Antiques :: The New York SunAntiques :: Stories from The New York SunShe's One Good Egg- September 24, 2008 Mitzi Perdue only moved to New York City in the spring, but since that time, as befits an accomplished social hostess, 640 people have flocked to her apartment at 800 Fifth Ave. for charity fund-raisers and literary launches. It's not just the causes that have proved the attraction. Mrs. Perdue's home contains a global trove of treasures, comprising European, Russian, and Chinese antiques. To attend Mrs. Perdue's social occasions is akin to attending an antiques fair with a party to boot. Yet...http://www.nysun.com/antiques/shes-one-good-egg/86457/ All Hail Americana- September 24, 2008 Several pieces of exceptional American antiques will hit the auction block here at the end of this week. Sotheby's holds a Friday morning sale of a collection of Americana belonging to the late Rear Admiral Edward Peerman Moore. The admiral and his wife were avid collectors whose friendship with the furniture dealer Israel Sack helped form one of the 20th century's highest-quality collections. Among the Moore items up for sale is a Chippendale cherrywood block-front chest of drawers probably...http://www.nysun.com/antiques/all-hail-americana/86459/ Silver Medals- September 24, 2008 Sinclair and Raye Heather Chen acquired their first piece of antique silver soon after they married. "We were in Hong Kong, strolling hand in hand, when we saw this beautiful silver box for sale. We loved it, so we bought it," Mrs. Chen said. They did not plan to make a collection, but gradually their silver treasures grew. "We both love the arts: museums, history, culture. Collecting silver was something new that we did together." The Chen Collection, now numbering 500 pieces, focuses on...http://www.nysun.com/antiques/silver-medals/86458/ Beauty of the Artful Dodgers- September 17, 2008 Can an imitation ever beat the real thing That's the question 4,000 vintage car collectors and fans will be asking this weekend when they travel to the Fairfield County Concours d'Elegance in Westport, Conn. In addition to rare and expensive Duesenbergs, Delahayes, and Horches, they can also expect to see, if maybe not notice, a display of "artful dodgers," or cars that are acknowledged to be reproductions: replicas, kit-cars, and out-and-out copies of classic car models. Some of the "artful...http://www.nysun.com/antiques/beauty-of-the-artful-dodgers/86026/ The People's House- September 17, 2008 Gracie Mansion has seen its share of ups and downs. The site of the mayor's official residence has been bombed, foreclosed on, and used as an ice cream parlor. Mayor Bloomberg has never lived in the space. He refers to the building that overlooks Hell Gate, where the Harlem and East rivers meet, as "The People's House," and has increased accessibility to the public and to city agencies. Fittingly, the contents of the house reflect the varied history of the building and the city. One of the...http://www.nysun.com/antiques/the-peoples-house/86030/ Upstate Treasure-Hunting- September 17, 2008 Antiques have been the impetus for the upstate town of Hudson's renaissance from dereliction to flourishing weekend destination. Located just two hours north of Manhattan, it is home to shops that cater to weekend browsers and serious collectors. The 60 storefronts on Hudson's Warren Street sell everything from Americana to Biedermeier, Edwardian to Eames in just seven blocks. When dealer Alain Pioton who specializes in French antiques arrived in 1982, he opened Hudson Antiques Center...http://www.nysun.com/travel/upstate-treasure-hunting/85977/ A Studio Craft Going Glam- September 10, 2008 Anyone who thinks that all the major figures of postwar American furniture have been accounted for should think again, and think hard about the American Studio Furniture movement. Rizzoli in November will publish "Modern Americana: Studio Furniture from High Craft to High Glam," an ambitious survey of 26 furniture makers, designers, and decorators. Edited by Todd Merrill, a well-known dealer in postwar American furniture, and Julie V. Iovine, editor of the Architect's Newspaper, "Modern...http://www.nysun.com/antiques/a-studio-craft-going-glam/85521/ Jerusalem's Hip, Historic 'Hood'- September 10, 2008 JERUSALEM In an age when people spend more time in front of their computer screens than they do interacting face-to-face, a noted architect has skillfully drawn on his knowledge of history and antiques to design one of the most striking and beautiful urban spaces in the world. Most of the Mamila-Alrov Quarter opened this season in Jerusalem, capping off a 35-year quest of the Canadian-Israeli architect Moshe Safdie to create a thoroughly modern shopping and dining destination just outside...http://www.nysun.com/antiques/jerusalems-hip-historic-hood/85522/ Bringing It Back Intact- September 3, 2008 Global shoppers looking to adorn their homes with found treasures such as Victorian crystoleums and Barbolla mirrors stroll London's Portobello Road. Across the channel, the Biennale des Antiquaires (whose Web site is bdafrance.eu) comes to the Grand Palais in Paris September 11-21. Artworks dating from the Middle Ages, prized manuscripts, and modern designs by Prouv, Le Corbusier, and Ettore Sottsass are yours for the taking. But the hard work isn't just the acquisition of, say, a fabulous...http://www.nysun.com/antiques/bringing-it-back-intact/85060/ Shipping Precious Loot Locally- September 3, 2008 Shopping for antiques can be as easy as opening your wallet. But after you score a great deal on that mahogany drop-leaf table in Brooklyn, how do you get it home to the Upper East Side Enter the antiques handlers. They are the movers if not shakers of New York's antiques market. But the people who pack, ship, and truck all manner of old and breathtakingly expensive things through the city's nexus of galleries, auction houses, private homes, and museums need more than muscle. Lugging is...http://www.nysun.com/antiques/shipping-precious-loot-locally/85059/ |