New York Antiques Weekend Explores the Winter Show, the Morgan, and Harlem

Decorative Arts Trust members returned to New York City in January to enjoy the Winter Show and a bevy of enticing collections during the 2024 New York Antiques Weekend. 

Friday, January 19 in Harlem 

After lunch at Orsay, our intrepid participants braved snow flurries to visit three sites in Harlem: Alexander Hamilton’s Grange, the Hispanic Society of America, and the home of Mr. and Mrs. Carswell Rush Berlin. 

In 1802, Hamilton commissioned architect John McComb, Jr. to design The Grange as a country house in upper Manhattan. The house, now managed by the National Park Service with Callie Tominsky at the helm, has moved twice in the area, most recently in 2008, after which it was renovated and refurnished. Randy Wilkinson from Fallon & Wilkinson, LLC, the firm that restored and reproduced much of the furniture, presented details about the exquisite Neoclassical chairs, tables, and sideboards his firm handled and was on-hand for questions from our curious crew. 

At the Hispanic Society, Deputy Director & Curator of Decorative Arts Dr. Margaret Connors McQuade and Museum Educator Teresa Figueiras treated our group to special access to the ceramics storage, where we witnessed rare examples representing hundreds of years of artistry. Members also enjoyed artifacts from Spain, Portugal, and Latin America in the Main Court, a 35-foot-high Renaissance-style courtyard composed of ornate architectural terracotta made by the Perth Amboy Terra Cotta Company. The visit closed with an exploration of Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida painting cycle Vision of Spain. 

As well as treating us to coffee, tea, and delectable desserts, Carlie and Lori Berlin shared highlights of their collection of early-19th-century antiques in their four-story Neo-Renaissance row house in Hamilton Heights. The house was erected in 1901 on Alexander Hamilton’s property and features a limestone façade designed by Henri Fouchaux. Members were especially impressed with Carlie’s knowledge of Duncan Phyfe furniture and early argand lighting devices. 

Saturday, January 20 at the Show and the Morgan 

Saturday began in the Park Avenue Armory as members enjoyed expert-guided tours of the Winter Show before the general public arrived. Kevin Tulimieri from Nathan Liverant and Son, Martin Levy from H. Blairman & Sons, and Ralph and Clifford Harvard led groups to a variety of impressive artwork, including to the collaborative Focus: Americana booth with commentary from Philadelphia Museum of Art Montgomery-Garvan Curator of Decorative Arts Alexandra Kirtley. 

Following a convivial lunch in the Armory’s Board of Officers Room, a stunning mahogany-paneled space designed by the Herter Brothers, participants made their way to the Morgan Library & Museum for guided tours. The Morgan began as the personal library of the storied financier, collector, and cultural benefactor J. Pierpont Morgan in an Italian Renaissance-style palazzo. The space opened to the public in 1924, and the Trust was thrilled that the Morgan invited us to tour during their centennial year. In addition to reveling in the richly decorated interiors of the c. 1906 McKim, Mead & White-designed library, we examined the priceless collection of illustrated books and paintings in the Morgan’s latest exhibition, Medieval Money, Merchants, and Morality.

New York Antiques Weekend paired well with the Trust’s 8th Annual Emerging Scholars Colloquium on the morning of Sunday, January 21. Recordings of select lectures can be found on our YouTube channel. Interested in future Trust events? See our calendar of events or sign up for our email list.