On the Road — Let’s Stop at the Big Muskie for Lunch!

While driving along American roadways in the mid-20th century, it was common to see restaurants masquerading as a massive 65-foot-long muskie, gas stations in the shape of a teapot, and motels that looked like wigwams and railroad cars.

Before the arrival of corporate advertising, franchise branding, and building conformity, the architectural environment in the U.S. was a free-form landscape of creative expressions. During the open-road automobile culture that swept the country at that time, businesses wanted to take advantage of attracting potential customers. Enormous roosters, dinosaurs, peaches, milk bottles, giant lumberjacks, and other whimsical signs, artifacts and buildings stood as proud totems along the highways, beckoning to travelers like endearingly eccentric sirens and luring them to stop — because really, who could come upon a giant gun-totin’ rootin’-tootin’ shrimp in a cowboy hat and not want to get out of the car and at least take a picture of it?

From 1969-2008, photographer John Margolies (1940-2016) drove more than 100,000 miles across the country exploring the changing landscape of the open-road culture, documenting roadside attractions. Almost all of Margolies’ work was done in the interest of preserving images of what would otherwise be lost to time.

Margolies shot more than 11,000 photographs of signs on main streets, gas stations, movie theaters, restaurants, motels, miniature golf courses, fantasy coastal resorts, and various odd sculptures and amusements. In an age when online shopping and mega-malls have reconfigured American consumerism — stripping away delightful peculiarity in favor of a bland uniformity — his work stirs up nostalgia and reminds us of a more unpredictable and colorful past.

Author of a dozen books, including John Margolies: Roadside America (2010), his photographs have sold at auction from between $100 to $3,250. The bulk of his work was consigned to the John Margolies Roadside America Photograph Archive, which was purchased by the Library of Congress. In 2017, the Library of Congress lifted all copyrights on the photographs, meaning we can all cruise through them anytime we need a nostalgic road trip.

 

The Big Fish Supper Club in Bena, MN, in the shape of a 65-foot-long muskie, 1980.

The Big Fish Supper Club in Bena, MN, in the shape of a 65-foot-long muskie, 1980.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob’s Big Boy, Los Angeles, 1981.

Teapot Dome gas station, Zillah, WA, 1987.

Bomber gas station, Route 99 E., Milwaukie, OR, 1980.

Leaning Tower of Pizza, Quincy, MA, 1984.

Peach water tower, Frontage Road, Gaffney, SC, 1988.

Bob’s Java Jive, Route 99. Tacoma, WA, 1979.

On the Road — The Original Miami Beach Antique Show

We recently visited the 2023 edition of the Original Miami Beach Antique Show, held at the city’s Convention Center. More than 600 national and international vendors offered everything under the sun, from antiques and art to vintage fashion and home furnishings.

However, most of the show was jewelry. Lots of diamond jewelry—even just stones—plus costume jewelry from Chanel, Tiffany & Co. and Cartier. There were many Van Cleef & Arpels four-leaf clover-inspired necklaces, earrings and bracelets; they are very popular right now. We were also surprised to see so much silver and at very high prices—beautiful plates, cutlery sets, huge urns, vases and serving pieces.

A few dealers were selling high-end handbags. The majority were Hermès Birkin, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, including many Vuitton trunks.

There were many pieces of Asian art furniture and vases. We also saw ornate French furniture and chandeliers, as well as big sculptures and antique paintings with big gilt frames. There didn’t appear to be much modern furniture on display.

But this is our favorite moment from the show. Two booths were selling trays of silver items and scraps, sold by weight. My son (and fellow Kovels correspondent!), Adrian, is very interested in gems. He picked a pendant for $4, and spotted a pavé diamond ring which was selling for $20. The booth attendant looked at the ring and quickly told Adrian that he could put the ring on hold so he could look around the show and see if he wanted something better. But Adrian insisted on buying that ring. The attendant continued trying to talk him out of it, but Adrian paid his $20 and got the prize he wanted. I haven’t had the ring examined yet to check the quality of the metal and if the diamonds are real to know how valuable the ring truly is. But one thing is for sure: It’s worth more than $20.

