Central Kentucky Antiques and Collectibles

In 1890, the Roseville Pottery Company was founded in Roseville Ohio by J.F. Weaver and incorporated in 1892 with former salesman George F. Young as general manager. They didn’t move to Zanesville until 1898, by which time George Young had accumulated a controlling interest in the business.

The company’s first pottery range was the Rozane line, named after Roseville and Zanesville, and since then the company has launched a large number of different pottery lines and individual hand crafted pieces. Just prior to the 1920s, the company shifted towards the more commercially produced forms of pottery due to a lack of demand for the more expensive hand-made designs, and the traditional blues and browns eventually gave way to the floral decoration more associated with Roseville pottery patterns today.

The patterns of the 1920s and 30s are suggested by the names given to them, such as Wisteria, Columbine, Fuchsia and White Rose. Gone were the scenes from nature and Central and Native American themes under the names of Aztec, Crystalis and Fudji, and focus was centered on popularity and market conditions.

This is not surprising since the period between the two World Wars was one of great change and social upheaval, swinging from the excesses of the 1920s to the despair of the Great Depression, and not only were there similar cathartic shifts in fashion and design but also in money available to purchase them. These were the years of American Modernism, the Harlem Renaissance and Art Deco, and little wonder that pottery design was similarly fluid.

The highly successful Pinecone range came into being between 1931 and 1935, and was eventually to become the most successful of all Roseville patterns, with over 75 designs in three colors: green, brown and blue. However, the Second World War was to change things forever, and although many new patterns were born during this period the war also brought the development of plastics and melamine.

Melamine ware was to become the death of many traditional tableware businesses, and Roseville Pottery history came to an end in 1954 as an increasing number of people found this new material known as plastic to be cheap and unbreakable. It wasn’t to last of course, but by the time people started to return to pottery it was too late for many businesses, the Roseville Pottery Company among them.

However, Roseville are still collector’s items and can command high process. So much so that Roseville pottery fakes are fairly common, and collectors can have a difficult time because of the situation regarding kiln markings. Roseville Pottery marks can be confusing, and many of the early pieces had no marks at all, but simply paper labels. Roseville pottery identification can be difficult for those not familiar with the markings and the way they developed.

In fact many reproductions and Roseville pottery fakes are difficult to identify unless you are an expert. If you collect Roseville it’s worth learning a bit about the markings, because you can’t always tell a fake just through the absence of ‘USA’ in the marking: much of it is in the glaze and color, although experts can often identify a reproduction from the way the ‘S’ slants. Real Roseville has a definite slant of the ’s’, though it’s sometimes hard to tell even knowing that.

It doesn’t help that the company was very inconsistent in its kiln markings. The early Rozane lines were given a wafer mark to identify the pattern and a blue ink stamp in the form of Rv was used from 1923. You often see this on the Vintage, Rosecraft Panel and Carnelian I patters. However, between 1927-35 this was replaced with paper or foil labels. Examples of this are seen on the Cherry Blossom, Blackberry, Sunflower and Futura lines among others.

None of this makes Roseville pottery identification easy, and then in 1936 along came the ‘Roseville’ trade mark, die-impressed and with the shape number stated in script along with its size. To confuse matters further, from 1940 pieces began to be marked with the name in raised letters rather than stamped. At least the slanted ’s’ still gave a guide to collectors as to whether or not they were looking at a Roseville pottery fake.

Roseville pottery identification was made even more difficult with the Pinecone range that was developed over a long period of time. In the absence of consistency in kiln markings, Pinecone can come with any of a number of different types of marking. They can have no mark at all, or have either the impressed or relief company name.

Some Roseville pottery patterns now command high prices, although the early pieces are sometimes difficult to recognize due the absence of kiln marks. Frequently the paper label might be missing, and then only an expert can tell whether a piece is genuine or not. However, would you really want it to be too easy? Surely the insecurity and investigation into proving your piece’s provenance is part of the fun and enjoyment of being a collector.

Press Release from Loch Lea Antiques
Reprinted With Permission

Paris, Kentucky has long been known for its “Horses, History and Hospitality”, but recently people have started calling it “A Downtown You’ll Remember.”

With six antique shops to go with at least eight restaurants, a topnotch framing and art gallery, a boutique jewelry gallery, and one of Central Kentucky’s most active art and history museums all in the seven-block downtown area, there is a lot to remember in Paris.

From Blandon M. Cherry Antiques on the south, near Eighth Street, to Bourbon Antiques on the north, at Second Street, each of Paris’ antique shops has a very different character.  “I think that’s part of why we all get along so well, and why so many people come to antique shop in Paris,” said Ardery Dorval, who has been in the antique business for 30 years and has been proprietor of Ardery Antiques since 2003.

