Exceptional Variety

The 2024 Delaware Antique Show offers fine art and antiques, with proceeds that benefit the community

November 15-17
Delaware Antique Show
Chase Center on the Riverfront
815 Justison Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
t: (800) 448-3883
www.winterthur.org/DAS

Presented annually by the prestigious Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, is the highly regarded Delaware Antique Show, with the 2024 event expected to showcase 60 dealers in American antiques, furniture, paintings, rugs, porcelain, silver, jewelry and other decorative arts. Attendees will also find insightful lectures, as well as the opening night party that kicks off the festivities.

James D. Smillie (1833–1909), The Yosemite Valley No. 1 (sketch), 1871. Oil on canvas. 12 x 22 in. Courtesy Avery Galleries.

While the show is held at the Chase Center on the Riverfront, Chris Strand, the Charles F. Montgomery director and CEO of the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, shares that the overall mission behind the show is to support Winterthur programs. “We have, among other things, a remarkable collection of American decorative arts, a world-renowned naturalistic garden and a remarkable research library,” says Strand. “Perhaps less well known, we are also home to two graduate programs, which are fully funded and provide our students with tuition and stipends. We welcome scholars from all over the world to use our collection and other resources for their research.”

Below: N.C. Wyeth (1882–1945), Figures in a Landscape, ca. 1906–10. Oil on canvas. 15½ x 19½ in. Courtesy Somerville Manning Gallery.

Proceeds from the Delaware Antiques Show help support key educational initiatives such as free school programs and low-priced tickets for families in need. “Through support of these important programs, we are able to share the wonder of Winterthur with thousands of schoolchildren, and all members of our surrounding community are able to enjoy the beauty of American decorative arts and the Brandywine Valley landscape,” Strand adds.

The show truly begins with the gala event on November 14, from 5 to 9 p.m. “This opening night event is a real win-win from my perspective,” says Strand, “because those who purchase tickets get the first opportunity to shop and proceeds are used to underwrite [the] school field trips for local schools.”

Frank E. Schoonover (1877–1972), Lafayette Sails to America, 1921. Oil on canvas. 36 x 30 in. Courtesy Schoonover Studios, Ltd.

Attendees will find an impressive lineup of historic fine art for purchase, like James D. Smillie’s oil painting The Yosemite Valley No. 1, executed in 1871, and presented by Avery Galleries, with locations in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and Falmouth, Massachusetts. Somerville Manning Gallery, in Greenville, Delaware, offers an N.C. Wyeth gem titled Figures in a Landscape, circa 1906 to 1910. Schooner Studios, hailing from Wilmington, Delaware, showcases Frank E. Schoonover’s Lafayette Sails to America, 1921; while Arader Galleries, based in New York City, exhibits Caroline Parrot, Plate 26 from Birds of America, by John James Audubon, engraved by Robert Havell, published 1827 to 1838.

Also of note, are the lectures held on Saturday, November 16, starting with Keynote Lecture Uprooted Elegance: The Surprising Journey of American Garden Ornament, by Barbara Frelinghuysen Israel—founder of Barbara Israel Garden Antiques in 1985. Following, at 2 p.m., is the Young Scholars Lectures, highlighting the research of current Lois F. McNeil Fellows from the Winterthur Program.

John James Audubon (1785–1851), Caroline Parrot, Plate 26 from Birds of America. Engraved by Robert Havell (1793–1878). Published: London, 1827–38. Aquatint engraving with original hand coloring, 38½ x 25½ in. Courtesy Arader Galleries.

“While we have stayed true to our roots as an Americana show, the dealers we have offer exceptional variety and something for everyone,” Strand comments. “Last year, I had so much fun walking through the show talking with our dealers and guests who were new to DAS. I was very pleased to meet young, new collectors who were excited to discover the breadth of the show, and that there really is something to pique the interest of just about any collector...I hope our guests will leave with that same sense of excitement.”

Visit the Winterthur website for more details, ticket information and list of vendors. After opening night, the show will open to the public November 15 through 17.