So you never know what bargains you might find, no matter where you are!

miami beach antique show overview

The Original Miami Beach Antique Show featured more than 600 vendors. We
had plenty to see.

 

Adrian and his prize $20 diamond ring.

Adrian and his prize $20 diamond ring. Score!

 

glass vase, Angelo Ballarin

This eye-catching glass vase by Angelo Ballarin with a mosaic design was priced at $1,500.

 

A pottery vase by Paul Dachsel

A pottery vase by Paul Dachsel, 1906–1907, with an asking price of $5,500.

 

Indo-Portuguese inlaid cabinet

An Indo-Portuguese inlaid cabinet. We were impressed!

 

pair of Italian modern chairs

A pair of Italian modern chairs that was selling for a cool $20,500.

 

silver for sale everywhere

A small sampling of the enormous amount of silver for sale. It was everywhere.

 

antelope skull

The skull of an extremely rare South African sable antelope, mounted by the famous London designer Anthony Redmill in the 1970s. Price: $6,500.

 

 

On the Road — Design Miami 2022

Design Miami was once again in Miami in conjunction with Art Basel and the numerous satellite fairs. This was Art Basel’s 20th anniversary and it has certainly transformed the art scene in Miami. Each year in early December, curators, collectors and art afficionados swarm to the city to experience contemporary art firsthand, to select pieces to buy for their collections or museums, or just to be part of the art scene.

Parties are everywhere and the fashion and furniture manufacturers have joined in. Dolce and Gabbana showcased their fine jewelry with several craftsmen and craftswomen working on pieces during the show. The results on display sold for hundreds of thousands and up to $15 million. All created under the strict supervision of partners Dolce and Gabbana. This year the show’s theme was “The Golden Age: Looking to the Future” through the lens of design, and it was filled with striking, colorful pieces. We gravitated to the historical works, but some of the new pieces also caught our eye.

 

Max Lamb chairs

These chairs designed by Max Lamb were each made from a single piece of wood. The artist/designer cut the wood to make the legs and back of the chair. Once assembled, he applied gold leaf (right) and platinum leaf (left). Price: $40,000 each.

 

Roberto Lugo’s “Conversation Pieces”

Roberto Lugo’s “Conversation Pieces” are ceramics that take inspiration from traditional objects, such as a blue and white vase with handles, and juxtaposes them with influences from his urban background, decorative details not normally found on ceramics. Price: $35,000. There were several pieces in the show and, at last visit, all but one had sold.

 

Suzanne Ramié lamp

Suzanne Ramié (1905–1974) was making modern studio ceramics at her and her husband’s pottery, Madoura, in Vallauris, France, in the 1940s. Picasso became a frequent visitor, working alongside the craftsmen and creating his own work. Suzanne and Georges Ramié’ collaborated with Picasso on making editions and ceramic multiples. Suzanne Ramié continued to produce her own work, and this lamp is a product of a design from her artist friend Alberto Magnelli (whose painting can sell for more than a million dollars). She created this lamp base from one of his drawings. Her work is hard to find, and most of the pieces in the booth sold quickly to a few collectors. Price for the lamp: $42,000.

 

Zsolnay Poppy Vase

Poppy vase, 21 inches high, c.1900. This Eosin-glazed ceramic vase was made by Zsolnay in Hungary. The iridescent (Eosin) glaze was first used in Vienna about 1899-1900. I liked its bright iridescent colors. Price: $75,000.

 

Fireplace screen, Adalbert Szabo

This fire screen is attributed to Adalbert Szabo, a Hungarian metalworker, working in France around 1930. It is wrought iron, cut metal and mesh and measures 29 by 38 3/4 by 10 inches. Szabo created all of the Art Deco ironwork for the ship, the S.S. “Normandie.” Price: $125,000.

 

Chair by Lina Bo Bardi

This chair by Lina Bo Bardi (1914–1992) sold on the second day to an important American museum. It is an early and important work by the Brazilian architect, made in the early 1960s. Other examples are in museums, but this one is noteworthy for its excellent condition and the original production tag still on the bottom of the chair showing it was number 41. The chair was in the same family for the last 70 years and, when located, was being used as an everyday chair to watch TV. Asking price: $190,000.

