2017 Winslow Antiques Appraisal Fair

Hosted by the Old Trails Museum, the 2017 Winslow Antiques Appraisal Fair took place on Saturday, May 6, from 10 am to 4 pm at Snowdrift Art Space, 120 West Second Street.

Sean Morton of Morton Appraisals in Scottsdale brought his expertise back to Winslow so that residents had the opportunity to have their historic items identified and appraised. Mr. Morton offered verbal appraisals (not in writing) of objects including, but not limited to, fine art paintings, prints, sculpture, porcelain, crystal, silver, clocks, antique jewelry, Asian art, and Native American arts and crafts. (No guns, coins, or stamps were appraised.)

Attendees scheduled their one-on-one appointment with Mr. Morton, and attendance was limited to forty people. Each person was limited to two items for appraisal. The charge for the first item was $15 and for the second item was $5 (an excellent value versus the cost of a private appraisal).

Mr. Morton is a certified, licensed, and insured appraiser, as well as a member of the Antique Appraisal Association of America. He provides fair market and insurance appraisals for estates and individuals. He also works as an independent national auction representative, helping clients consign to nationally-recognized auction houses. Morton regularly appears on Channel Eight’s Arizona Collectables, which airs on Thursday nights at 7:30 pm.

The Winslow Antiques Appraisal Fair was presented as a service to the community; the event was not a fundraiser and the charge was only to cover our costs. For the latest updates on all of the Old Trails Museum’s exhibits and programs, subscribe to our “News” feed or “like” the museum on Facebook.

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2017 Spring History Highlight: A Mary Colter Play

In partnership with La Posada Hotel, the Old Trails Museum presented its Spring History Highlight on Saturday, April 8, and Sunday, April 9, 2017. Edgeware Productions presented a revival of A Woman by Design, a play about architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, in La Posada’s Ballroom.

Colter was chief architect and designer for the Fred Harvey Company from 1902 through 1949, and her work includes La Posada and most of the buildings along the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. After several months in Arizona studying Colter’s work, actress Elizabeth Ware (above, as Colter) and producer David Edgecombe created this one-act play and premiered it at La Posada Hotel in 2014. Wrote hotel owner Allan Affeldt at the time: “I have read a great deal about Ms. Colter (and) your play was both poignant and insightful.”

A Woman by Design is a fascinating character study of a strong-willed woman who was pivotal in the development of Southwestern architectural design despite working in a male-dominated field. Ware portrays Colter at three crucial life stages: an uncertain young art student, a self-taught architect at the peak of her powers, and an 88-year-old woman facing the sale or demolition of some of her beloved projects. The play explores the Southwestern landscape that inspired Colter and the artistic passion that drove her, “not to overpower nature, but to become a kind of interpreter.” The production features slides of Colter’s major works and a brief talk after the performance.

In addition to acting in dozens of productions, Ware holds a Master’s in acting from Kent State University and served as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) in the Departments of Communication, Theatre and Dance. Dr. Edgecombe earned his Ph.D. at Kent State and is an author, playwright, and retired Professor of Theatre at UAA. Ware and Edgecombe founded Edgeware Productions in 1990 and have produced award-winning plays and educational performances throughout their home state of Alaska, the United States, and Europe.

The 2017 Spring History Highlight was a partnership program between the Old Trails Museum and La Posada Hotel. For the latest updates on all of the Old Trails Museum’s exhibits and programs, subscribe to our “News” feed or “like” the museum on Facebook.

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