Ardery Antiques is one of the most memorable settings for antiques in Paris.  Located at the corner of Seventh Street and Main, they occupy an 8,000 square-foot vintage building that was a J.J. Newberry’s, complete with original hardwood floors, gleaming 1920’s light fixtures and ceiling fans to augment the state-of-the-art heating and cooling system overhauled when Ardery’s moved into the building in 2005.

Last spring Charles Smith took over the 1930’s vintage dimestore soda fountain at Ardery’s now called, appropriately enough, “The Fountain”.  He offers a daily homecooked special along with a full complement of sandwiches and a daily soup.  For years, Smith was the chef at the Phoenix Hotel – a Lexington landmark torn down in 1987 – and his many fans have been happy to rediscover him in Paris.

Blandon M. Cherry Antiques is one of the newer Paris shops, but Blandon Cherry is well known for his quality Kentucky furniture and art, and even garden statuary – a reputation developed via his years of exhibiting at major Midwest antique shows.  He is open by appointment or chance.   At 807 Main, his is another building showing the obvious benefits of lots of tender loving care and its high ceilings complement Cherry’s tall case clocks, corner cupboards and overall gallery feeling.

Bourbon Antiques, the anchor at the north end of the half-mile of shopping enjoyment, is at 127 Main and the proprietor is Carl Samuels.  Samuels has had a shop on Main Street for 12 years and has also been in the antiques business for more than 30 years.   Samuels’ specialty is lamps and glass, but you never know what else you might find there.  “And if you don’t find me at the shop, call me at home,” he says.

Longest in business on Main Street is Lyn and Gordon Layton’s Loch Lea Antiques.  They’re celebrating 23 years of business at 410 Main Street in 2009 and they  have been in the antique business for 35 years.   Loch Lea is known for “all things Kentucky — furniture, silver, baskets, textiles and art”, says Lyn Layton.  “In the last five years we’ve gotten into Kentucky and equine books.  And we carry a large array of horse racing memorabilia, advertising and vintage win photos.”

Graham’s Antiques bears the name of Dan Graham, who has been a collector since he was a teenager, and has been in business in Paris for almost 14 years.  Their 2500 square foot building was home to a Buick car dealership going back to the 1930’s, and now houses Ric O’Connell’s furniture and art restoration and bench made furniture talents as well.  They are one block off Main Street, at the corner of Fourth and Pleasant Streets.

Dan Graham has a wide range of antiques, including, art pottery and stoneware, paintings, clocks, lighting, silver, “and I usually have some quilts and oriental rugs,” says Graham.  “My specialty is local cherry and walnut antique furniture and art glass.”

Fairbanks Antiques & Stuff, at 224 Main, is operated by Patty Fairbanks, an antiquing celebrity in Paris since 1995.  Patty buys whole households of furnishings – hence the “stuff” of her shop name.  She has several thousand square feet of antiques and stuff – “more if you count how high my stuff is piled,” she laughs.

“You literally never know what I’m going to have,” says Fairbanks. “It all depends on what I’ve been able to buy that month.  I don’t keep things long enough to put price tags on most of it, but I always tell people, “I’ll give you a really good price.”  People love the bargains they get from me and love digging around and finding treasures.”

Besides all the antique shops, Paris boasts several noteworthy restaurants.  Varden’s Café and Emporium serves breakfast, lunch and will soon offer dinner at 509 Main Street.  The Varden’s building was built in 1891 by Dr. George Varden and features Tiffany windows and South African mahogany apothecary cabinets.

Migdalia’s restaurant, at 500 Main, is the newest dining experience in Paris – opened in December of 2006.  They occupy another beautifully restored building that required more than four years of work.  The menu rivals that of any large city restaurant and the ambiance surpasses that to be found in most such eateries.

If you enjoy antiques, art or history, you’ll also enjoy a stop at the Hopewell Museum while you’re in Paris.    Located at 800 Pleasant Street (one block off Main) in a beautiful 1909 Beaux Arts building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, details of the Hopewell’s exhibit schedule are available at www.hopewellmuseum.org .  A must-see is their groundbreaking Kentucky pottery exhibit “Waco and the Bybees” regarding Cornelison, Waco, Genuine Bybee and Selden Bybee pottery of the early 20th century.  The exhibit begins May 28 and runs through September 27, 2009.

*Editor’s Note: You are invited to visit another antiques shop, Discoveries Antiques located at 624 Main St. in Paris, KY that was not included in the above article. They are open from 11-3 Mon., Thur, Fri, and offer an eclectic mix of early antiques, primitives, folk art, prints, small furniture, jewelry, rare and hard to find books, equine antiques and books and collectibles. In addition, they offer chipped crystal repair (done on the premises), book and bible restoration and certified personal property appraisals.