 

Roberto Lugo butter dish

Roberto Lugo has a more affordable “village potter bodega” line. He creates unique 21st-century ceramics reflecting his “graffiti” art, such as this Butter Dish. Price: $750.

 

Dolce & Gabbana at DESIGN Miami

Dolce & Gabbana had a large presence in Miami this year. At Design Miami they showcased their elaborate, unique jewelry. Each unique piece is handcrafted under the strict supervision of partners Dolce and Gabbana. (You could watch several craftsmen and women creating the jewelry during the show.) Some finished pieces, ranging in price from a few hundred thousand dollars to fifteen million dollars, were on display in heavily locked and guarded cases. They also set up a “pop-up” furnishings store in another part of the city in a three-story building. Each floor was more over-the top than the one before—rooms with furnishings in all gold, all blue and white, in leopard and in multicolor.

 

On the Road — Hillwood Estate & Museum, Washington, D.C. 

We traveled to Washington, D.C., for a visit and spent an afternoon at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens. Hillwood was the home of Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887–1973), heir to the Post Cereal Co. empire, businesswoman, socialite and philanthropist. Post bought the house and property in 1955. It sits on the edge of Rock Creek Park, which winds its way through Northwest D.C. We went there to see a collection of Dior clothing worn by the late Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, which was on exhibit in the Adirondack cabin Post had built on the grounds. We stayed the rest of the day for everything else.

Marjorie Post was an avid collector of 18th-century French and pre-Revolutionary Russian decorative arts, and the home is filled with treasures. Some are one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable, such as two Fabergé Imperial eggs that were commissioned as gifts from Czar Nicholas II to his mother, the dazzling wedding crown worn by the Empress Alexandra of Russia and the chandelier in the breakfast room that belonged to Catherine the Great.

While it was incredible to see such exquisite things, the museum-quality French furniture, Beauvais tapestries, Sèvres Blue Celeste and Rose porcelain, pre-Bolshevik Russian silver tea sets, chalices, religious icons and porcelains, Chinese jades, enameled boxes, jewelry by Cartier and Harry Winston, and so much more, made it seem like walking through the categories of the Kovels’ price guide.

During her many parties, Post delighted in showing her collections to guests, encouraging them to pull out drawers in display cabinets that contained information about the objects. Items are still arranged that way—a collector’s home rather than a museum. Curious visitors today can follow along with an audio tour or a tour guide for information. But guests can still open drawers in Post’s dressing room, for example, and view carefully laid corsets and accessories.

The kitchen looks like it is ready to prepare dinner for 24, with vintage appliances out and ready. And the butler’s pantry cupboards are full of “everyday” dishes and glassware, from ruby thumbprint goblets to enameled Czech glass dessert ware.

Outside, groups of lawn chairs are arranged in quiet nooks and overlooks, inviting visitors to linger and enjoy the “Lunar Lawn,” a rose garden, a Japanese-style garden, a French parterre, a putting green and other spaces. Food is available in the Merriweather Café to eat indoors or out. They will even lend you a picnic blanket.

Marjorie Post’s vision was to have Hillwood, its treasures and grounds maintained as a museum after her death. It was full of delights. Learn more at Hillwoodmuseum.org.

Hillwood Breakfast Room with chandelier

Breakfast room. The petite green chandelier is from a bedroom used by Catherine the Great in the Catherine Palace. Post would always have the table set for four, even if she was dining alone. Place settings are changed often to show other sets in her collection.

Hillwood Dining Room


Dining room. The table was set with Staffordshire dinnerware Post had made to mimic the 18th-century rose colored Sévres dishes on display in the cabinet on the right.

 

Evening gowns in the “Princess of Monaco – The Princess in Dior exhibit

Evening gowns in the “Princess of Monaco – The Princess in Dior exhibit” in the Adirondack cabin on the Hillwood grounds.

 

Two Faberge Imperial Eggs


Two Fabergé Imperial Easter eggs: the “Catherine the Great Egg” and the “Twelve Monogram Egg.” There are about 90 pieces of Fabergé in Hillwood’s collection.

