The Magazine Antiques - February 1987
Original February 1987 issue of The Magazine Antiques, a key decorative arts journal used by collectors, curators, and researchers. A valuable reference for late-20th-century scholarship on American and European antiques, interiors, and material culture.
For generations, The Magazine Antiques has occupied a unique position within the world of collecting, decorative arts scholarship, historic preservation, and museum research. More than a periodical, it served as a continuing reference library for collectors, curators, dealers, and historians seeking authoritative information on the objects, buildings, and artistic traditions that shaped American and European material culture.
This February 1987 issue presents a particularly engaging blend of American art, architecture, historic houses, and decorative arts research. The cover features a detail from Boys and Kitten (1873) by Winslow Homer from the Worcester Art Museum, one of America's most celebrated painters and illustrators. The image immediately establishes the scholarly yet visually appealing character that distinguished the publication throughout its long history.
Among the principal articles are Susan E. Strickler and Judith C. Walsh's examination of technique in American watercolor painting from the collections of the Worcester Art Museum; William Seale's study of the historic Ximenez-Fatio House in Saint Augustine, Florida; Jeanne T. Newlin's discussion of a Charleston, South Carolina playbill dating to 1794; Hayden Goldberg's continuing investigation into Charles Bulfinch architecture depicted on historical Blue Staffordshire ceramics; and Laura Fecych Sprague's article on the cabinetmaker John Seymour in Portland, Maine.
As with many issues of The Magazine Antiques, the value extends beyond the feature articles. Museum accessions, exhibition reports, collecting news, scholarly queries, book reviews, and period advertisements provide a snapshot of the antiques market and museum world as they existed during the late twentieth century. Today these elements serve as historical documents in their own right, preserving information about dealers, exhibitions, scholarship, and collecting trends that may not be readily available elsewhere.
The advertising content is especially noteworthy. Advertisements from respected firms such as Shreve, Crump & Low and numerous established dealers reflect the tastes and priorities of the antiques trade during the 1980s. For collectors researching provenance, market history, or the evolution of collecting interests, these pages often provide insights unavailable in modern publications.
Whether acquired as a reference source, a collectible issue of one of the most influential antiques periodicals ever published, or simply as an attractive addition to a library devoted to art and material culture, this February 1987 issue remains both informative and historically relevant nearly four decades after publication.
Condition
Good condition overall. Bumped corners, some rumpled edges, and moderate evidence of handling consistent with age and use. Interiors remain clean and readable. A Tennessee State Museum / University of Tennessee institutional stamp is present on the cover and contents page. Binding remains sound.
Measurements
- Height: 11 7/8 inches
- Width: 9 1/8 inches
- Depth: 3/8 inch
- Weight: 1.4 lbs
