Americana Celebration: "I Always Wanted a Fancy Show"

August 9th, 2016

Concord, New Hampshire

She always wanted a fancy antiques show, and she got one on Tuesday, August 9, in Concord, New Hampshire. But she, Nan Gurley, longtime collector, dealer, and show manager, was not there in person, just in spirit. As her daughter Rachel told us, her eyes filling with tears, “Mom told us that before she passed away she wanted to offer one of those shows with booth walls covered in paper, carpets on the floor, and fancy in appearance.” Sadly, Nan passed away before the show, but her husband, Peter Mavris, her business partner for the past 25 years and hundreds of shows (Nan actually began running shows about 37 years ago), produced a show that would have given her great pride and satisfaction.

The glossy blue and white show program with an eagle on the front and centerfold gave some insight into how it evolved. In the words of Peter Mavris, “I am pleased to announce a new Antique Show inspired and dedicated to my late wife Nan Gurley. One day last autumn Nan and I were sharing our thoughts about our Deerfield, N.H., show. We talked about how nice it would be if we could have the show at the Douglas Everett Arena in Concord instead. We had been having our annual Spring in N.H. show there at the end of April for the past few years, and had found the facility well suited for antique shows. It had a more convenient location to all the other events; it had ample parking and great access for the dealers...but unfortunately it was not available during New Hampshire Antiques Week.... The very next day a good friend informed us that he had learned it might be available. It did not take a moment for us to call and learn that this was so, and we immediately secured it for the needed date. Nan soon shared with me how she had always wanted a walled show and that the new event...would be the perfect show to make that change.

Inside the arena during setup the day before the show opened.

The fireplace surround, in a very colorful and tasteful room setting, was $1095 from Mary de Buhr of Downers Grove, Illinois.

“The new show is under one roof with everyone interacting in the same space, enjoying the same party. Unfortunately, our dear Nan is no longer with us but she will always be here in spirit, I welcome you to join us all at the many more to come Nan Gurley Antique Shows. Thank you for coming.”

To those of us who barely glance at antiques show programs, except perhaps to locate favorite dealers, this was a program to read and reflect upon.

We asked Rachel what her mom would say if she were there. “This is &*$%## fantastic.”

We were intrigued by the tag that said peapod blanket chest (rear wall) and asked why to dealers Helen and Larry Bryan of H & L Antiques, Princeton, New Jersey, who explained that those are peapods depicted on the decoration. It measured 46" x 21" x 26" and was $1500. The 16½" high Punch and Judy puppets in the background were $960. The Bryans told us they sold the Chippendale hanging corner cupboard to an Indiana buyer, and the 18th-century mirrored sconces to a Texas buyer. They also sold a Queen Anne tea table, a Pennsylvania walnut dovetailed candle box, a 19th-century four-tier shelf, an 18th-century four-candle wrought-iron chandelier, a mid-Atlantic seaboard sampler, and numerous other pieces of 18th-century lighting.

The move from the fairgrounds in Deerfield, New Hampshire, about 20 minutes west of Manchester, to Concord, about 20 minutes north, was welcomed because weather—rain, heat, wind, and storms—had affected many previous shows, with mainly outdoor booths and some indoor ones under tin roofs. And as one exhibitor told us, “We are all getting older, and that confrontation with the weather was getting more and more difficult.”

Some commented that they missed the folky outdoor events that a lot of shows used to hold in the old days. But most others said it was time, and the dealers and shoppers had more space (much more furniture was offered), paved parking, better bathrooms, and more.

Dealer Marion Atten of Dewitt, Illinois, commented, “For a first-time show in this venue, it was fabulous.” Pat Hatch of Harvard, Massachusetts, said, “I saw a lot of furniture sell.” Bonnie Ferris of Lake Luzerne, New York, commented, “I loved the walls.” The dealer of Harper Antiques, Pasadena, Texas, said, “I just love being inside.”

Tom Joseph featured a wonderful hooked rug for $1450.

Gurley Antiques Gallery, Scarborough, Maine, had this Sheraton chest with glass knobs for $3400. Rachel Gurley said her mom loved the piece. Nan collected more than just country.

Seventy-two dealers were listed in the program, and several shared booths.

We saw a lot of sold signs in many booths on a variety of items. Nan Gurley’s Americana show in Deerfield was always a more affordable show, and although some prices may have edged up a bit, especially on furniture, the majority of items were still affordable.

In an interview with Peter after the show, he said, “The dealers loved it. So many phone calls and cards, with 99.9% of them positive. We have a great dealer base. They are very educated. It was a very healthy show, and we are still evolving.”

One evolution, or revolution, next year will be air-conditioning. You heard it here first.

Pillars Antiques, Freeport, Maine, exhibited with Rachel Gurley and sold “like gangbusters,” as her mother would have said, added Gurley. All the red sold tags appeared shortly after the show opened.

So, Nan, the show did go on, in your memory, but everyone missed you. It was a fancy show, and as long as there is a “Deerfield show” somewhere, it will always be associated with Nan Gurley, and most likely will be a tribute to her hard work and love of the antiques business.

The 2016 Nan Gurley memorial Americana Celebration was just the beginning. For more information, contact Peter Mavris at (207) 625-5028.