Kitchen, HIllwood


Kitchen at Hillwood, perfectly midcentury with “up-to-the-minute” appliances, including Hobart standing mixers, a Globe Gravity Feed meat slicer, an Oster Touch-a-Matic combination can opener and a 55-cup West Bend coffee percolator. There is also a nine-burner Magic Chef stove. Photo: Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, photographed by LaPlaca Cohen

 

Necklace and earrings by Harry Winston


Necklace and earrings and bracelet, cabochon turquoises, diamonds, platinum, Harry Winston, 1961.

 

Post gown, Hillwood

Evening dress worn by Post, silk, satin and tulle, Robert Piguet, Paris, c.1937. Dior worked at Piguet as an assistant from 1933 to 1937.

 

 

On the Road — Oneida Community Mansion House 

In the world of antiques, Oneida, New York, is famous for its silver. The Oneida brand is still in operation today, making dinnerware, kitchenware and stainless steel and silver flatware. It introduced stainless steel flatware in the 1960s. The company began as Oneida Community Ltd., one of the first joint-stock corporations in the United States, in 1881. It produced silver-plated hollowware and flatware. The name changed to Oneida Ltd. in 1935.

Before it was a company, Oneida was a utopian community. The Oneida Community was founded in 1848 and lasted until 1880, making it one of the longest-lived communal societies of the 1800s. The community built their Mansion House in phases from 1861 to 1878.

Today, the Oneida Community Mansion House is a museum and inn. If you’re in the area for antiques shopping, say, at the Oneida Commons Vendor Mall, The Bull Farm Antiques, the recently expanded The Eclectic Chic or any of its many other options, you can stop by the Mansion House for a tour or stay overnight. You will learn about the history of the community and the preservation of the historic architecture. Works that the community made and sold, like silverware, textiles and game traps, are on exhibit.

Rooms are furnished with reproduction Stickley furniture, fitting the setting and philosophy of the community. The Stickley brothers, originators of American Arts and Crafts furniture, founded their first furniture company in New York in the 1880s. The Arts and Crafts movement and the utopian movement shared the values of industry, simplicity and community. Some Arts and Crafts makers, like the Rose Valley Association, were also utopian communities.

Other decorations in the rooms of the Mansion House include silver and textiles. Oneida Community crafters made an unusual kind of pictorial textile. They used strips of braided fabric, like the kind used for rugs; but instead of shaping them into rounds or ovals, crafters made them into pictures.

In the world of antiques, Oneida, New York, is famous for its silver. The Oneida brand is still in operation today, making dinnerware, kitchenware and stainless steel and silver flatware. But before it was a company, it was a utopian community.

South side of the Mansion House with the South Tower

South side of the Mansion House with the South Tower.

The Big Hall was considered the center of the community. Instructions were given there, and the stage was for performing arts.

The Big Hall was considered the center of the community. Instructions were given there, and the stage was for performing arts.

 

A clock in the Upper Sitting Room, a large room with comfortable furniture.

A clock in the Upper Sitting Room, a large room with comfortable furniture.

 

A dresser in the Upper Sitting Room that probably stored table linens.

A dresser in the Upper Sitting Room that probably stored table linens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each adult in the community had a small sleeping room where they would keep personal belongings like the ones in this exhibit.

Each adult in the community had a small sleeping room where they would keep personal belongings like the ones in this exhibit.

A close-up of the personal belongings, above. The glasses have a magnifier on one lens.

A close-up of the personal belongings, above. The glasses have a magnifier on one lens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A reproduction Stickley side table holds an Oneida silver plate ice bucket and tray in a guest room.

A reproduction Stickley side table holds an Oneida silver plate ice bucket and tray in a guest room.

 

A garden on the south lawn.

A garden on the south lawn.

 

This tapestry was made by Jessie Catherine Kinsley. She was interested in colonial braided rugs. She made her own "braidings" and created many intricate pieces of art like this one.

This tapestry was made by Jessie Catherine Kinsley. She was interested in colonial braided rugs. She made her own “braidings” and created many intricate pieces of art like this one.

 

 

On the Road — A Maine Stop for Antiques

Now is a good time to start thinking about summer travel for next year and where you want to go. Maine is “Vacationland” for a reason. It has no shortage of beautiful vistas, great food and history. It’s also a great place to find antiques!

