BY IRENE AUSTIN GILLIS
Enquirer contributor
Specialty antiques dealers, such as those at the Cincinnati Antiques Festival, are a gold mine of information and advice. Once you've made a good and reliable contact with a dealer, you're likely to maintain a lasting connection.
Among the dealers at this year's, I don't want to miss Oklahoma City-based Jerry Hayes, who specializes in Majolica, a specially glazed pottery from 1850-1900 that includes such well-known names as Delft and Faience.
Look for pieces by U.S. porcelain makers Griffin, Smith and Hill and Edward and Bennett and famous English names, such as Minton and George Jones. These brightly decorated pieces are beautiful and popular, but rather pricey.
There were many reproductions of Majolica, and Mr. Hayes will be able to tell you the tell-tale marks. A warning: Many of the reproductions feature maker's marks, too.
I also intend to visit Richard Ferris of J&R Ferris Antiques of Madison, N.Y. He specializes in medical, surgical and scientific instruments from the presterilization era, which was before the Civil War.
Richard Vandall, a New Hampshire dealer of American decorative arts, will be popular this year for, among other things, StevenGraphs, strips of ribbon intricately woven into fancy pictures by Englishman Thomas Stevens. They are extremely collectible.
Also look for Connecticut dealer Louis Dianni, who specializes in antique marine art, ship models and maritime artifacts. He will be bringing a William Stubbs painting from 1885.
I also expect to see a good selection of 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century furniture. Of special note is is Lotz's Antiques of St. Louis, dealer of superb antique grandfather and mantel clocks.
