VE Day - May 8th

May 8th 1945 was Victory in Europe Day - heralding the end of the Second World War, when the Allies accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. It was a day of celebration for millions of people. We've had a little look around Alfies to see what beautiful pieces we could find of the period and here are a few of the highlights...

Rare model of Stilnovo writing desk lamp, Italy 1945
Modo Italia

A pair of unworn M43 Second World War US army rough-out boots
The Girl Can't Help It

1940s enamelled on silver gilt bracelet with leaf and flower detail
Gareth Brooks

This beautiful 1940s suit is by "Hebe Sports". The Scottish boucle tweed has a pleated skirt over a tightly waisted jacket.
Tin Tin Collectables

Castaside

This month we are saying a fond farewell to well established dealer in Alfies called David Smith. David has been in Alfies since 1997 and we are all sad to see him go!

His stock includes theatre ephemera, posters, programmes, brochures, leaflets and flyers, a real treasure trove of a stand!

Below i have picked some interesting examples of programmes.

"Cinderella" at the London Palladium


Programme from Embassy Theatre, Peterborough

"Berenice" by Jean Racine at The Savoy Theatre



"Goody Two Shoes" Pantomine


"Anything Goes" at Prince Edward Theatre.

St George's Day

23rd of April is St George's Day, which gave us a good excuse to have a look at all the wonderful English pieces our dealers have on offer at Alfies.

English solid silver egg set, Sheffield 1907
Janes Antiques


An English composition frame with swept detailing. Circa 1880
William Campbell Fine Frames and Framing


1940s/1950s English oak and leather desk
Bent Ply


A beautifully shaped and detailed English clutch with red and white beading
Tony Durante


A rare 18th Century English mirror with a white frame
Stephen Lazarus

These are just a few of the examples of English craftsmanship and design at Alfies. They are definitely something to celebrate!

Alfies' 1st Nostalgia Event this Saturday!

We are very excited here at Alfies about the first of our series of Nostalgia Events this Saturday, please see below the programme of events!

11am - Reading by Bethany
A Collection of Short Poems by
Emily Bronte, John Keats & Oscar Wilde

11.30am - Talk by Peter Brooks
'Some Interesting Facts and A Few
Popular Fallacies About Jewellery'

12pm - 3pm - Lunch

3pm - 5pm - Afternoon Tea

3:30pm - Guitar Duet from The Kings Cross Hot Club

4pm - Reading from Bethany
'Tender is the Night' by F.Scott Fitzgerald
& 'The Hobbit' by J.R.R. Tolkien


PLUS: Music throughout the day with Guitar Duets from
The Kings Cross Hot Club around the market
&
DJ Kid Krupa playing fabulous Hot Jazz and Swing from
the 1920's and 30's in the Rooftop Restaurant

All events will be held in Alfies' Rooftop Restaurant.

You can still RSVP to info@alfiesantiques.com or call 020 7723 6066 to receive our lovely event directory for you to print out and bring along on Saturday.

We are looking forward to seeing you!

Alfies Nostalgia Saturdays

On Saturday 17th April, Alfies Antique Market will begin its series of nostalgia events, celebrating all things vintage, with the glamorous and elegant era of the pre-1920s to 1930s.

Customers will be taken back in time and given the opportunity to see highlights from our dealers’ collections, enjoy music and readings from the period, learn more about the era, partake in tea at the Rooftop Restaurant and much more! RSVP to receive the full programme of vintage activities.

Alfies’ Nostalgia Saturdays are a wonderful chance to explore the market in a different way. Our special pre-1920s to 1930s directory will be on hand to guide you. Keep your eyes on our blog for details of how to download this or RSVP to info@alfiesantiques.com to receive your free copy!

For some beautiful pre 1920s-1930s items available at Alfies visit our Flickr page.

The Nostalgia Saturdays continue in May with the 1940s-1950s and June with the 1960s-1970s. So join Alfies and its dealers on the 17th of April at the start of our vintage celebration.

Quilts & Textiles

For all you make do and menders, crafters and textile enthusiasts, have you heard about an exciting exhibition that is on at the V&A at the moment? Quilts: 1700 - 2010 is the V&A's first ever exhibition of British made quilts!

Rajah Quilt, Made by convicts on board HMS Rajah, 1841, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

With an innovative approach to the display there will be 65 quilts on show from the V&A's extensive collection as well as special loans from around the country and abroad.

Right to Life, by Grayson Perry, 1998.

Coverlet (detail), Ann West, U.K. 1820.

Modern quilts from Grayson Perry and Tracy Emin as well as specially commissioned pieces from Sue Stockwell and Caren Garfen will remind us how relevant quilts and craft in general is today.

It looks to be a very beautiful and informative exhibition that will give you some great inspiration for your own projects as well as being a lovely way to spend the Easter weekend! The exhibition runs until the 4th July 2010.

For even more inspiration after your visit to the V&A, head to Duncan Clarke of Adire African Textiles at Alfies. Duncan sources exceptional museum quality pieces that map the vintage textile traditions of sub-Saharan Africa.

Asafo Flag from Adire African Textiles

Two items that always catch my eye from Adire African Textiles are the Asafo flags and the Ewe Cloths.

Asfato flags, also known as 'frankaa' are made and used by the Fante people of coastal Ghana. The men's 'military' companies parade these flags on festive occasions and the imagery used on these colourful flags represents the wealth and power of the company as well as challenging their rivals, usually through traditional proverbs. Older flags can be identified by their 'battle scars' from the length of time hung outside in all weathers and parades. Flags with no marks or damage are quite often copies made for tourists!