We went in the summer when the weather is warm and the days are long. Antiques shops were scattered along the main roads like US 1, and we found many antiques related to the changing seasons—and to Maine. If you go in early August during the lobster festival, you might also catch the Beach to Beacon race —a 10K that attracts elite runners and finishes at the gorgeous Portland Head Light.

Here are some of the places we stopped and antiques that we found.

lobster trap

A used lobster trap, $80.

 

Maine Lobster Festival

Maine Lobster Festival, where the lines weren’t too long, and the lobsters were amazing. When we were there, they had already cooked 6000 lobsters!

buoys

Any buoy, $20.

 

Maine garden troll, recycled wood

This was my favorite troll in the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. The trolls are made of pallets and other recycled wood. There are five scattered throughout the garden, each 20 feet tall.

 

Maine flowers

Not only can you pick fruit in Maine, there are also flower growers that let you pick flowers! Look what we got.

 

campaign bed, Maine

You never know what you will find at a flea market. Here is a campaign bed that folds into its own suitcase, asking price $150. There is one like it at the Knox military museum that is nearby in Thomaston.

 

1975 Maine Seafood Festival program

1975 Seafood Festival Program, found in the festival’s history tent.

 

Phone call sign, Maine

Remember pay phones? Here is a vintage long distance advertising sign, $70.

 

On the Road — Columbus Antique Mall

If you are in Columbus, Ohio, German Village is an excellent place to visit. It’s a historic district filled with 19th-century brick homes and buildings. Attractions include Franklin Art Glass Studios, The Book Loft independent bookstore and brewery district. And just outside Schiller Park, a short distance from restaurants and cafes, you will find the Greater Columbus Antique Mall (1045 S. High St., 614-443-7858.)

The mall is a Victorian house with five floors filled with antiques for sale. Even if you’re not planning to buy anything, it’s a fantastic (and dog-friendly) place to visit, with seemingly endless displays of nearly anything you might want to collect. Some pieces are displayed on antique furniture (also for sale); with toys, lamps and books on top of desks or costume jewelry spilling out of open drawers. Others are in glass cabinets. Some are unlocked, encouraging customers to open them; others, the helpful staff will unlock if you ask.

You’ll find shelves of glassware, racks of vintage clothes, boxes of paper ephemera and stacks of architectural elements. Alcoves feel like hidden rooms. Stairwells are lined with prints, photographs and advertisements for sale. Antique appliances command attention. Fortunately, they’re usually labeled, or else their purposes might remain mysteries. Need a wallpaper cutter, perm machine or bonnet hair dryer? You can find one here!

Here are just a few of the things you might find.

A view of the outside, Columbus Antique Mall

A view of the outside, Greater Columbus Antique Mall

 

Spalding tennis racquet, frame

Spalding tennis racquet, $20. The frame keeps the wood from warping— no longer necessary for today’s racquets made of other materials.

 

costume jewelry

Treasure trove of costume jewelry.

 

World’s Fair rug

Some treasures are under your feet, like this World’s Fair rug, $50.

 

Christmas decorations

Apparently it’s Christmas year-round!

 

Lady Schick Consolette hair dryer

Lady Schick Consolette hair dryer in working condition, $24.

 

bookshelves

As any collector knows, bookshelves aren’t just for books!

 

hem marker

Skirt and dress hem marker that uses an atomizer to spray chalk dust, $10.

 

1930s cradle telephone

Cradle telephone, 1930s, $265.

 

Glass lamps and shades hang from the ceiling

And don’t forget to look up! Glass lamps and shades hang from the ceiling.

 

On the Road: Antique Malls, Thrifting Offers Fabulous Finds

There is nothing more satisfying than combining planned trips with unplanned antiques shopping and thrifting. On a recent trip to southern Ohio, I found a 10,000-square-foot venue called Spring Street Antique Mall, about 40 minutes north of Athens. Once in Athens, I found another treasure trove of browsing and shopping located in a previously empty old shopping mall. It is called Peddler’s Junction.

