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Exhibitors Galore and Hot Topics Highlight 46th Annual Tolland Antiques Show

Folks browse treasures at popular Tolland Historical Society event

Dealers and collectors from all over the East Coast returned to Tolland once again for what has become a yearly tradition – the Tolland Historical Society’s Annual Antiques Show. Now in its 46th year, this benefit for the historical society is one of the area’s premier events showcasing early Americana.

Kathy Bach, who runs the in Tolland, has organized the show for 20 years and says the process of putting on the event is a year-round commitment.

“By summer time, I’m sending out contracts for the next year, and by the time the holidays hit, it’s full blown,” said Bach. There is a waiting list, as well, which Bach has to manage according to what they have to sell and how long they’ve been on the list. Variety is a key factor, as Bach wishes to have a diversity of high-quality items and dealers with expertise that they are willing to share with their customers. At Sunday’s show, nearly 70 dealers were on hand, offering folk art, furniture, textiles, rugs, iron, paintings, weathervanes and much, much more.

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It seemed that everywhere you looked, customers were engrossed in conversation with exhibitors, learning about the collectibles in which they were interested. Former Palisades Trading Co. customer, Pat Banach, said she was “now a looker,” as she spoke to Tom Landers of Windsor about oriental rugs. Nearby, Cy Stellmach of Stafford Springs spoke to a customer about the variety of unusual items he had at the show. He said he obtains primitives, lighting, treen, early furniture, folk art and textiles from early homes of Connecticut mainly through a number of weekly auctions he attends and from other dealers at shows such as the ones in Brimfield, Massachusetts. His business is called Blue Dog Antiques. While Arthur and Tessa VanLear inquired about a quilt from the 1870s-80 with dealer Peter Davidian, Karen Pell of Hebron was intrigued with Richard Lawrence Green’s painting of Lake Chaubunagungamaug. There she learned that in the 1830s, the lake’s name was listed in town records as being Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, making it the longest place name in the United States.

Bach, herself, has a fascination for history and a desire to help people learn. She said she aspires to run “a mini Sturbridge” here in Tolland through the historical society. Between the antiques show, the society and blogging, which she recently took up, she said she hopes to “get everyone reconnected to their roots.”

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As part of that effort, Bach introduced a new Hot Topics program to the antiques show. Each half hour, experts spoke on topics such as firearms, weathervanes and railroads.

“Ron Pittinger is in the reenacting business. No one can give a better talk on firearms than him,” noted Bach.

Tolland history was also a Hot Topic, with three presentations dealing with the town – Tolland Green 1800s, Geologically Tolland and Tolland Old Timers Chat – 20th Century Tales of Tolland. These talks took place at the Tolland Historical Society table and were well attended.

For information about future shows, contact Kathy Bach at 860-872-7716, visit the Tolland Historical Society website or find the society on Facebook.  

 

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