Happy New Year!

We wish you all a very happy and healthy 2018 and offer our humble thanks for your support during the past year. We're optimistic about our future, as we watch our new barn begin to look more like a building than a dream, and we're making plans for a future filled with pleasant surprises. We've had enough of the other kind!

We begin the year with a show t his weekend - January 13 & 14. - at the Shriner's Auditorium in Wilmington, MA, where we'll be exhibiting at Marvin Getman's

Boston Antiques,

Vintage Art and Design Show

Also new and particularly exciting for us is our completely re-designed website. We've tried to make it more visually appealing by simplifying color schemes and increasing text size.  The new site opens with a home page that's not only less cluttered than the old one, but is an easier gateway to the things that seem to matter most to our visitors. Beyond the home page, our stock listings now appear in gallery style, which is more compact and quicker to scroll through, and individual pages are less dense and easier to scan. Pictures are larger, yet files are still small, enabling fast downloads. We think that you'll enjoy the improvements, and we invite your comments and suggestions.  If you can't wait any longer, use this link: www.jmaggs.com

The remainder of this month's newsletter is fairly typical: New Listings (now gallery-style, as well), the annual report on our New Year's Eve dinner, and the most recent developments in the building of our new barn. Of course, Pippin's Page and The Back Page aren't going to go away.

We hope you'll find something to relish.

January's  New Listings

We begin the year with a varied offering of newly listed pieces, including ten early jewelry bits, five pieces of furniture spanning two centuries, a nice grouping of accessories, and a single painting, this last a survivor from the tornado. To see these nearly two dozen newly listed pieces, just click on the garnet earrings.

Our New Year's Eve Feast

Ten years ago we decided that, instead of going out to celebrate the arrival of the new year, we would spend the day preparing a multi-course dinner for two. We cooked each course just prior to serving and took great care to match serving dishes and drinks (it's New Year's Eve, after all) to each course. We ate in front of a roaring fire and, since we'd given every detail of the meal the same thought we would have if entertaining others, we photographed each course as it was served.

In our January 2009 newsletter we posted pictures of our little feast. The feedback (no pun intended) from readers was positive, and we decided to pursue the tradition. This year's dinner, inspired by the cuisines of Holland and Belgium, was our tenth.

Although the celebration is now behind us, we invite you to join us in spirit. Just click the bowl of snert (Dutch pea soup) above.

Windows and (most) doors

Although we still have neither insulation nor heat, work on the interior is ongoing. We invite you to walk through the first floor with us. Just click the picture. 

Pippin's Page  

Pippin has never taken more than a casual interest in our New Year's Eve's dinners. This year's was no exception. Click his nose for a picture taken just before dessert.

The Back Page

Although our New Year's Eve party had only two guests, most courses were cooked for a full table. The resultant leftovers sustain us for most of the following week, but often in fresh combinations.  Click or tap here to see charcuterie transformed into breakfast.