On October 27, San Francisco kicks off the 29th annual Fall Antiques Show with an opening night preview party hosted by Derek Lam. The show at Fort Mason Center is the oldest international antiques fair on the West Coast and runs October 28-31. Over 60 new and returning dealers will present thousands of decorative and fine art objects representing all styles and periods including American, English, Continental, and Asian furniture, silver, ceramics, glass, jewelry, rugs, textiles, paintings, prints, and photographs.

To celebrate this year's theme, Chinoiserie: Rococo to Eco, guests will be greeted by a two-story, gilded pagoda entrance created by architect Andrew Skurman. Maria Santangelo of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and historian Holland Lynch co- curate the special exhibition, which showcases furnishings, porcelain, lacquer, and fine arts presenting imaginative Western interpretations of Chinese artistic influences. The pieces in this display are on loan from the collections of Ann Getty, The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, and others.

"Over the last three decades, The San Francisco Fall Antiques Show has emerged as one of the most prestigious art and antiques fairs in the United States," said Lisa Podos, Executive Director of the Show. "With our spectacular exhibitors, sponsors, chairs, and lecturers, as well as our exciting Chinoiserie theme, this year's Show will no doubt continue that tradition."

The fair benefits Enterprise for High School Students which has a mission of helping teens invest in their own futures and achieve their goals. Gala tickets start at $200. Show tickets are $15 and lecture tickets are $15 each. The complete lecture schedule is below.

LECTURE SCHEDULE

Thursday, October 28, 11:00 a.m.
From the Courts of Europe to the China Cabinets of California:
400 Years of Chinoiserie and Japonisme in European Ceramics
Christina Prescott Walker, Senior Vice President, Department Director, Chinese Works of Art and Head of European Ceramics and Chinese Export Porcelain, Sotheby's, New York

Chinese and Japanese decorative arts, which came to Europe starting in the 17th century via the East India trading companies, had a profound effect on European decorative arts, and in particular on ceramics as manufacturers sought to emulate and imitate porcelain. Walker will trace the assimilation and interpretation of Chinese motifs, exemplified by the humble and ubiquitous Staffordshire blue-and-white pottery Willow Pattern along with interesting recent examples of Chinoiserie.

Thursday, October 28, 2:30 p.m.
ChinaQuake: China and World Fashion Today
John S. Major, Former Professor at Dartmouth College, Scholar, and Author, New York

Chinese fabrics and styles have inspired Western fashion designers throughout the 20th century, for example Paul Poiret and Yves Saint Laurent. After illustrating such creations, Major, co-author of China Chic: East Meets West (Yale University Press, 1999), will consider the impact of China's influence today: how contemporary Chinese-American designers such as Derek Lam, Anna Sui, Vera Wang, and Jason Wu have enlivened the fashion scene; China as the leading manufacturer of clothing, and the future of Chinese fashion.

Friday, October 29, 11:00 a.m.
Chinoiserie at Court: The Influence of China in the Arts of 18th-Century Europe
Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent, Member of the British Royal Family,
Author, Lecturer, and Interior Designer, London

China became not only an inspiration but an obsession in a number of European courts in the mid 1700s. Princess Michael, author of several books about European royal history, most recently The Serpent and the Moon: Two Rivals for the Love of a Renaissance King (Simon and Schuster, 2005), will show the effects of this influence in the arts and highlight the key personalities, such as Catherine the Great and Marie-Antoinette, who promoted the current taste for Chinoiserie.

Friday, October 29, 2:30 p.m.
"Mandarin only is the Man of Taste": Chinoiserie in Britain, 1650–1820
David Beevers, Keeper of the Royal Pavilion, Brighton

Chinoiserie in Britain was at its height in the late 17th and mid-18th centuries, with a magnificent flourish in the early 19th century as exemplified by the dazzling interiors of the Royal Pavilion, Brighton. Bringing to life the fantastical decorative schemes created there for King George IV, Beevers, curator of the exhibition Chinese Whispers: Chinoiserie in Britain 1650-1930 (co-author of the accompanying catalogue, 2008), will trace the enthusiasm for this hybrid aesthetic as expressed in English furnishings and interiors.

