COMPLIMENTARY COPY
Looking Beyond The Underground Railroad Program To Be Held At Landisville Mennonite Church On March 19 FRIDAY MARCH 2, 2018 • VOL. 49, NO. 9
“Stitching A Southern Identity: Defining Female Culture In The Early South” MESDA’s Spring Seminar To Be Held March 16 And 17
“Beyond the Underground R a i l r o a d : Reclaiming African American Heritage” is a virtual tour of places and sites such as the Stevens/Smith site in Lancaster City, the Mifflin House, and Columbia Crossings, as well as various lesser-known homes that were part of the Underground Railroad. This event will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 19, at Landisville Mennonite Church, 3320 Bowman Road, Landisville, Pa. Randolph J. Harris will share stories and talk about the behindthe-scenes efforts to reclaim these sites for historic purposes. Through his education, research, and more than 25 years of work experience in many different capacities, including past executive director of the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County, he is uniquely qualified to speak on the preservation and promotion of these sites.
His recent projects focus on African American heritage sites in the communities of southcentral Pennsylvania and the development of heritage tours. Harris is also the archivist of the African American Historical Society of South Central Pennsylvania. An interesting insight that he will share with the attendees of this virtual tour is the important role that local government representatives should take as stewards of the heritage of their communities, including the buildings and the natural environment of the area. Attendance is free, but there will be an offering taken to cover expenses.
Elverson Antique Show Nears Golden Anniversary This sampler by a young member of the Terrill family, 1817–24, of Spotsylvania County, Va, is linen and silk, MESDA Acc. 5924, courtesy of MESDA purchase fund. The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) Spring seminar, titled “Stitching a Southern Identity: Defining Female Culture in the Early South,” will be held Friday and Saturday, March 16 and 17. The seminar will explore needlework executed by girls and women in early America and will take place at Old Salem Museums and Gardens in Winston-Salem, N.C. Few decorative or utilitarian forms were as expressive or as vital to a woman’s life as the needle arts, which provided a source of artistic outlet at a time in American history
when few others were available for females. Stitched handcrafts were not considered on par with the fine arts of painting and sculpture, fields that were generally maledefined and male-oriented. Most needlework was not produced by professionals. It was created by school-age girls and grown women with homes and families who demanded much of their time and energy. Skill with the needle symbolized eligibility for marriage and was a continued measure of success throughout a woman’s life. “Stitching a Southern Identity” will celebrate the skill and sophistication of these once marginalized works as well as the dedication of the girls and women behind the thread. The two-day seminar will feature lectures, workshop sessions, and tours of the MESDA collections. Linda Eaton, senior curator of textiles at the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, will provide the keynote address. Leading scholars in the field will round out the lectures. Workshop sessions will feature experts in the The painting of Mary Hawksworth Riddell and Agnes field as well as Cassie Riddell is by Charles Peale Polk, 1791–95, of Baltimore, Dickson, a noted weaver who Md., oil-on-canvas, 37.25-by-35 inches, MESDA Acc. processes flax to linen and Continued on page 2 3374, gift of Frank L. Horton.
Show To Take Place At Twin Valley High School On March 10 And 11 The Elverson Antique Show and Sale is entering its 49th year with the spring edition of the semiannual show. This marks the 98th opening of the show, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday, March 10 and 11. Its longevity can be attributed to its long-standing reputation as a show where both dealers and collectors can find quality antiques and accessories at affordable prices. It started in 1969 as a fundraiser for the Elverson Fire Company and moved to the Twin Valley High School when the old firehouse was demolished. Since then, proceeds from the show have gone to support the school’s athletic program. Located where Berks County and Chester County meet, the show draws dealers and collectors from
AAN Current News
Honus Wagner Baseball Card On View At Winterthur on page 2
Lancaster’s Rock Ford Plantation To Host Volunteer Recruitment Event on page 2
Americana And International Auction at Pook & Pook on page 9
Pennsylvania, as well as neighboring Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and also New Hampshire and Virginia. Twin Valley High School is located at 4897 North Continued on page 4
Chinese Green Glazed Oval Footed Porcelain Bowl Soars To $200,000 At Nye & Company on page 13
In This Issue SHOPS, SHOWS & MARKETS . . . . . . . . . . starting on page 3 SHOPS DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . on page 5 EVENT & AUCTION CALENDAR . on page 7 AUCTION SALE BILLS . . . starting on page 7
FEATURED AUCTION: John Moran Auctioneers - March 12 in Monrovia, California - Page 14
AUCTIONEER DIRECTORY . . . . . on page 8 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . on page 15