18th century houses, filled with the best collections of early American antiques in the nation.  Make sure to take extra time after your visit to the show to tour the mile-long stretch of Deerfield village, which also includes the Flynt Center Museum, a repository for the best in early Americana.

November 5 - 8, 2009

The 46th Annual Delaware Antiques Show. I am privileged to participate in this icon of the antique show world that benefits the educational programs at Winterthur, the former estate of avid antiques collector and horticulturist, Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969). The show has a heavy focus on American antiques, particularly those of Pennsylvania origin, and, in my opinion, is one of the top three American antiques shows in the nation. The show is unique because all items are sold with a written guarantee of the dealers, backed by the Winterthur Museum, which hand-selects the show’s participants. For those unfamiliar with Winterthur, you should know that it was, in some senses, the DuPont answer to the Vanderbilt’s Colonial Williamsburg. Winterthur is not a village, however, but a huge country estate with many buildings and extensive gardens, far and away less commercialized than its Vanderbilt counterpart. Its academic programs for the study of antiques and conservation are among the very best in the nation. I encourage you to take the time to tour Winterthur when you visit the show.

The show is to be held at the Chase Center on the riverfront in downtown Wilmington, which is about 100 miles from New York City and about the same distance from Washington, D.C., just off Interstate 95.

There will be a gala benefit preview party on Thursday, November 5th from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Tickets range from $175 - $225 and there is a special rate of $125 for young collectors. For further details and reservations call (302) 888-3386 or e-mail: delantiquesshow@winterthur.org.

Regular show admission is $15 per person ($13 for Winterthur members) and hours are Friday and Saturday 11-6 and Sunday 11-5.

The show is to be held at the Chase Center on the riverfront in downtown Wilmington, which is about 100 miles from New York City and about the same distance from Washington, D.C., just off Interstate 95. Click here for directions to the Wilmington Riverfront.