702c1e4f562745454dee684a6a8b4a2e.jpg

SCENES: Something old, something new: Historical Society of Princeton celebrates antiques and arts fair

Staff photos by Frank Wojciechowski

By CHRISTIAN KIRKPATRICK Special Writer
    Browsing the booths at the Princeton Fall Antiques and Fine Arts Show is a little like leafing through the pages of a glossy antiques magazine. Except that the Chippendale highboys, Federalist card tables and stunning 19th-century quilts are real and right there in front of you.
    The experience is almost dizzying.
    Add to this heady vision a couple of cocktails, a scrumptious meal, and lively music and you’ll understand why the 350 guests at Friday night’s preview gala at the Princeton Airport were happy to shop the night away.
    “I think the show becomes more beautiful every year,” said dealer Marsha Ritch of J&M Antiques in Amherst, N.Y.
    The event is simply glorious — “but it’s also educational,” said Dorothy Plohn, a member of the event’s steering committee.
    All the dealers who attend are very knowledgeable about what they sell, whether it’s estate jewelry, mid-century furnishings or nautical oil paintings. Chatting with these experts is an enjoyable way to learn about art and antiques, suggested the Princeton resident.
    The Princeton Fall Antiques and Fine Arts Show is sponsored by the Historical Society of Princeton. Committee chair Janet Giles noted that proceeds from the preview gala and the show itself, which was open to the public on Saturday and Sunday, support the organization’s educational activities.
    “These activities are vital because children growing up in an historical place like Princeton should have the tours, exhibits and collections that the society provides,” said the Princeton resident.
    For the past three years, Baxter Construction has been the presenting sponsor of show. “It’s been a pleasure to help them,” said owner Jim Baxter. “It’s a great organization doing great things for the community.”
    One of the benefits that the society provides the Princeton area is its annual house tour. This year’s will be on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will feature five magnificent Princeton homes. Tickets cost $30 for members and $35 for non-members and can be purchased before the tour at the Historical Society or during the tour at any of the houses on display.
    A list of the houses can be found at the society’s Web site, www.princetonhistory.org.
    Another of the society’s benefits is its exhibits. Its latest one just opened. “Stand Up, Speak Out: Princeton’s Citizens Find Their Voice” examines the expansion of political participation that occurred in Princeton and America during the 20th century, as women, African Americans, and young people entered the electoral process.
    The Historical Society of Princeton’s headquarters at 158 Nassau St. is open Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
    Sponsors of the Princeton Fall Antiques and Fine Arts Show included Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty, Maximillian Hayden Architect, PNC Bank & PNC Wealth Management, Rago Arts and Auction Center, and Wilmington Trust.