News

We were disappointed to discover a few weeks ago that a storm had ripped the roof off our neighboring tobacco barn. The disappointment turned to sadness as our landlord informed us that the cost to rebuild the roof is just too great and the barn will be coming down. More than just losing a place to store our old crates, we feel like we’re losing a connection to our collective past. Much of the job of an antique dealer is to act as a preservationist; encouraging the appreciation of old stuff, finding new uses for it in the modern world, and teaching people how to care for it. As such, we are always heart-broken to lose forever an old friend.

With each passing year, more and more of these tobacco barns are lost to the dustbin of history. In the years since the federal tobacco settlement, the once common sight of fields teeming with the leafy green crop is becoming rare; and so too the sight of the auburn leaves hanging in the iconic black barn to dry. While we hold no nostalgia for the days when the health dangers were unknown, we must admit a bit of the pastoral character of Kentucky is certainly fading with the disappearance of these barns. Which is why it has been refreshing to see several of them repurposed for a new generation to enjoy. There are numerous barns that now serve as charming wedding venues. The Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill has started a world renowned and well-reviewed chamber music series in one of their old tobacco barns just a few miles from our shop. And in the case of the most dilapidated barns, the timber will almost always find new life. The reclaimed lumber industry is booming as builders seek out the personality (not to mention thicknesses) that can only be found in old wood.

Much like Kentucky’s tobacco barns, the supply of antique furniture is a finite resource (“They ain’t makin’ any more of it”). We take very seriously our responsibility to help preserve that resource by creating new markets for these pieces in today’s interiors; by helping to foster an enthusiasm for owning and cherishing these pieces as artifacts of our human past; by recognizing the importance of things that were built to last, especially in the current world of dwindling resources.

This month we will be exhibiting at  Palm Beach Jewelry, Art, and Antique Show  , Antiques and Garden Show of Nashville          , Thomasville Antiques Show                                                           

Enjoy these images from our booth at this year's San Francisco Fall Antiques Show. 

We are heading up the east coast to exhibit at the Newport Antiques Show (July 26th-28th) and the Nantucket August Antiques Show (August 1st-5th).   We pride ourselves on providing exceptional antiques backed by exceptional service.  By providing quality product and service, we have built up a loyal clientele across the country.  In order to serve you better, please contact our office to let us know which pieces you might be looking for.  We are happy to tailor our stand to the specific needs of our clients, and we currently have some really interesting and unusual pieces.

Please visit our website www.jaynethompsonantiques.com for a sampling of our inventory. You may also reach our office at 859.748.5628.  We hope to see you at the show!

Please join us at our next two shows in quick succession. The Merchandise Mart Antiques Show opens with the preview party tonight (April 25) and runs through the Monday the 29th. A second batch of goods will be on display and for sale at the Spring Show NYC, opening May 1st at the Park Avenue Armory. We look forward to seeing you there.

In case you needed further justification for choosing antique furniture over new, Scott Wallace's article in the most recent National Geographic provides it. He tells the story of the ongoing and illegal logging that is robbing the South American rain forest of the last great mahogany trees. Wallace describes a black market in permits which obscures the true origins of the lumber coming out of Peru and elsewhere. Many of these trees are being cut from protected lands or over-harvested from legal logging territory. In addition to the greater consequences for the planet and larger society, the local Indian tribes are quickly losing the forest home that sustains their way of life. 

So how can you be sure that you're not contributing to this type of illegitimate deforestation? Perhaps the only way is to buy antiques. Take this Georgian period wake table, for example. The trees that replaced the ones used in its construction are now well older than 200 years (assuming they haven't been poached).

We have just posted our 2013 Show schedule.  We hope you come see us at one of the upcoming shows.  Please call for more details.  

 It has been brought to our attention that a blog is meant to be updated periodically. Apologies for being out of touch, but perhaps if you saw us in Chicago, New York, or Grosse Pointe, you may realize we've been busy. So here's a brief rundown of what we've been up to over the past couple months:

We began in Chicago the last week of April. The Merchandise Mart asembled one of their largest listings of dealers yet. There were many familiar names as well as some very good new faces.

From Chicago, it was direct to New York the following week for the AADLA Spring Show at the Park Avenue Armory. In keeping with the "Spring" theme, bright booth colors were the order of the day.

Of course, being the first weekend in May, we were forced to answer repeated questions pertaining to why we were in New York instead of at the Kentucky Derby. In spite of missing the Derby, the show did prove worthwhile. Only in its second year, an interesting array of art and antiques were on offer and the attendance was increased from the inaugural year.

There were a few weeks of respite before our most recent show in Grosse Pointe.

It was a big weekend in Detroit. The Yankees and Red Hot Chili Peppers were in town. The Detroit Grand Prix was taking place for the first time since 2008. And, not least, the antique show was happening.

Stay tuned for upcoming adventures in Newport and Nantucket....

We were excited to host a photo shoot featuring the stunning jewelry of Elva Fields' spring collection. And now we're absolutely thrilled to see the results. What beautiful photos, beautiful jewels, and beautiful models. Some of the models are over 100 years old! (And I'm not talking about those lovely ladies). Click here to see for yourself.

Our dear friend Emily Wheat Maynard is the head and the heart behind Elva Fields. She and our own Lori Thompson Finke have a friendship going back to early childhood. Perhaps it is this close link that has led them on similar paths. Emily unearths precious and unusual objects, brooches, clasps, and chains from the past to incorporate into stylish and distinctively modern necklaces. Lori covers the globe to discover unique gems of the furnishing variety. Using her background in interior design, she seamlessly weaves these pieces of bygone centuries into thoroughly 21st Century settings. While each of these successful women could be considered jewels in their separate fields of the decorative arts, what they strive to do is not all that different.

So congratulations to Emily and support Elva Fields!

Many thanks to Jessie Kriech-Higdon for shooting the wonderful photographs.