Back by popular demand, it’s the Antiques Appraisal Fair at Bennington Museum.
Bring your personal treasures for evaluation by professional appraisers Charles Flint, Lorraine German, and Maria and Patricia Siskind. Plus, we welcome members of the Collections Care and Conservation Alliance who can advise you on the best ways to preserve your precious items.
Bring up to 5 items for appraisal at $10 per item. You may bring other items at no charge for consultation with the Collections Care & Conservation Alliance.
No need to register in advance. Participants will be paired with appraisers based on order of arrival.
The Appraisers
Charles Flint, of Charles L. Flint, Fine Art and Antiques in Lenox, MA has an impressive background in and knowledge of antiques. He performs appraisals and authentications for museums, as well as private collectors and insurance companies. A member of the New England Appraisers Association, he has expertise in fine arts; Early American furniture, both country and formal; 16th to 19th century oil paintings, both European and American; Shaker furniture and accessories; early blown and molded glass; paper and rare books; toys; bottles; folk art; early photography; vintage jewelry; civil war objects; stoneware and numerous other areas.
Mother and daughter team, Maria and Patricia Siskind are the owners of Siskind Appraisals in Williamstown, MA. Siskind Appraisals has been helping clients realize the intrinsic value of their possessions since 1996. Whether it is estate work, insurance values, advising on how to live with fine art and antiques, or retaining and dispersing of inherited items, they have been able to find a solution. They work throughout the Berkshires, Southern Vermont and adjoining New York. They are generalists, but their special interests include fine art, 18th to 20th century furniture and decorative items, silver, and estate jewelry.
Lorraine German and her late husband Steve established Mad River Antiques, LLC in 2001, with a concentration on 18th, 19th, and 20th century Americana and decorative arts. They have received extensive recognition from their peers for their expertise in stoneware, textiles, Christmas decorations, and Indian baskets. They have been frequent guest speakers at antiques shows, museums, and antiques organizations, where they have covered a variety of topics, including stoneware, redware, quilts, Christmas ornaments, and Santa Claus. Lorraine is a member of the Pioneer Valley Antiques Dealers Association and the Cape Cod Antique Dealers Association. Both she and Steve have served as collection advisors for the Bidwell House Museum in Monterey, Massachusetts.
Collections Care & Conservation Alliance
We are excited to welcome back members of the Collections Care & Conservation Alliance, a network of conservation and preservation professionals that seeks to improve collections care by providing information and education to individuals, organizations, and institutions.
Want to know how to handle your framed piece of art properly? Do you wish you knew more about the correct types of boxes and storage supplies that should be used to pack your cherished textile? Have questions about stains on a watercolor or print or wonder why the mat has yellowed? Want to know how to find a qualified specialist?
If these are questions you have asked yourself or have other topics you’d like to talk to a professional about, come to the Bennington Museum Appraisal Fair with your object(s) to be appraised and visit with the members of the Collections Care & Conservation Alliance (CCCA) who will be there again this year to answer your questions about your heirloom or something you’ve inherited, at no fee. The mission of the CCCA is to provide information and education to individuals and entities caring for art, artifacts, historical records, and other collections in an effort to help improve collections care through a network of conservation and preservation professionals. The Vermont non-profit’s audiences include private collectors, artists, cultural institutions, and municipalities.
Each year CCCA members are asked to attend several public events, including the Norwich (VT) Historical Society’s Annual Antiques Show and the Bennington Museum Appraisal Fair. “Wherever we exhibit, our model is the same -whether you have recently inherited something or are an experienced collector, the general public can bring items for a complimentary examination and assessment. One of our conservators will discuss condition issues, make some basic recommendations for handling, housing, and/or treatment, or advise where to find answers to particular questions. Another CCCA member will be available to talk about best practices for displaying something within one’s home, how best to inventory and photograph the item for insurance, gifting or estate planning purposes or to just advise on how to find a new home for the item.
If you are unable to attend but have any questions for the Collections Care and Conservation Alliance, please reach out directly to the email address below or visit the website for further information.
Email: collectionscarealliance@gmail.com
Website: https://collectionscarealliance.org/
We hope to see you in Bennington in April!