A quick tour of the Antiques and Memorabilia Show at the Statler Hilton with the man in charge, Mort Berkowitz:
“Over here, we have some Joe Franklin sheet music. Do you know Joe? Joe was into nostalgia long before anybody else. Joe was here for two days. You just missed him … . Over here, everything from old shawls to umbrellas, including old plates … . Quilts here … . Porcelain to Chinese pots … . This is some old scrimshaw. Scrimshaw is engraving on bones or ivory—made popular on Nantucket in the time of Moby Dick … . And, of course, silver, which is always popular … . Antique jewelry. Sequins are pretty popular now that disco is in vogue. Any twenties or thirties fashions now that disco is in vogue. Did you know that this is the largest nostalgia show in the city? Nostalgia is very large. So many people long for the good old days, long for something meaningful. I mean, they long to regain their childhoods, don’t you find? …You see those hats? Beautiful … . Of course, the Beatles are ever popular.
And meet Helene, who is one of the largest Betty Boop collectors in the world. Hi, Helene … . This is really Art Deco. I don’t know if you know Art Deco. Do you know Art Deco? …That’s not an antique. That’s just a little horse Kenny’s mother gave him. You don’t know Kenny … . A collection of tokens and coins. Richard, what were tokens used for, again?”
“Tokens were used as ads in giveaways to entice business and also to supplement the coins of the time.”
“Thank you. That was very eloquent, Richard. What more can I say? …Over here, some books that we all read as children … . Oh, here is something interesting. Stuart, can you explain what this is?”
“This is a viewer for stereo cards and cabinet photos. The original piece, which looked just like this one, was invented in the eighteen-fifties by Antoine Claudet. Ten years later, the American manufacturers made the model that you are now looking at. Actually, this is a copy, in cherry wood. It is priced at three hundred and twenty-five dollars.”
“Thank you, Stuart. Very good … . And, of course, there’s Charles Lindbergh. He is ever popular. O.K.? O.K.”
—February 19, 1979