A jazz group played in the foyer, white jacketed waiters served delicacies, and champagne sparkled in flutes at the bar. Was this a fancy society wedding? No, it was the preview party for the the Washington Winter Show is underway this weekend at the Katzen Art Center at American University. Best of all, it’s proceeds go to help children and families at risk in the Washington, DC area.
It’s well worth braving the cold to visit the booths and examine some real treasures. Whether you can afford it or not (which I cannot ), seeing sparkling jewelry, Chinese kimonos, and oversized Bison bones from the Pleistocene are fascinating.
(Click on any photo below to enter the gallery of larger photos)
- The Washington Winter Show
- Silver Epergne
- a model of the USS Constitution
- The NY Yacht Club Trophy
- china from China
- Beautiful Shakespeare
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Edgar Allan Poe
- Ulysses S Grant
- Asian Art
- music
- delicious food
- sailor’s stew and artichoke torte
- cameos
- jewelry
- tea caddies shaped like fruit
- more tea caddies
- a pair of sisters
- antique coins
- George watches over the crowd
- a view of the booths from above
- ancient bones and wooden Indians
- gorgeous earrings
- a wall of chairs
- landscapes by masters
- bed warmers
(all photos (c) Diana Belchase 2015)
I interviewed three dealers: Jay Gates of Gates Antiques who describes how an English, Dutch marquetry cabinet was made, Judy Loto of Russack & Loto Books, who talks about why it’s important to collect books about collecting, and finally William Hutchison of William Hutchison Books, who shows us a family inscribed edition of Ulysses S. Grant’s autobiography and a gorgeous edition of Shakespeare’s comedies.
The Washington Winter show runs from January 9-11, 2015 and is at American University’s Katzen Art Center, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. Tickets are $20 and go to raise funds for at risk children and families in Washington, D. C.
Categories: Culture, Insider DC, Interview