Musings of the past
Antiquing emboldens my soul and brings it to life. I never knew how much I loved it until I had the prospect of owning a historic home. Seemingly a dream became a reality and the eighty-year-old lady inside my heart sprang to life. A true joy and fervor for all things old and simple. Ornate wooden furniture, cut glass, showing a sparkling glimpse into the past, lanterns and soft candlelight. It transports me into a slower life, unhurried by time and technology and never feeling free or present. The past speaks to my soul. And I work to marry it to my present - setting the tone and environment around me to match. At least in the home antiques I collect. I have been seriously on the hunt to furnish my home for the last year and a half or so. I joke with my husband that our house looks like a museum, and it's more true than I joke. The lament I have though is that antiquing has become popular, therefore driving up the prices of things that were old and forgotten. Don't get me wrong, there is incredible value in these pieces of the past, but there is also a wonderful joy from finding a bargain and surrounding yourself with the feelings and adornments of eras past.
Therefore, I bring you an unsolicited review (solely mine and not influenced by a shop-keep or otherwise) of one of my favorite places to antique within the great state of Ohio. A rural and small community called Portsmouth, Ohio. Two hours from major cities Columbus and Cincinnati, Portsmouth sits along the Ohio river, with its own share of history and eras of the past. The late 1800s and early 1900s were years of incredible social and economic growth, but later years from the 1950s onward brought decline in population growth and other hard times. Today, Portsmouth continues to rebuild what once was and houses a row of antique shops in the impressive historically preserved downtown area.
My personal favorite is Ghosts in The Attic. Three stories of a variety of pieces and eras, ever-changing inventory and wonderful prices. I recently picked up fourteen cut glass wine glasses for $1 each (the title picture of this post) that somehow perfectly matched cordial glasses I found at Heart of Ohio Antique Mall in Springfield, OH (another of my very favorite places to antique).
Another great Portsmouth shop to visit is River Town Antique Mall on the corner of 2nd and Court. A once desolate town continues to be revitalized by these shops (among others), as well as a wonderful coffee shop just down the way (Lofts), a brewery, a Prohibition themed restaurant and taphouse, a cafe and bakery - the list continues on. I'd like to think that perhaps the ghosts of the olden days roam the streets as much as I like to, looking to the past with the lens of the future.
vz
