Monday, March 30, 2015

The Weekend's "Big Flea" Finds

My husband and I went to the "Fredericksburg Big Flea", a once-per-year huge antique/collectibles show at the Fredericksburg Expo Center, on Saturday morning.  We took our time going up and down the aisles in the show room, but nothing seemed awesome enough to buy until we were in the last aisle.  Here is what we bought:




As soon as I saw the carefully-framed remains of this sampler from 1805, I knew that I HAD to have it.  Even in this condition, the precise stitches are a work of art.  To be honest, I think I love it MORE in this tattered state than I would have if it were whole.


Sarah Murray and her numbers and alphabets.


dated 1805


I have a huge collection of vintage and antique postcards.  My ones of sites in Fredericksburg are matted and framed, and I used to have them hanging in the family room in our past houses.  When I saw a dealer with postcards at the Big Flea on Saturday, I checked the Richmond, Virginia, section to see what he had from Hollywood Cemetery.




Three of the five postcards we bought were unused.


One of President Monroe's tomb, and two of the Jefferson Davis family lot.


One of the Davis postcards, copyright 1905, shows landscaping that appears to contain rose bushes!


The other two postcards are my favorite type to find, ones that were used and mailed and contain a message and an address.  This one shows President Monroe's tomb, and it was mailed to Miss Mollie Knight in Luray, Virginia, in 1907.






This last one shows a lily pond that once was part of the landscape near the entrance of Hollywood Cemetery.  I have never seen this image before, and I am thrilled to have it!  It was mailed to Miss Florence Riker in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in 1909.






Next time I go to Hollywood Cemetery, I will bring these along with me and I will try to photograph the same scenes.

There was other great stuff at the show, but this is all we brought home with us.  Being in the mood to downsize, declutter, and simplify puts a whole different mood on shopping at an antique show.  I look at things and appreciate them, and only items that I absolutely LOVE make the cut ... which, I guess, is how it should be all the time.

20 comments:

  1. What a wonderful 1805 sampler, I love them too, such history to them! The postcards are so neat, love reading them and looking at them in the antique store!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm with you ... reading the old post cards is so much fun! I love when I find them because it gives a real date to it, with the postmark and/or a written date. I am especially amazed that mail used to be delivered with so little information for an address.

      Delete
  2. Great finds but I too love the 1805 sampler!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The price was so good, there was no way I could leave it behind. It will fit perfectly into my plan for the sewing room.

      Delete
  3. Connie, the sampler would have been something I couldn't have left there either! How nice for you to find the Hollywood Cemetery postcards. ♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You don't think of a cemetery as being a tourist attraction worthy of such a variety of postcards, but Hollywood is different like that. Two US Presidents, the Confederate President, so much art and sculpture ... I see another out of control collection on the horizon.

      Delete
  4. Great finds! And all are flat! So they store better, right? Great picture references for a project near and dear.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love how your mind works! I hope to mat and frame these postcards together in a group (after I give it some time to see if there are any others I want to add to the group), then I can hang the whole thing on the wall somewhere. In the sewing room with a bunch of my rose stuff and other awesome things probably.

      Delete
  5. Oh my!!! Those are just wonderful finds. Did you just about cry looking at that dear little sampler? It kind of puts a lump in my throat. xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cry? No. I had to contain my excitement and try to stifle a scream when I saw the $45 price sticker on the sampler. I think the dealer was having a bit of remorse about pricing it so low ... not my problem. Now it's MY sampler and I love it!

      Delete
  6. I've never understood how some items get in places to be sold. I kinda find it heartbreaking that nobody wanted to keep and treasure them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some people are childless, or have children who don’t care … or they themselves lack the same love for the past that some of us have. I feel grateful when I find things like the sampler, and I happily add them to my collection of ‘family heirlooms’. The fact that I love them is enough for me.

      Delete
  7. Very cool finds.
    I especially like the mailed postcards and the fact that you will be able to photograph the same scene!
    :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The mailed postcards are always my favorites! I get all goose-bumpy at being able to tie a card to a specific place and person.

      Delete
  8. SCORE! I love the post cards! Wouldn't it be great if that Lily pond was still there?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I couldn’t imagine what the lily pond or the lakes would be like now. This was in the low area between the two avenues that go into and out of the cemetery. Over the years, Hollywood has been in all sorts of state of care or neglect. When the place was at its most neglected, I’ll bet the lakes would have resembled swamps … alligators in there, too, probably.

      Delete
  9. What a wonderful find! You can feel the history pouring out of this sampler.
    Amalia
    xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's the history of the girl who made it, along with the history of whatever happened for it to be in such awful condition. All part of the charm of this sampler, and I am very happy to have it.

      Delete
  10. Oh what treasures! I missed seeing that sampler, or else you had already purchased it. ;)
    I have a small collection of vintage postcards myself. It thrills me to read those 100+ year old messages and postmarks. Fab that you found Hollywood Cemetery!

    I found a dealer who was selling her own collection of vintage tablecloths, and enjoyed spending time talking stain removal, ironing, and the like with her. Of course I bought some! Isn't it great how we all find happiness in a myriad of different treasures?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The sampler was at a booth on the wall side of the far left aisle, as seen from when you first entered the show room. It was hanging high up on a lattice screen with some small prints and stuff.

      Glad to hear that you found some treasures of your own!

      Delete

Thanks for stopping by and reading what I share. Comments are welcome and very much appreciated. Spam and trolls are not!

Related Posts with Thumbnails