B22: Knowing and Appreciating Antiques - 6 units
Charles E. Gay
Tues. 1:30–3:00 p.m. - Oct. 28, Nov. 4, 11, 18, Dec. 2, 9  
Senior Center - Limit: 20

Charles Gay is a retired marketing executive with a longstanding interest in antiques. He has been buying, selling and collecting antiques for over 25 years, from neighborhood tag sales to major fine arts auctions. He has accumulated a sizeable collection with specialization in American 18th and 19th century furniture and decorative arts.

The aim of this course will be to explore and better appreciate the fascinating world of antiques.  Emphasis will be on American furniture of the 18th and 19th centuries with forays into the ceramics, metalware and paintings, both foreign and domestic, that were an integral part of the early American household. What is an antique? Where do you find them? We will cover identification by style/region/date and maker, construction techniques, value and the role of condition, reproductions and outright fakes. Intended as a hands-on experience, the course will combine classroom and in-the-field examination of antiques, including a visit to an auction preview to separate the great from the not-so-great pieces.

Suggested Reading: Sack, Albert, The New Fine Points of Furniture, Early American, Crown Publishers, NY, 1993; Beckerdite, Luke, American Furniture, Chipstone Foundation, Milwaukee, 2006; Keno, Leigh and Leslie, Hidden Treasures, Searching for Masterpieces of American Furniture, Warner Books NY, 2000; Kaye, Myrna, Fake, Fraud or Genuine? Identifying Authentic American Furniture, Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 2000; Miller, Judith, A Closer Look at Antiques, Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 2000.

Note: Several of the books listed may be out of print but can be obtained from the UVa library or purchased on line at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Magazines: Monthly – The Magazine Antiques, Brant Publications, NY (www.themagazineantiques.com). Bimonthly – Antiques & Fine Art, Watertown, MA (www.antiquesandfineart.com).