Asafo Flag from Adire African Textiles

Ewe Kente cloths are absolutely stunning with each cloth showing exceptional skill of both craftmanship from the Ewe weavers of Ghana and in the extensive range of the styles created. No wonder they are the most highly prized pieces of African textiles by collectors worldwide! The colours and patterns are simply incredible! These were traditionally commissioned by a man or woman as cloth to wear but now could be treasured as a wall hanging, bedspread, or simply just brought out now and again to admire!

Examples of Ewe Cloths (above and below)

Adire African Textiles have a great website and blog where you can learn in depth about these fantastic and historical pieces and traditions.

All photos from the Quilts: 1700 - 2010 exhibition were taken from the V&A Website.

WW2 Items in Alfies

Inspired by a visit to the Imperial War Museum in London we thought it would be interesting to have a look around Alfies to find objects that are typical of the WW2 era.

Below are some amazing medals that were awarded to soldiers who fought in WW2. They usually state the country in which the soldier fought, this makes them very interesting collector's items. If they could talk they could surely tell some heartbreaking and fascinating stories.

WW2 medals from Janes Antiques

Also from Janes Antiques, a nice selection of some really well preserved photographs, one can't get much closer to history than that!

Photographs from Janes Antiques

It is hard to imagine what the British public felt when they were informed about their country and France being at war with Germany. We can get a good idea about the way people had to make do with much less - but somehow still managed to make themselves and their homes look immaculate.

Clothing items became much more tailored which was caused by the shortage of pretty much everything including fabrics. Designers didn't have much to work with which resulted in a more fitted look and more details were added to make up for the lack of pleats, which would have required more material.

A small snippet of fabric went a long way if added as a decorative pocket flap for example. One label/stamp to look out for is 'CC41' which stands for Civilian Clothing 1941, these items are very rare but you can find some true gems at Tin Tin Collectables:

Pretty blouse with 'CC41' label from Tin Tin Collectables

Original 'CC41' labelled socks from Tin Tin Collectables

Original 'CC41' labelled children's boots from Tin Tin Collectables

Just like food, clothing required tokens and if you wanted to get something very fancy this required the use of a large amount of tokens. No wonder most women perfected the art of making clothes out of fabrics or old dresses.

Should you have found a true vintage gem not in its best condition and don't possess the expertise to bring it back to its former glory, pay a visit to Empire Vintage, where the very skilled Julie Elgar will be happy to take on your project. While you are there why not have a rummage for another vintage bargain?

Lovely dressing corner in Empire Vintage

Should you be tempted to try your hand at sewing/mending yourself you might want to look at getting a vintage tailors dummy. They are not only useful for dressmaking but if you get a lovely vintage one they are great for adding a feminine touch to any space.

Why not use it to showcase your favourite vintage finds or projects? Stephen Lazarus has this beautiful vintage Singer model for sale at the moment:

Original Singer tailor's dummy at Stephen Lazarus

It is definitely hard to find 40's items, not only because they are so rare but also because that era was dominated by the war, thus design and style was not a very important factor. Saying that, people did make a point of dressing up when going for dinner (if they could afford it), it was important to look one's best when out in public.

We feel that back then ladies seemed to be a lot better at doing their hair, for modern women like us, all the gorgeous vintage hairstyles look masterpieces which we could never manage to create ourselves. Fret not - the ladies at Nina's Hair Parlour know all the secrets to turn anyone's bad hair day to one of vintage glamour.

Lovely 40's updo at Nina's Vintage Hair Parlour

And for those that are looking for a perfect gift but can't quite decide what to get, why not purchase some beautiful gift certificates that would put a smile on any vintage lover's face?

Alfies gift certificates are available in £10, £20 and £50 denominations

Jewellery

This weeks blog is highlighting some of the stunning jewellery in the market.

Stunning horseshoe shaped brooch with a minature portrait, pearl and snake with ruby eyes from Linda Antiques

Marked Stirling Silver Mexican Bracelet from Connie Speight



Carved Art Deco pink celluloid bangle and bakelite necklace, from The Originals



Stunning Georgian cuff from Gareth Brooks



Platinum ring with a 4ct emerald baguette and diamonds from Zeeba Jewels

Mothers Day at Alfies Antique Market Part 2

Continuing from last weeks blog we have even more fantastic items for all your lovely mothers this Sunday.

19th Century Handpainted bracelet set with cameos Peter and Naneen Brookes.

A selection of 4 Whitefriars glass duck ornaments from Robinson Antiques.

A cut steel mother of pearl brooch from Linda Antiques

Sapphire, diamond and white gold ladies wristwatch from Connie Speight

Lastly why not take your mum on a trip to Alfies this Saturday so she can pick out her own present? There is everything here under one roof and you can finish the day having some tea and cake at the Rooftop Restaurant.

Mothers' Day and Alfies Antique Market

We couldn't let you forget about Mothers' Day, although you are probably being reminded by every supermarket and card shop you pass! Alfies will be different though, we won't let you get your Mum some wilted flowers or a battered box of choccies. No! At Alfies we only have thoughtful, meaningful gifts that your Mum will absolutely love. Without a doubt an Alfies treasure will earn you enough brownie points for the year to come (not that you need any!)

Here are some ideas to give you a headstart, but there are many more on our Flickr pages

A French Limoges egg shaped box containing a scent bottle

from Hayman and Hayman

Silver Victorian 'Mother' Brooch
from Peter and Naneen Brooks

1940s French Croc Clutch Bag
from Tony Durante

Butterfly Print
from N & S Watches