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ANTIQUESGUIDE ARTICLE
ANTIQUE-HOME-STUDY SCHOOL CELEBRATES 35TH ANNIVERSARY
Published by, ANTIQUESGUIDE, New Jersey
You've finally decided to strike out on a different career path, or perhaps you've retired from your first vocation. Over the years you've collected antiques. Now you're looking for a part-time, or even full-time business related to your personal interest in collecting. You want to keep active, stay involved, meet people, and make some money in the bargain. You know something about the kinds of antiques you like, but you realize you're going to need a lot more in-depth knowledge about the subject if you're going to open your own shop...
You're a history buff. You've always been fascinated by how people lived and worked in years gone by. You're a member of your local historical society and a volunteer docent at your state historical museum. You'd like more complete knowledge about the furniture styles of various historical periods for both your personal satisfaction, and also to bring more expertise to your role as a docent...
You grew up surrounded by antiques. You always knew they were valuable and important but they'd been in your family so long, they had just been passed from one generation to the next without much information. Now you've inherited these heirlooms and you want to know more about them…
So what do you do? There are many ways to learn about antiques. For most people, it's a life-long process including endless reading of books and periodicals, going to museums, auctions, shows, as well as time spent perusing the Internet. Museums offer classes. There are collectors' club and organizations'. Appraisal organizations, historical societies, community education, and universities offer lectures, classes and degree programs
In addition to these vehicles, there is also a unique correspondence school, celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, which, for a nominal fee, offers a comprehensive course for people who want to learn more about antiques for pleasure and profit. Asheford Institute of Antiques, based in Destin, Florida, was founded in 1966 by Peter Green. The author of a number of books, including A History of French, Furniture and Discovering Early American Antiques, Green spent a large part of his youth traveling throughout Great Britain, Europe, and the U.S. with his mother, Diana Green, a collector of some renown from England. Gaining an invaluable sense of the world of antiques at an early age, Green was educated at the prestigious boy's school, Pickering college, near Toronto. He then studied fine arts at Ryerson College and did two years of post-graduate work at the Sorbonne in Paris. After traveling through Europe for the next few years studying various antiquities, Green returned to the United States where he formulated the idea of a complete broad-based course on antiques to help people gain a more practical understanding of antiques in general. He developed
the course over a period of four years, introducing it as the Asheford Institute of Antiques in 1966.
Now managed by Green's son Charlie, the distance learning program on antiques has enrolled over 35,000 students worldwide since its inception in 1966, of whom 92% are full graduates. Founder Peter Green continues to work as an associate for the Institute, often fielding questions posed by students and directed toward the Institute's Research Service (one of the benefits of being a member of the Institute, the Research Service allows students to gain information of difficult to identify items from a number of experts at the school's Research Department.)
Asheford Institute of Antiques attracts a broad range of students with diverse interests. Susan Close, for example, is a graduate from Ontario, Canada. She first became interested in antiques as a child growing up in England. She wanted to combine her interest with her residence in a resort area which offered a good location for an antiques business. Close feels she got just what she needed: a complete history of periods and styles, information about manufacturing techniques and materials used in the various periods, information about restoration, how to identify fakes, and a fully developed profit plan to help her execute her business set-up and strategy. Her business is booming and she still refers to her course materials and uses the Institute's Research services when she has questions.
As a construction laborer, Jason Felosky's rugged build may have hidden his aesthetic interest in antique furniture. He describes himself as always being drawn to the history and appearance of antiques. He wanted to know more about how they were made and by whom.
Dan Hoffman, Director of The Nepean Museum of Nepean, Ontario, remembers his early years in Germany. His father was stationed overseas in the military. Every weekend, he loaded the family in the car and took them on tours of museums and historic sites. Hoffman credits these early experiences as the basis for his interest in history and antiques. The Asheford course gave him "a broader base of understanding how and why things came to be designed as they were... it gives you a greater understanding of history." Hoffman finds this information very beneficial in his role as a museum director. While his position in the public trust prevents him from being involved in the antiques business, he says that for his own personal pleasure can now "spot a bargain at a 100 yards."
Larry Zadnicheck worked for 20 years on the Mobile, Alabama waterfront in ship breaking and chandlery. During those years, he was a serious collector of nautical and railroad artifacts. When he retired from the waterfront, he wanted to make the transition from collector to dealer. Zadnicheck took the AlA course and now owns and operates Black Dog Gallery in Fairhope, Alabama, specializing in railroad and marine artifacts. He publishes a catalog on a regular basis and deals with an international clientele by mail order. Zadnicheck credits the Asheford program for "making the gallery not only possible, but a success as well."
The Asheford Institute course offers over fourteen hundred pages, of content, descriptions and pictures in it's textbooks alone. In the past 10 years, the size of the AIA program has doubled to account for the tremendous growth and interest in antiques and collectibles by today's public. The course provides a thorough plan of study and an abundance of information for people who need and want a truly comprehensive understanding and vocabulary of the antiques field (this includes a whole series of course text books devoted exclusively to the care, restoration and the refinishing of antiques!) They have succeeded in compiling and organizing a lot of information into simple, easy-to-understand text. They are serious about their product and about serving their students. Through a home-study format, the Asheford Institute has definitely filled an increasingly growing niche for a broad range of people interested in learning more about antiques. For more info, you can contact them at any of the numbers or address listed below:
Asheford Institute of Antiques, 981 Harbor Blvd. Suite 3, Dept. 275, Destin, FL 32541. You can also reach them at their toll free number at: 877 444-4508 or visit them at: www.asheford.com (e-mail: [email protected])
Admissions Office & Information Hotline
Toll Free: 877-444-4508
Fax 705-645-2380
email us: Admissions Office
US Offices:
Asheford Institute of Antiques
981 Harbor Blvd, Ste. 3, Dept. 275WEB
Destin, FL USA 32541-2525
Canadian Offices:
Asheford Institute of Antiques
131 Bloor St. West.Suite 200, Dept. 124WEB
Toronto, ON
CANADA M5S 1R8
T. 705-645-5589
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