The Weitsman Stoneware Collection- Albany, New York

 The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Hudson Valley Chapter of the American Society of Appraisers, and the Appraisers Association of America presents The Weitsman Stoneware Collection on Saturday, May 17th, 2008. RICS Fellows, Robert Connelly and Frederick Iusi, will both be presenting at this all day event.

The day's events start at the New York State Museum, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12230, where participants will enjoy a Lecture and Tour of the Weitsman Collection, a Backstage Tour of stoneware not currently on exhibit, and a Tour of the Latin American Art Collection on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. These events are free, but registration is required.

The evening events at the Crowne Plaza include a discussion at 5:00 pm by Frederick L. Iusi of "Current Changes in USPAP," Bob's talk after dinner, and a talk at 7:15 pm by Alex Rosenberg on "Latin American and Cuban Art." The seminar qualifies for 6.5 ASA and AAA continuing education credits. Registration is $70 before May 1; $80 after.

For more event details and registration form, please refer to the Seminar Brochure and Registration Form.

Adam Weitsman is perhaps the premier collector of New York State stoneware. He began his collection in 1980 at the young age of eleven. He and his father, Harold F. Weitsman, owner of a scrap metal and steel business in Owego and Endicott, dug up two stoneware beer bottles on their property. They took the bottles to an Owego stoneware collector for identification. Upon seeing the collector's display, Adam and his father were "hooked".

Adam continued to collect decorated New York stoneware throughout his teenage years, scouring the state and the East coast to acquire pieces at antiques shows, estate sales, dealers and auctions. During these years he often made news in the antiques trade papers by acquiring important and rare examples. He focused not on everyday pieces that were used to hold pickles and salt pork, but on "presentation pieces" that were made for special occasions. These pieces were usually oversized and frequently decorated with elaborate and unusual cobalt blue designs.

In 1987, at age eighteen, Weitsman acquired the finest piece of American decorated stoneware; a pitcher of incredible size, tweny-eight inches high, with an intricate and elaborate blue design featuring an American eagle. The pitcher was made by Thompson Harrington and John Burger of Rochester between 1852 and 1854. It was displayed in their shop window as an advertisement, and oral tradition indicates that the pitcher was displayed at a World's Fair. Weitsman purchased the pitcher from a descendant of John Burger.

In 1996, Adam Weitsman agreed to donate his impressive collection of stoneware, consisting of about one hundred pieces, to the New York State Museum. By doing this, he has ensured that the collection will be preserved for appreciation and study by the public. Weitsman continues to add pieces to this collection.