DESIGNER SATURDAY
October 30, 11:00 a.m.
Billy Baldwin, America's King Cotton Decorator
Adam Lewis, Interior Designer and Author, New York
Sharing the discoveries featured in his new book, Billy Baldwin: The Great American Decorator (Rizzoli, 2010), Lewis will recount Baldwin's privileged upbringing in Baltimore, his decorating career in New York City, and his meritorious rise to international fame, and shed new light on this interior design legend. His iconic and influential classical, clean, and colorful style will be shown in interiors he created for a star-studded clientele, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Babe Paley, and other tastemakers.

October 30, 2:30 p.m. Book-signing reception to follow.
Bringing the Past to the Present and Beyond
Bunny Williams, Interior, Furniture, and Accessories Designer, and Author, New York
At this exclusive San Francisco launch of her latest book, Scrapbook for Living (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2010), renowned designer Bunny Williams will share her creative ways to design, organize, and personalize interior spaces. Room by room, she will discuss how to blend antiques with contemporary design, drawing on her impressive knowledge of the decorative arts and her vast experience creating homes throughout the world.

SPECIAL EVENT
Friday, October 29, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Cars and Cocktails
Enjoy a complimentary cocktail and a viewing of the Tesla Roadster electric sports car, winner of many awards for its innovative design.

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will host its third annual Antiques Appraisal Weekend, October 2 and 3, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., at 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, Conn. In our ever-changing world, we continually revisit and reappraise our past to better understand the present. History can be a learning tool, but it can also be a profitable business when it comes to art and collectibles.

It is no surprise, especially now in these troubled economic times, that millions of people are tuning into TV shows such as PBS’ Antiques Roadshow, Pawn Stars, and American Pickers. Today, as never before, dusting off family heirlooms and rummaging through attics and basements has become a national pastime, as well as an exciting new way to create much needed revenue.

The Antiques Appraisal Weekend will be co-chaired by LMMM Trustee Joe Passero of Norwalk and LMMM Trustee and interior designer Linda Fontaine of Weston. Experts will be appraising a wide variety of antiques and collectibles including jewelry, watches, silver, fine art, furniture, books and documents, coins, pottery and China, sports memorabilia, toys, and more.

“We are bringing back the Antiques Appraisal Weekend, given the remarkable success we had last year," said co-chair Joe Passero. "The generous time commitment of several world-renowned appraisers and the more than 1,300 who brought their collectibles to the Mansion for evaluation made this event an exciting and creative way of supporting this National Historic Landmark.”

Sponsored by Klaff's and People’s United Bank, the LMMM Antiques Appraisal Weekend will feature several leading appraisers and auction houses who will be donating their time and expertise to the Mansion. Experts will include: Betteridge Jewelers’ CFO and Director of the Watch Group Mike Manjos, Director of Estate Jewelry Simon Teakle and Warren Lagerloef, Senior Sales Professional; Braswell Galleries’ Rick Dailey; Christine Downing of C. Downing Auctions, Peter Curran, Terry Eletheriou, Jan Lee, owner of Sinotique, N.Y.; Mary Lou Logan, Kevin McClellan, Richard Murawski, Skip Rooney, President and Founder of Golf-Art/Crossways Gallery, Evelyn Phillips, and Gil Rodriguez, Owner of Gilann Books, among others. Media sponsors include Connecticut Cottages & Gardens, The Hour and Cox Radio.

“This is a unique opportunity for anybody who is interested in evaluating antiques and collectibles,” said co-chair Linda Fontaine. “With a very limited financial commitment people will have access to a remarkable line-up of appraisers.”

Appraisals will range from $20 for a small or medium size item, to $40 for large antiques such as furniture, (maximum of three appraisals). One free $20 appraisal will be available for anyone who will become a new member of the Mansion, (an annual individual membership is $35). All proceeds will benefit the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum. This year, the Mansion will feature an additional event following the conclusion of the Antiques Appraisal Weekend. An auction will be held for those wanting to sell their appraised collectibles. Time and place for this auction, will be announced in the event program and on the museum’s website.

