(Baltimore, MD)—The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show, recognized as the largest indoor summer antiques show in the nation, is pleased to announce the 2009 lecture series programming at the 29th annual event, taking place Labor Day Weekend, September 3-6, at the Baltimore Convention Center.

In addition to viewing and purchasing from the extensive collections of over 550 international exhibitors, and a 70 dealer Antiquarian Book Fair, art, jewelry and antique aficionados will have the opportunity to attend lectures on a variety of genres presented by an all-star line-up of knowledgeable and respected speakers. A sample of lecture topics includes: “Eureka! The Archimedes Palimpsest” with Dr. William Noel of the Walters Art Museum, “The Golden Age of Glassmaking in China” with François Lorin of Asiantiques and “A Celebration of American Naval History” with Louis J. Dianni of Antique Marine Art.

“It has always been our goal to provide an environment that fosters the understanding and appreciation of antiques in addition to offering an enormous selection of high-quality items,” said Kris Charamonde managing partner and co-owner of the Palm Beach Show Group.  “We believe the lecture series enhances the total show experience and is well received by our guests each year.”

The lecture series is free and open to the public.   Individual lectures take place twice daily at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm and run Thursday, September 3 through Sunday, September 6.

2009 Lecture Series Schedule

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

3:00 pm, “Eureka! The Archimedes Palimpsest” with Dr. William Noel, Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books at the Walters Art Museum.
This lecture re-counts the amazing story of the discovery of the earliest known text of works by the ancient Greek Mathematician, Archimedes, and the recent project to conserve, image and publish the manuscript.  The Archimedes Palimpsest contains the unique texts for two treatises by Archimedes. Only the latest imaging technology has brought these texts properly to light, and the results are rewriting the history of mathematics and revealing hitherto unknown texts from the Ancient World. Dr Noel is the director of the Archimedes palimpsest project, and co-author, with Reviel Netz of “The Archimedes Codex”

Dr. William Noel, is Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books at The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, a position he assumed in 1997. He received his Ph.D in 1993 from Cambridge University England.  Among the positions he has held are Director of Studies in the History of Art, Downing College, Cambridge University and Assistant Curator of Manuscripts, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.  He has authored many esteemed books including The Harley Psalter, Cambridge Studies in Palaeography and Codicology Vol. 4, 1995, an in-depth investigation into the making of an illustrated eleventh century Psalter, and The Oxford Bible Pictures, Faksimile Verlag, Luzern and The Walters Art Museum, 2004.  He is also co-editor and contributor to an exhibition catalogue:  The Utrecht Psalter in Medieval Art: Picturing the Psalms of David, London, 1996.  Dr Noel has taught and lectured widely. He is on the faculty of Rare Book School, University of Virginia, and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of History of Art, Johns Hopkins University.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

1:00 pm, “American Beauty: Treasuring and Collecting Folk Art in America” with Beverly L. Norwood of The Norwoods’ Spirit of America
Americana expert, Bev Norwood, will trace the captivating chronicle of American folk art from the colonial quest for independence to the centennial of a new nation. This exuberant “coming of age” era heralded an aesthetic expression of the creative spirit. Bev’s talk will be richly illustrated with folk art exemplars that resonate in color, form and beauty. Bev will weave historical significance and intriguing provenance into the discussion. Significant folk art collections will be highlighted, with attention to the masterworks assembled by Henry Francis du Pont. Emphasis will be placed on how to build and
enhance a praiseworthy folk art collection.

A renowned leader in American folk art, Bev Norwood, is respected for her fervent integrity, keen eye, extensive knowledge and resounding passion for the genre. As an accomplished journalist and folk art specialist, Bev collaborates with such major institutions as Winterthur Museum and Country Estate, Shelburne Museum, Old Sturbridge Village and the Connecticut Historical Society. Bev and her husband, Doug Norwood, collectively known as The Norwoods’ Spirit of America, are American folk art collectors, dealers and consultants with over three decades of expertise in the field. The Norwoods have been showcased recurrently in national publications and media broadcasts. Over time, they have helped build some of the finest folk art collections in the country with veracity, quality and distinction. Their clients include advanced private collectors as well as luminaries in the world of entertainment and political arena.

3:00 pm, “Dining in Style with Georg Jensen Silver” with Janet Drucker of Drucker Antiques
Georg Jensen founded his silversmithy in 1904. He designed and crafted sterling silver flatware (cutlery) in 1906 with the same consideration given to his designs in jewelry and other large silver objects. Each piece of flatware has its own personality and every pattern distinctive and reflects the work of the artist/craftsman. Flatware is designed to be an integral part of daily life and a pleasure to use. The lecture will feature the various patterns still in production and those rare patterns no longer produced with images exemplifying beautiful serving pieces in unique designs.

Janet Drucker (B.A., M.A.) is the founder of Drucker Antiques and renowned author of Georg Jensen: A Tradition of Splendid Silver (1997), revised and expanded edition, 2001. Drucker Antiques specializes in Georg Jensen silver, as well as American and European 20th century decorative accessories. Janet has been a member of the faculty of the NYU Conference: The Fine Art of the Faux and the American Jewelry Conference, Adj. Faculty of New York University Appraisal Studies Program in Fine and Decorative Arts and lecturer at Bard Graduate Center for Studies in Decorative Arts, Minneapolis Institute of Art.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

1:00 pm, “18th & 19th Century Decorative Arts Treasures:  Telling the Whole Story at Mount Clare Museum House” with Alice Davis Donahue of Mount Clare Museum House
The wealthy Marylander, Charles Carroll, Barrister built his country home, Mount Clare, in what is now Baltimore City in the 1760s.  The Barrister, his wife, Margaret Tilghman Carroll and their heirs
lived in Mount Clare as the city grew up around it, until the 1850s. In 1917, The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Maryland opened Mount Clare to the public as a museum. Over the last century, the Dames have brought Carroll pieces back to the museum’s collections, furnishing the house with many of the same things that the family used there.  The museum not only offers an excellent representation of 18th and 19th century decorative arts, it does so as a contextual whole showing the full range of furnishings owned by this elite family. This lecture highlights and compares Carroll family pieces and showcases some of the remarkable treasures of Mount Clare.

