Happy Hunting…Part II
Collecting the Rustic Look
by Cheryl York-Cail

   The first part of this article, (see Oct., 2000 issue) gave a brief description and history of the rustic tradition, and then went on to show examples of this style photographed at the Antiques Week in New Hampshire shows. In Part II of Happy Hunting, we will pay a visit to Bert Savage, a well-known NH dealer specializing in rustic or lodge furnishings.
   Savage’s shop, Larch Lodge is a large converted barn located in Center Stafford, NH. The Lodge is both shop and home to the Savages. The large open first floor of the barn is a wonderful setting for the many fine pieces in Savage’s stock.
   Bert Savage started in the antiques business back in the 1970s; by the 1980s he specialized in Rustic furnishings. He does five shows a year including the Adirondack Show and the New Hampshire Dealers Show. He pointed out that there aren’t a lot of specialists in rustic furniture in New England.
 

Bert started his tour of the shop by pointing out that the basic difference in rustic furniture is between factory made and non-factory. Factory made pieces include those by the Old Hickory Chair Co. of Martinsville, Indiana, and Rustic Hickory also of Indiana. The non-factory pieces are those individually made. Savage has examples of both production and non-production.    A grouping consisting of an Old Hickory settee and chairs drawn up to a table provides a good example of production furniture. I also found a pair of chairs with seat cushions that were wicker over wire interesting.  When I remarked about the

wonderful condition of these pieces, Bert pointed out that much rustic or camp furniture was only in use a few months out of the year, during the owner’s vacation. The rest of the time the camp or lodge was shut up.
   Examples of the non-production or individually made pieces included a beautiful twig mosaic desk made by the caretaker of the camp to which it belonged.
   Bert pointed out that detective work is often needed to find out the name of the maker, because many of these pieces were not signed. He showed me a drawer in one desk that used wood from an old box that had the store name on it. The name of the store gave a good clue to the area and led to the maker. Old shipping labels and catalogs are also sources that can help point to a particular maker or factory.
   Another piece that caught my eye was a wonderful little wall clock fashioned from twigs. It was signed and dated 1939, and was in excellent working order, faithfully chiming both the hour and the half.
   After finishing my tour of the shop, and taking photos of several more great pieces, I asked Bert what would be the single most important piece of advise he would give a beginning collector in this field. Bert laughed, and said,  “That’s easy: Find a good dealer.”
   That’s good advise for anyone wanting to form a collection of any type of antique. Finding a good dealer that is both knowledgeable and trustworthy is important if one wants to form a collection of top-notch pieces.
   Bert pointed out that there are both good pieces and second rate pieces in the marketplace. Many people have tried their hand at making rustic items though the years, including many Boy and Girl Scout troops. He also pointed out that rustic style furniture is still being made today; some of it is good stuff -- and some of it is junk.
   Bert also gave me a list of books on Rustic or Lodge furnishings. I was able to locate some of these volumes to examine. They ranged in usefulness from some very fine references to coffee table books.
   In addition to the rustic furnishings found at Larch Lodge, and at the Antiques Week shows, we visited several area shops to look for rustic furniture and accessories. We discovered that quality rustic pieces are not easy to find except at shops specializing in rustic. However, we did find some pieces locally.
   At Fern Eldridge & Friends on the “Antique Alley” in Northwood, NH I discovered a small table clock made from anthers that would look right at home in any fishing or hunting camp. This shop also had a huge set of antlers hanging off the balcony in the barn which would look great hanging over a massive stone fireplace in some northern hunting lodge.
   One thing I did see in many shops and shows were small rustic twig stands of varying age. The first one was at the First Congregational Church of Milford, NH’s antique show. This primitively made little plant stand was from the display of Cormiea Antiques of Amherst, NH. The second stand was photographed at the Antique Warehouse on Route 101A in Nashua, NH.
   I found more rustic items to photograph at the shop of William Sandberg Antiques & Fine Art located at The Parker’s of Wiscasset in Wiscasset, ME. Their Camp & Cottage section is stocked with a good variety of rustic furnishings and decorative accessories nicely displayed.
   Those wanting to learn more about rustic furniture can visit the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, NY. In addition, don’t miss the 10th Annual Adirondack Museum Antiques Show at the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, NY. The preview is expected to be 2 PM to 6 PM, Friday, Sept. 21, 2001 and the show will run 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2001.
   Another place to visit is the Hunting Lodge exhibit at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont.
   Until next time, Happy Hunting