A graduate gemologist with a diploma from the National Association of Goldsmiths, Betteridge’s Director of Estate Jewelry Simon Teakle is an internationally recognized expert in the jewelry industry.

Mr. Teakle became Head of Christie’s Jewelry Department in the United States in 1991 and, during his tenure, spearheaded the sales of many of the most notable gemstones and private collections in recent years, including jewelry from HRH Salimah Aga Khan, the Rockefeller Sapphire, jewelry belonging to Eva Peron, the $12 million sale of Doris Duke’s jewelry, and the exhibition and sale of Elizabeth Taylor’s.

Betteridge’s CFO and Director of the Watch Group Mike Manjos, studied finance and accounting in college. “Being a numbers geek helps out in really unusual and unexpected ways,” said Mr. Manjos, “knowing both current and historical model numbers for the brands that we carry, as well as knowing both current and historical pricing is invaluable in both buying and selling.”

Warren Lagerloef’s passions are far-ranging. He loves fine pearls and has a particular expertise for designing pearl jewelry. Moreover, Warren’s creative sensibilities and flair for fashion and color have made him Betteridge’s unofficial in-house jewelry designer. His artistry is evident in the watercolor renderings he creates for his clients, whether he designs a new piece of jewelry or updates a family heirloom.

“One of the nicest moments,” said Mr. Lagerloef, Senior Sales Professional at Betteridge, talking about his experience at last year’s Antiques Appraisal Weekend, “was when out of the blue, a lovely young lady sat down and put in front of me a beautiful art deco bracelet made by Terry Betteridge's grandfather in the 1920s. She had inherited it, and when she saw our name in the newspapers, she made the trip to the Lockwood Mathews Mansion to put a face to a name (so to speak). It was a magic moment for me, I love the history.”

Braswell Galleries started in 1958 when Harvey Braswell opened a small used furniture store and auction house in Amarillo, Texas. A strong southern antique market encouraged Mr. Braswell to acquire his inventory from the Northeast and eventually the family came to the New York area where Mr. Braswell continued his business with the southern market.

In the mid 1980s, Gary Braswell opened Braswell Galleries auction house in Norwalk, CT. Braswell Galleries relocated to Stamford, CT in 2001. Since returning to Norwalk in January 2008, it has grown from a small local auction house to one of the Northeast's largest antique and auction centers. Braswell Galleries antiques and Estate Center is now located in The Old Norwalk Lace Factory at 1 Muller Avenue, Norwalk, CT.

Peter Curran of Wilton, CT, is a longtime member of the Appraisers Association of America. He is a graduate of The Rhode Island School of Design and holds a MPS from New York University. Curran grew up in the business, (his mother was a well-respected art curator and antiques dealer) and has been involved in all major antique shows around the United States.

Curran has often appeared on PBS’s hit TV show, Antiques Roadshow and has owned and operated antique shops in various locations in New York and New England. The value of objects he has appraised in his career has ranged from worthless to $30 million for a single item and over $120 million for a collection.

Stamford, CT resident Christine Downing grew up in the antiques business, courtesy of an aunt in the business, and has been buying and selling antiques and attending shows since early childhood. She held her first tag sale at the age of nine and hasn’t looked back since.

Last year, a rare Art Nouveau Galle vase whose owner had survived the Holocaust, made its way to the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum’s Antiques Appraisal Weekend and was appraised by Ms. Downing at $15,000 to $20,000. “I was lucky enough to get to hear her story,” said Ms. Downing. “The tears in her eyes mirrored my own as I told her the value of the vase.”

Ms. Downing owns and operates C. Downing Auctions at 4 Taft St in Norwalk. C. Downing Auctions offers antique and specialty auctions every four to six weeks and provides antique and collectible appraisals.

