By Richard MacFarlane
The journey of antiques, books, and discovery. It’s a lifelong passion and pursuit. It involves the art of collecting and, in the process, designing your home. What’s special is what gives meaning to you and family. It’s not about fads and trends. It’s about what suits you – your comfort, family heritage, and lifestyle. The challenge is in the search and educating yourself about antiques, their value and historical context.
Through time, I have used a multi-faceted approach to collecting treasures. The question is, how do I educate myself about antiques and design? My answer is, it’s a never-ending, evolving process.
I have read reference texts, magazines about antiques, price guides, auction catalogues, historical articles about usage, and architectural and design magazines. Over the years, each has added to visual memories and contributed ideas. The most repetitive wording by these authors is to be true to yourself and be creative.
For reference texts, standard ones, newer and older include, for instance, Geoffrey A. Godden, Encyclopedia of British Pottery and Porcelain Marks, Pennsylvania, 1964; Bill Edwards and Mike Carwile, The Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass, 9th edition, 2004; James Acton, editor, Canadian Book of Furniture: A Short Outline of the History and Development of Furniture, with Particular Reference to the Industry in Canada. Toronto, 1923; Barbara Milo Ohrbach, Antiques At Home, New York, 1989; and Ohrbach’s, A Passion For Antiques, New York, 2004.
For price guides, I’ve used Judith Miller’s Antique Marks, Antiques Handbook & Price Guide, for example, 2014-2015, new editions appearing regularly; Terry and Kim Kovel, Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide, 2020, with 2,500 photos and 500 marks. The recently announced complete work by Moe Johnson on pottery, author of The Potter’s Reach in 19th Century Ontario, Prescott, Ontario: Sonderho Press, 2023, 150,000 words and 1,200 photographs, is a fabulous example of dedication. As stated by Shaun Markey in The Wayback Times, Winter 2024, Johnson thought it would take only two years to complete his book. It became a 15-year journey. “This book is a must have,” said Dr. Alvin Cameron, veteran collector.
There have been many auction catalogues, from Waddington’s to A.H. Wilkens, Heffel, Bonhams, Sotheby’s. Christie’s, and more. Auction results have taught me about demand and relative value.
With advice about usage, you can be quite creative in decorating your home.
I much enjoy reading magazines about antiques and design. To name a few, there is Veranda, Homes & Antiques, The Magazine Antiques, Architectural Digest, Victorian Homes, and Vintage & Victorian. These sources illustrate different ways to decorate. I also buy seasonal issues, at Christmas time and the summer editions. To refresh dining room décor is fun.
There are articles such as written by W. John McIntyre and Janet McIntyre, Canadian Furniture: An Annotated Bibliography, printed in Material Culture Review, 1980.
There is editor Donald Blake Webster’s, The Book of Canadian Antiques, Toronto, 1974. This contains a narrative of forms, styles, and the makers of chairs, cabinets, and clocks.
Sources such as The Wayback Times can inform you about how to use antiques in different ways. For instance, a glass punch bowl could become a floral centrepiece. A porcelain milk jug could have flowers. What about using lavender from the garden for indoor Potpourri?
With the acceleration of technology, books and catalogues might be viewed as ‘old hat’. So many web sites about antiques, collecting, and design can be overwhelming. But searching has sped up such that you can find a date or fact within minutes. Within an hour, you can find auction price results for artists such as Eugene Boudin and have ten comparisons. Sites like Masterworks, MutualArt, Artnet, Invaluable, and Artprice analyze results versus estimates (above and below margins) for you like never before.
For instance, dating to 1985, Artnet contains 12 million auction results. The Masterworks price database has over 3 million data points and features 300,000 artists. The Artprice database is comprised of 30 million auction prices and indices and detailed results for over 635,000 artists. Coverage of this data goes back to 1983 and contains an archive of over 210,000 fine art auctions. Some additional resources include artists’ reports, art market key figures, and trends by country. An email to me boasted of access to 16 million auction results since 1987, 1,126,900 published lots in the past year, 833,500 artists, and 7,200 global auction houses. A lifetime of searching.
Your gut instinct is still valuable based on experience and insight. What does your heart tell you? And there’s nothing like being there – at a show, sale, or auction.
How can we balance older from newer? The key is to focus your web searches; you can’t look at everything. Shut off your computer. Read hard copy books and magazines in natural daylight. Visit your public library. More enjoyable, tactile. Travel to antique stores and shows. You will build content and design awareness of what you like and don’t like.
There is meaningful engagement when you consider using heirlooms that have a family history. Perhaps you’d like to frame your black and white pictures of ancestors and put them together. If you love recreation and sports, why not create a nook with photo memories? For instance, you might use canoe paddles, golf clubs, or trophies – anything that prompts happy memories of your passionate pursuits. Years ago, I put a wooden dowel and bracket on a hallway landing and positioned my grandfather’s ‘Tree of Life’ silk Kashan oriental carpet on the wall.
What are catch phrases to be found in books and magazines about antiques? In Homes & Antiques, Dec. 2023, the wording is, “I truly believe you’ll create something far more timeless and meaningful if you decorate your rooms with objects you love.” In a Summer 1985 edition of City & Country Home, Nancy Phillips’ Toronto home dream became reality when she restored forlorn and broken carousel animals into a glorious home pavilion. “It’s like a romantic stage set, transforming, for a few brief moments, all these adults into carefree children again,” she said.
The Magazine Antiques, Jan/Feb 2020, showcases Ernest Hemingway’s home in Cuba. In the United States, the Canadian life of Hemingway is seldom known. He was the 1920s reporter for The Toronto Star who was sent on assignments in Europe and whose July 1925 trip to Spain and his story about bullfighting led to his first major novel, “The Sun Also Rises”.
Take advantage of your creative instincts, family history, the connections you’ve made when travelling. Above all, enjoy the ride!