Questers Dining Table

About a year ago I was asked to visit a Questers group. What is Questers? It is an organization founded in Philadelphia in 1944 for women who were interested in antiques. Keeping the history and telling their story. My mom was a Quester and I have wanted to find a group for a very long time but didn’t exactly know how. I didn’t know her people and I’m not even sure if they are still around.

While working at Assistance League Omaha preparing an online sale for shipping I ran into someone. I hadn’t met this person before but we got to talking about the package I was preparing ( a collectable) and she mentioned that she was a Quester. I couldn’t believe it. I told her about my love for antiques and that I had been wanting to join a group for a long time. She invited me to the next meeting and after 3 visits they invited me to join.

Questers is part of a bigger group called The Core of Discovery which focuses on the preservation and restoration of our local history and artifacts. This weekend was what they call State Days for all chapters state wide and the La Bellevue Chapter was hosting. I volunteered to do a table. The only criteria was that it had to be a collection. Well you know that was my wheel house.

This is the description I wrote for the table.

Collecting is an adventure. The thrill of the discovery right around the corner. When you love antiques the story is usually twofold. The story of how it was created, by whom, and who were the subsequent owners. In most cases none of this is known. So, we begin with a new story. Not only the story the item can tell us, but the story of how it came into our possession, and the story of our imagination. Thus begins the story of this writing slope or traveling desk.

I came across this traveling desk about 7 years ago. Buried in a pile of vintage stuff at an antique fair in Douglas County. Catching it out of the corner of my eye and recognizing it for what it was, I went in to unearth it and take a closer look. The tag said WWII desk. What was going thru my mind? No this is much older, and I bet it has secret compartments. After some back and forth the desk came home with me. The first thing I did was discover the secret compartments. Oh yes, that was thrilling!

Though I don’t know the history of this box I do allow my imagination to run away with me. I imagine it belonging to a sea captain. One who has traveled well. Or perhaps not a sea captain but a captain on a paddle wheel or steamboat traversing the Missouri or Mississippi River. An educated man using the desk and appropriate accoutrement to help record his journeys.

I ask you to open your mind and discover the thrill of the find.

I started with this antique Iranian linen blocked printed table square.

Then I layered a piece of “newsprint” from The Virginia Gazette from the 1700 that they reproduce in Williamsburg. Adding the desk, things are starting to take shape. A repro onion shaped bottle with a tax stamp, glass bottom tankard, and of course any sea captain worth his salt will have a telescope.

A clay pipe, tobacco jar, turkey feathers and porcupine quills for writing. A transferware plate complete with a ship, holds 3 antique ink wells, 2 small cork screws for pulling the cork from an ink bottle found in the secret compartment, along with a set of dominos and 4 volumes of Voltaire in French from the 1740’s.

I sprinkled in some twigs with wonderful lichen for texture and a letter

to Mrs. President Harrison at the Executive Mansion and a letter seal for wax and the table was complete.

It was so thrilling for me to have this table well received and have people stop and ask questions about it. And to actually get to sit and enjoy it throughout the day.

We had a wonderful speaker from UNO on Finding Your Roots and how to find your personal history. Saving your photos and scrapbooks and Recipe books and cards, because that helps historians develop a community. She gave us good advice on ancestry searches etc. Then we had the Sarpy County Historian speak about the Sarpy County Museum and the plans for the future. Sarpy County is the oldest county in Nebraska and Bellevue was the first settlement for the territory. Non of which I knew. It was a fulfilling and inspiring day.

I hope you enjoyed the tour as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Thanks for stopping

Shelley