The Magazine Antiques - August 1973
August 1973 issue of The Magazine Antiques featuring major articles on the American Arts and Crafts movement, Jonas Chickering and the American piano industry, Colonial Williamsburg sewing tools, American cup plates, the villas of Andrea Palladio, and Anthony G. Quervelle furniture. An important period reference combining scholarly research with the dealer advertisements, market observations, and collecting culture of the early 1970s.
Overview
The August 1973 issue of The Magazine Antiques represents the publication at its mature scholarly peak, when it functioned simultaneously as a research journal, market record, and collecting guide for the antiques trade. Long before digital archives and online databases transformed the hobby, serious collectors, museum professionals, dealers, decorators, and historians relied upon issues such as this one to remain informed about emerging scholarship, significant collections, notable exhibitions, and developments within the antiques marketplace.
This issue brings together a particularly strong range of subjects. Readers will find Jane Shadel Spillman's study of American cup plates, David A. Hanks's examination of the American Arts and Crafts movement between 1876 and 1916, Helen Rice Hollis's article on Jonas Chickering and the development of American piano manufacture, Sandra C. Shaffer's review of sewing tools in the collection of Colonial Williamsburg, Frederick Doveton Nichols's exploration of the villas of Andrea Palladio, and Robert C. Smith's continuing study of the furniture of Anthony G. Quervelle. Together these articles span architecture, furniture, decorative arts, material culture, and industrial history.
Equally important are the period advertisements scattered throughout the issue. Dealers such as Shreve, Crump & Low and numerous galleries, auction firms, and specialists advertised inventory directly to collectors. Today these advertisements provide a fascinating snapshot of the antiques market as it existed in 1973, revealing what objects were desirable, how they were described, and what prices they commanded half a century ago.
Dating / Background
Founded in 1922, The Magazine Antiques became one of the most influential periodicals devoted to antiques and decorative arts in the English-speaking world. By 1973 it had established a reputation for combining rigorous scholarship with practical collecting information. Many articles first published in its pages remain cited in later research and continue to serve as valuable starting points for collectors investigating specific furniture forms, decorative arts traditions, or historical makers.
The cover illustrates Palladio's Villa Foscari at Malcontenta, photographed by Joseph C. Farber. The choice of subject reflects the issue's emphasis on architectural history and the continuing influence of Palladian design on Western architecture. The image itself remains visually striking and gives the issue a strong decorative presence even when displayed as part of a library or collection.
Why Collect
Collectors increasingly recognize that vintage issues of The Magazine Antiques are primary-source research materials rather than disposable magazines. Individual issues preserve scholarship, photographs, dealer inventories, exhibition records, and market observations that are often difficult to locate elsewhere. They allow collectors to trace changing opinions, evolving attributions, and shifts in market taste across decades.
For libraries focused on antiques, architecture, decorative arts, Americana, furniture history, or collecting culture, these issues form a valuable research archive. They are equally appealing to dealers seeking historical reference material and to enthusiasts who appreciate the depth and quality of pre-internet antiques scholarship.
The August 1973 issue is especially desirable for readers interested in Arts and Crafts design, American furniture, Colonial Williamsburg studies, early American industry, Palladian architecture, and decorative arts scholarship of the twentieth century.
Dimensions (inches)
- Height: 11 7/8
- Width: 9 1/8
- Depth: 3/8
- Weight: 1.4 lbs
Condition
Good vintage condition. Noticeable soiling is present in the lighter portions of the cover. Dog-eared corners, moderate spine roll, and general handling wear are visible. The issue remains complete and structurally sound, with wear consistent with age, storage, and normal use. A solid reference copy suitable for collectors, researchers, decorators, and students of the decorative arts.
