August 25, 2026
A Visit to The York Antiques Gallery in Maine
The next time you’re looking for something interesting and inspiring to do, consider visiting an antiques shop or gallery. It’s a great way to discover and appreciate one-of-a-kind pieces while learning about the history, craftsmanship, and stories behind them.
My operations director, Matt Krack, enjoys antiquing in his free time. Recently, while driving through Maine, he stopped at The York Antiques Gallery, a multi-dealer shop featuring an eclectic collection of 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century furniture and decorative arts. With more than 30 booths and display cases, the gallery is filled with fascinating pieces to explore, learn about, and perhaps even take home.
Enjoy these photos.
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- The York Antiques Gallery is located on scenic Route One in York, Maine, in the southern part of the state. The gallery contains a large inventory of items from everyday household objects to rare and ornate pieces. Dealers from New England and other areas are always changing and updating their displays.
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- Many of the pieces are decorative. This is a vintage wooden rooster.
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- And here is a vintage metal horse, covered in a nice patina, the green film on the surface produced by oxidation over time.
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- Some pieces are more functional. These are vintage curtain tiebacks or pullbacks – decorative accessories that gather and hold curtains away from the window frame, allowing more light inside.
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- Old cookie cutters are always an interesting find. Cookie cutters date back to the 1800s and can come in interesting and whimsical shapes.
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- Matt also admired these books on Maine – a nice and well cared for collection. Collecting old state books — antique, vintage, or rare — offers a unique blend of historical value, personal connection, and aesthetic appeal.
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- This is a 1930s Yellow Ware Pitcher. Yellow Ware is a type of highly-fired earthenware pottery made from a rich yellow clay body with a clear glaze that gives it its distinctive warm golden-yellow color. It was produced in both England and North America and became a popular style of pottery in its time. I have a very large collection of Yellow Ware.
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- This is a Treenware Cream Skimmer. Treen, literally “of a tree” is a generic name for small handmade functional household objects made of wood. A cream skimmer is a tool used to separate cream from milk by lifting or skimming the fat layer that rises to the top. This one dates back to the 18th or 19th century.
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- The bowl is Lusterware, or Lustreware. This is a type of pottery or porcelain that features a metallic glaze, giving the effect of iridescence. The ball inside is a hollow glass float, which was used to keep fishing nets afloat.
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- Another type of pottery is called Faience. This pottery is a type of glazed ceramic known for its bright, glassy surface, originating from both ancient Egyptian quartz-paste ceramics and later European tin-glazed earthenware. The word “faience” comes from Faenza, an Italian town famous for tin-glazed pottery, and the French term “faïence” became widely used across Europe.
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- On this wall is an interesting diamond-shape basket. Walking through an antiques shop gives visitors a glimpse of what was handmade or popularly used during a certain time.
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- Here is a charming painting of an old barn in winter.
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- And here is a Folk Art painting of a dog eyeing a rat or mouse in its cage. This is signed by artist A.E. Boulanger, a 19th century painter known for creating small-scale handcrafted works of oil on canvas.
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- Silhouette prints featured a style of black-and-white profile portraits that originated in the 18th and 19th centuries. These prints were often used as a form of identification or as decorative art in the home. They are typically hand-cut paper profiles, sometimes reverse-painted or framed in ornate wood, and often depicted individuals, couples, or scenes.
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- These are considered “smalls” or small and often charming vintage or antique items. These “smalls” are mourning brooches – commemorative pieces worn to honor and remember a deceased loved one.
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- This likely came from an old hardware store. It is a vintage storage unit for screws and nails.
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- Do you collect Steiff animals? Steiff is a German heritage brand renowned for high-quality stuffed animals and plush toys, famous for its craftsmanship. This is a tiny Steiff owl.
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- Handmade wood carvings are also often found in antique shops and galleries. This one reads “A Souvenir of the Land of Evangeline” which refers to the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1847 poem, Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie.
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- Do you have andirons in your fireplace? Andirons are metal supports, usually used in pairs to hold firewood raised and in place, allowing air circulation and preventing logs from rolling out.
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- After some time browsing through the many interesting vintage and antique items, Matt went home with a collection of flower paintings by a 12 year old girl in the 1800s. Antiquing is a mix of luck, skill, and timing, and the “finds” can vary widely, but it’s a wonderful way to learn. And as I always say, one should “learn something new every day.”
This story originally appeared on Martha Stewart Blog