We ended up squeezing in three visits to the Spring Street store, which was surrounded by other stores such as an Amish furniture store, two clothing stores and an ice cream parlor. There was so much to see.

Top items of interest included: Polish Pottery, $54 for a platter; Fiestaware, various prices, but ranging from $24 for a creamer, $10 coffee mugs, $8 plates, $24 for bowls and $39 for a lapis-colored tree-shaped platter; a white cast iron garden bench, $140; and a birds-eye maple child’s pewter cupboard for $129.

I ended up being drawn to the colorful dinnerware and bought six plates and six bowls.

At the indoor mall in Athens — a great use for an empty shopping area — there were vintage typewriters, $19.50; Madame Alexander dolls still in their original boxes, $8 ; and a Fisher-Price Tick Tock Learning Clock, also $8. The clock was purely a nostalgia purchase. I owned the wind-up learning clock, which played the song “Grandfather’s Clock” when wound up. My parents gave it away when I was in college. I mourned it, but now have it back.

Above are some items from the Spring Street Antique Mall, 26782 US-33 #9604, Rockbridge, Ohio, and the Peddler’s Junction, 1002 E. State St., Athens, Ohio.

Dated Kentucky Derby commemorative glasses

Dated Kentucky Derby commemorative glasses, $8.50-$10 each.

 

Garden decorations

Garden decorations, made with plates and vases, $70.

 

Fiestaware

Whole section of Fiestaware.

 

Wrigley’s advertising sign

Wrigley’s advertising sign, $24.

 

Hummel figurine

Hummel figurine, girl at wishing well, no chips or cracks, $6.95.

 

McCoy cornucopia planter

Pink cornucopia planter, McCoy, $15 to $20.

 

Corning Ware warming platter, Blue Willow

Corning Ware warming platter, Cornflower Blue, $5.99.

 

Holly Hobbie metal lunchbox

Holly Hobbie metal lunchbox (no thermos), $40.

 

On the Road — Part 2: Oklahoma Sightseeing 

After a great visit to Bentonville, Arkansas, we headed to Oklahoma. To experience some history, we rode down Route 66 whenever possible. First stop, an antique store in Vinta right on Route 66. The store had everything collectible you could imagine, or, as they told us, “everything and more.” Next, we stopped in Bartlesville to look at a Frank Lloyd Wright skyscraper, the Price Tower — the only skyscraper that he ever built! It’s still in its original condition, including the original elevators which you can ride (if you aren’t claustrophobic). The building currently functions as an office space and hotel and is open to the public. On the way out of the building, local residents told us they hoped that we enjoyed the Wright skyscraper and proudly shared more information about notable buildings and events in Bartlesville.

Our next stop was Pawhuska, home of Food Network star Ree Drummond, or the “Pioneer Woman.” She has stores, restaurants and a hotel in town. We popped into the large mercantile mart right downtown. We had hoped to eat lunch there but the wait was 1 1/2 to 2 hours. So we went to her pizza restaurant instead, where we enjoyed fantastic salads

On certain days, visitors can go to the lodge where Drummond’s television show is filmed. We were lucky to be there on one of those days and didn’t want to miss it after driving so far. We drove another 30 minutes outside Pawhuska to check it out, and it was worth the visit! We got to see a big, beautiful view of the ranch, as well as the two kitchens and multiple pantries and bedrooms. Tip: If you are visiting the area and want to see the lodge, be sure to plan ahead and check the website to see if the lodge is open for tours on those days.

Our last stop was Tulsa, where we got to appreciate the city’s historic architecture. Tulsa has over 60 great Art Deco buildings that are worth seeing. You can do this through a guided or self-guided tour.

We went on this trip without expectations and everything we saw was well worth a visit. Everyone we encountered was welcoming and happy to see tourists. We can’t wait for our next trip!

 

The Meadow Gold sign on Route 66.

The Meadow Gold sign on Route 66.

 

Phillips 66 oil can

Phillips 66 oil can, $19.50. The Phillips Oil Company was founded in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and had their headquarters there from 1917 to 2002.