Alice Donahue’s interest in material culture and 18th century history led her to Mount Clare Museum House where she co-curated the exhibit Hats Off to History! and served as museum curator.  Alice earned her Master’s degree in History from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in 2008 with a thesis on working class clothing in the colonial era Chesapeake region.  She has studied at the Winterthur Institute and presented research to the Costume Society of America at their annual regional convention in Williamsburg, Virginia.  Alice currently works as museum specialist at the National Electronics Museum and continues to contribute to interpretation and curatorial efforts at Mount Clare.

3:00 pm, “Meissen: 300 Years of Exceptional Porcelain” with Mimi Levine of Mimi & Steve Levine Antiques
For 300 years the Royal Porcelain Manufactory at Meissen, the first Western porcelain factory, has produced porcelain tableware and decorative items.  The factory is recognized worldwide for the quality of their craftsmanship and the beauty of their wares.  This lecture provides an overview of the wares of Meissen and their place in the history of porcelain.

Mimi Levine graduated from Cornell University with a BA in mathematics. When she and her husband, Dr. Leonard Levine, moved to Virginia 46 years ago, her home decorating projects became a priority and she embarked upon the study of antiques. Upon taking courses at the Smithsonian with Jeff Miller and Paul Gardner, her interest in porcelain was solidified and she soon became a professional show dealer.  Steve, her son, joined the business after graduation from Cornell with a major in art history.  Ms. Levine is a highly respected antiques dealer with over 40 years of experience specializing in small decorative accessories, especially ceramics.  She was elected to membership in The American Ceramic Circle and is a member of The Northern Ceramic Society in England and The French Porcelain Society. She has also taught a porcelain course in the Appraisal Study program at George Washington University for several years.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6

1:00 pm, “The Golden Age of Glassmaking in China” with François Lorin of Asiantiques
At the end of the 17th century, glassmaking came under Imperial patronage for the first and only time in China’s history. In 1796, an edict established the Imperial Glasshouse within the precincts of the Forbidden City in order to provide the Palace with high quality objects for the Imperial family and the Court. At first this glassmaking was under a strong western influence due to the involvement of the European missionaries present at Court, but the initial experimentation and wonderment were short lived and without any lasting influence on the glass made during the remainder of the 18th century. The glassmakers reverted to more familiar and native traditions, and when they did they launched the Golden Age of Glassmaking in China that persisted through the reigns of Yongzheng (1723-1735) and Qianlong (1736-1795) to the end of the 18th century.

François Lorin was born in 1939 in France. He has been living in the United States for 30 years, and has been an antiques dealer since.  His specialty is Chinese art, with an emphasis on glassmaking, and he has co-authored two publications on the subject including Treasures of Chinese Glass Work Shops  (1997), a catalogue for an exhibition that traveled from 1998 to 2000 in Florida museums, and Chinese Qing Dynasty Glass Treasures (2009).  Mr. Lorin has also lectured on Chinese glassmaking at various venues such as The Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, Florida and the Minneapolis Art Institute Antiques Show.  He belongs to the International Chinese Snuff Bottles Society. His formal education was at the Sorbonne in Paris and at the Institute of Political Sciences in Aix en Provence where he received a Master’s degree in law and a Master’s degree in political science, respectively.

3:00 pm, “A Celebration of Naval History” with Louis J. Dianni of Antique Marine Art
This lecture will use antique and vintage Naval items including paintings, prints, models, weapons and artifacts of the 18th through mid-twentieth centuries to illustrate the importance of Naval ships and personnel.  Topics covered will include Captain Cook’s Navy to Admiral Nelson’s Navy, as well as the Continental Navy and the pirate actions along the Barbary Coast to the American Civil War, Spanish/American War, World War I and World War II.  Louis will also highlight some personal items from the career and estate of Admiral Arleigh and Mrs.(Roberta) Burke.  Admiral Burke is considered the leading Naval figure of the 20th century and served an unprecedented, three terms as Chief of Naval Operations under Eisenhower and JFK.

Louis J. Dianni is a dealer specializing in antique maritime art and artifacts since 1973 and an exhibitor at prestigious antique shows from New England to Florida.  As a dealer, he has built a reputation for quality, honesty and value for more than two decades and has served the needs of collectors, museums and decorators. He has also lectured and written a number of published articles about maritime subject matter including “Ship Portraits, Late 18th to early 20th century” in Antiques and the Arts Around Florida as well as “A History of Clyde Line” in Antiques and the Arts Weekly.

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The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show is produced by the Palm Beach Show Group, nationally recognized as the largest, independently owned art, antique and jewelry show producers in the world.   The Group operates several of the most prestigious antique shows including the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show, February 12-16, 2010, widely recognized as the largest show of its kind in the United States; the D.C. Spring Antiques Show in Washington, D.C, March 4-7, 2010; and the DALLAS International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show, November 5-9, 2009.