She has appeared on HGTV’s hit show Cash in the Attic as the antiques’ appraiser and on HGTV’s satellite radio station, discussing various aspects of collecting antiques and collectibles.

Terry Eletheriou started collecting and dealing in Japanese swords in 1980. From there, he moved onto all forms of Japanese art: Japanese prints, metalwork, lacquer, Satsuma, porcelain, and cloisonné.

He also has an understanding of Chinese art, “a very complicated art form,” Mr. Eletheriou explains, “as it spans such a great period of time and includes many types of potteries and porcelains produced and manufactured throughout the centuries.”

Mr. Eletheriou studied Japanese at the Japan Society and studied the art of the sword at the Kenzan Institute. He presently deals in fine Oriental and European porcelains and art and exhibits at three major antique shows during the year. He is also one of the dealers at the Antique and Artisan Center at 69 Jefferson St. in Stamford, CT. He is often asked to appraise and price Oriental art for estate sales and was an appraiser at the Greenwich Women's Club this past April.

Jan Lee founded Sinotique in 1992, a gallery located in the heart of Chinatown and featuring classical Chinese antiques, African sculpture, natural wood forms, and contemporary art. Mr. Lee has been an exhibitor at antique shows in the Hamptons, Connecticut, and New York for over fifteen years.

When Mr. Lee is not in his Chinatown gallery or his three-story DUMBO Brooklyn location, which houses a contemporary art gallery, a warehouse, and his woodworking shop, he is attending antique shows and writing features for Connecticut Cottages and Gardens Magazine and the Sinotique blog. Jan also designs and manufactures his own line of furniture.

A sought-after antique doll and toy expert, Mary Lou Logan started her own doll collection when she was a child. She is currently the Doll and Toy Curator at the Wilton Historical Society and has assembled one of the largest toy exhibits in the state of Connecticut. Ms. Logan has also managed and repaired the collection of the Wilton Historical Society. Her expertise is wide-ranging: she can identify makers and age, advise on repair and restoration, and give an estimate of value. Ms. Logan was the first president of the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum.

For the past three decades, Kevin McClellan has been a significant fixture in the business of appraising antiques. After working for Fairfield County Estate Liquidators for six years, Mr. McClellan opened Kevin McClellan Appraiser and Auctioneer in 1983 and established himself as a reliable source of verifiable valuation services for bank trust departments, estate and divorce attorneys, local historical societies, and individuals.

At the Mansion last year, Mr. McClellan appraised a pair of French bronze 'Marley' horses. “These sculptures are after the famous full size ‘Marley Horse’ sculptures by Guillaume Coustou (French 1677-1746)” said Mr. McClellan. “They were sculpted for the King in the early 18th century, and the originals are at the Louvre.” They were evaluated between $8,000-$12,000 for the pair.

Designated by the American Society of Appraisers as a senior appraiser of personal property in 1988, Mr. McClellan has testified as an expert witness in court cases and has worked on some of the oldest family estates in Fairfield County, many dating back to the early 18th century. Mr. McClellan currently works as a expert appraiser for Hiden Galleries, Genesis Antiques and Greenwich Living Design Center. He lives in Norwalk, CT.

Richard Murawski, a coin dealer for over 10 years, operates a Coin & Collectibles Shop In Watertown, CT. His primary activity is buying and selling U.S. and foreign coins, including gold and silver coins. Additionally, the store features sports memorabilia, baseball cards, comic books, and antique toys. Rick is President of the Litchfield County Coin Club and is a member of the American and Canadian Numismatic Associations. He can be found on weekends as a dealer at coin shows throughout Connecticut. His latest project was the classification and sale of over 1,700 two cent pieces belonging to a single client.

Evelyn Phillips is a well known dealer and collector of antique dolls. A retired lingerie designer, her sense of styling and fashion is apparent in the beautiful period costumes she creates using antique fabrics and accessories for dolls whose clothes have suffered the ravages of time.

She is a member of The National Doll Dealers Association, the United Federation of Doll Clubs, and “Tuesdays Child," one of the oldest doll clubs in this part of the country.