 

Price Tower, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, completed in 1956, still in its original condition. This is the only Frank Lloyd Wright skyscraper

Price Tower, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, completed in 1956, still in its original condition. This is the only Frank Lloyd Wright skyscraper. We rode in its original tiny elevator, and it was quite an experience!

art deco interior wall,  Price Tower

View of Price Tower interior Art Deco wall decoration

 

The lodge where The Pioneer Woman television show is filmed. It was used as a guest house.

The Lodge where The Pioneer Woman television show is filmed. It was used as a guest house.

 

The Mercantile, “Pioneer Woman” Ree Drummond’s retail store in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.

The Mercantile, “Pioneer Woman” Ree Drummond’s retail store in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.

 

Back room in the lodge

Back room in the lodge showing some of the cooking supplies for the show.

 

Very old barbed wire

Very old barbed wire, $27.50.

 

Feed sacks

Feed sacks, $2.50 each.

 

 

On the Road — Bentonville, Arkansas, Part 1

We took a short excursion to Arkansas and Oklahoma to visit Bentonville, Tulsa and Pawhuska. Wow, what a trip! There was so much to see and do. Our only regret was that we didn’t have more time to explore the picturesque mountain towns in the Ozarks.

Bentonville isn’t the easiest place to get to by plane, so we flew into Tulsa and drove for two hours. Many of the towns along the drive had antique stores or malls. We even passed a gas station that sold “food, fuel and antiques”! We stopped at a large antiques mall right across the Oklahoma – Arkansas border and found lots of old everyday items such as Pyrex dishes, glass, toys and advertising signs at fair prices.

Bentonville, a town of about 55,000 residents with a growing population, is at the edge of the Ozark Mountains. It is a company town, home of the Walmart headquarters.

When we arrived at Bentonville, we were greeted by an old town square from the 1800s anchored by Sam Walton’s (the founder of Walmart) original five-and-dime store, Walton’s 5&10, which is now a museum. Surrounding stores and restaurants reflect the town’s young, vibrant culture. We also learned that the town is one of the top-rated mountain biking areas in the world, with over 500 miles of trails.

We walked from town to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The museum, funded by Alice Walton, Sam Walton’s daughter, is designed to give you the optimal view of the historical progress of American art in a setting that incorporates the beauty of the area. The project made every effort to use local materials and craftsmen. It holds a world-class collection of American art and a relocated Frank Lloyd Wright house, as well as five miles of trails with sculptures that surprise you around every bend.

                                                          Part 2, featuring our trip to Oklahoma, will appear in next month’s newsletter.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

 

Dale Chihuly sculpture, “Turquoise Reeds and Ozark Fiori,” installed near the bridge on the museum’s Art Trail.

Dale Chihuly sculpture, “Turquoise Reeds and Ozark Fiori,” installed near the bridge on the museum’s Art Trail.

 

Beamed ceiling at Crystal Bridges with Dale Chihuly’s glass “Azure Icicle Chandeliers.”

Beamed ceiling at Crystal Bridges with Dale Chihuly’s glass “Azure Icicle Chandeliers.” The 152 support beams are Arkansas white pine, handmade by an Arkansas artisan using handmade vises.

 

Walton’s 5 & 10, the original store of Sam Walton

Walton’s 5 & 10, the original store of Sam Walton, founder of Walmart. It is now a free museum where you can see the history of Walmart.

Sam Walton’s office

Sam Walton’s office

 

floor tiles walton 5-10 store

 Original floor of the Walton 5 & 10. Note the tiles don’t match. Sam Walton bought the tiles at a bargain and felt that his customers would be less concerned about the matching colors and more concerned about buying products at lower prices.

Bachman-Wilson House

Bachman-Wilson House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, built in New Jersey 1956. It was taken apart and re-built at Crystal Bridges between 2013 and 2015.

 

A COUPLE OF ANTIQUE STORE FINDS:

vintage license plates

Mississippi license plates from the early 2000s. We liked that the top one was from Lee County. $9.95.

 

Coke bottle commemorating Auburn Tigers, 1983 S.E.C. Football Champions and 1984 Sugar Bowl Champs


Coke bottle commemorating Auburn Tigers, 1983 S.E.C. Football Champions and 1984 Sugar Bowl Champs, $9.95.