Winterthur, Delaware – More than 60 of the nation’s top antiques dealers will visit Delaware November 7–9 as Winterthur Museum & Country Estate presents the 2008 Delaware Antiques Show (DAS). This year’s show marks the 45th anniversary of the DAS, consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top antiques shows. The event will be held at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington.
The Delaware Antiques Show will present three full days of tax-free shopping, featuring the wares of some of the country’s most distinguished dealers in American antiques, furniture, paintings, rugs, porcelain, silver, Arts and Crafts–style objects, jewelry, and other decorative arts. The show, presented by the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, benefits educational programming at Winterthur.
Elissa Cullman Lecture and Book Signing
New York designer Elissa Cullman will deliver the show’s keynote lecture, providing a “Decorating Master Class” in conjunction with her recently released book of the same title. Cullman is consistently noted in Architectural Digest’s “AD 100” list of America’s best designers and architects, and has completed major commissions for elite clients across the United States. Cullman and her colleague Tracey Pruzan will sign copies of their new book (available for purchase at the show) following the address. The lecture, sponsored by Freeman’s, America’s Oldest Auction House, is scheduled for November 7 at 10 a.m. and is included in the cost of general admission tickets. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Preview Party
Elissa Cullman and Tracey Pruzan also serve as honorary chairs of the Delaware Antiques Show Preview Party on Thursday, November 6. The gala opening, made possible by Wilmington Trust, provides early access shopping for the show’s finest items and features live entertainment and a cocktail supper. Sponsor tickets are available for $225 per person; Patron tickets are $175 per person. Preview Party tickets provide admission for the duration of the show. Tickets are available at winterthur.org/das.
Focus on Young Collectors
In an effort to educate and encourage young antiques collectors, Winterthur will host a special lecture on Saturday, November 8 at 2 pm by Ron Borgeault, owner of Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth, NH, one of the nation’s leading antiques auction houses. Borgeault, a frequent presence on PBS television’s Antiques Roadshow, will discuss “Collecting American Furniture on a Shoestring or with a Pot of Gold.” Young collectors will also receive special pricing ($125 per person) for the DAS Preview Party.
Special Loan Exhibition: Delaware Silver from the Biggs Museum
The Delaware Antiques Show will also host a special exhibition of Delaware silver from the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover. The display will feature exceptional objects from the museum’s Col. Kenneth P. and Regina I. Brown Collection of silver objects made or retailed in Delaware.
Delaware Antiques Show hours: 11 a.m.–7 p.m., Friday, November 7; 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday, November 8; and 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Sunday, November 9. General admission tickets, good for all three days of the show, are $15 ($13 for Winterthur Members), and can be purchased by calling 800.448.3883 or online at winterthur.org/das. Children under 12 are admitted free. The Chase Center on the Riverfront is located at 800 South Madison Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 and offers unlimited free parking.