Gil Rodriguez opened Gilann Books of Darien in 1975. It was a summer bookshop at first, but due to its success, the business eventually expanded to a shop opened year-round that took Mr. Rodriguez to antiquarian book and ephemera fairs locally and nationally. Although his specialty is art and illustrated books, Mr. Rodriguez deals in all kinds of books.

A member of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America and the Ephemera Society of America, he has been very active in Fairfield County and has provided books, illustrations, and autograph material for exhibitions at the Darien Library, the Darien Town Hall, the Ferguson Library, the Norwalk Library, the Rowayton Library, the New Canaan Library, and the Ridgefield Library.

An avid sportsman and golfer, Skip Rooney established his company, Golf-Art/Crossways Gallery, to combine his passion for the game of golf and the magnificence of its vistas with a growing market of collectors and buyers who share the same appreciation of golf’s natural beauty and challenges.

Since 1986, the company has grown to serve a remarkable and wide-ranging clientele that includes royal families, sports legends, commercial buyers, an army of retail gift shoppers, and the corporate elite. Drawing upon the success of his website, voted the number one website for golf art by Golf Digest magazine, Golf-Art/Crossways Gallery now ships worldwide, all from its charming and treasure-packed storefront on Route 7 in Ridgefield, CT.

For a complete list of appraisers and information on their schedule at the Mansion please visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com. The museum will be closed for tours on both days of appraisals on October 2nd and 3rd.

The Ann Arbor Antiques Market began in 1968 by Ann Arbor resident and antique enthusiast Margaret Brusher. The first few years were modest affairs, held at the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market. After the explosion of interest in Americana antiques with the 1976 bi-centennial, the Ann Arbor Antiques Market expanded rapidly, and soon became one of the nation's most well-known antique shows. Now in its 42nd year, the Market hosts two-day shows once a month from April to October. The shows are at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, spread out over seven buildings and numerous tent canopies.

"We pride ourselves on being a Michigan-based business and in the extremely high quality of our antiques and collectibles," said event organizer Lynn Supinger, adding that the exhibitors come from all over the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

The next show will be 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 14 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, 5055 Ann Arbor Saline Road. Admission is free. For more information, visit http://www.annarborantiquesmarket.com.

MADISON, Wis. -- Antiques Roadshow, one of public television's highest-rated programs, made a return visit to Madison on Saturday.

More than 6,000 locals dug into their closets to be told by Roadshow appraisers if they were in possession of treasure or trash.
From antique furniture to historic bedding, the appraisers saw – and judged – it all.

"We're looking for that big item, that big ticket item," said Alasdair Nichol of Freeman's Auctioneers and Appraisers in Philadelphia.
Thousands dreamed that big ticket item was in their possession.

"I bought this in Chicago in the early 70s and paid about $100 for it," said Judy Roll of Merrimac, holding up a painting. "It was just appraised for $1,000-$1,500."

"Paintings are always popular items and there's certainly people coming in with them today," noted Nichol.
It would be easy to assume that people are selling items they wouldn't normally part with because of the tough economy. But appraisers say that isn't necessarily so.

"Some people say, 'I would never sell, it's a family piece,'" said Nichol. "Others, you sense that it's worth a lot more than you thought and it didn't have any particular meaning to them, so then they're willing to part with it."
Regarding her painting, Roll concurs: "If it were worth $30,000, I'd sell it, but since it's only worth $1,500, I'll hang on to it for a while."

One lucky Fond du Lac couple found out a painting they brought to Madison to have appraised is worth even more – anywhere from $50,000 to $75,000, the most valuable item appraised in Madison. They paid just $1,200 for the painting in the late 1970s.
But sentimental value will keep the painting in the family – for now.

The appraisals filmed Saturday in Madison will air nationally as part of Antiques Roadshow's fourteenth season, which commences in January
.
The season is scheduled to include three episodes from each of the cities on the show's six-city tour.

The Roadshow's next stop is Denver, Colorado, on July 25.