Barbara Streisand

In approximately 1987, I had a shop on the street level of the Manhattan Arts & Antiques Center on Second Ave. in New York City. It was small, but nicely appointed, with a window to the street. Barbara Streisand came into the shop one day and expressed interest in several of the lamps that I had for sale. She requested that I take photos and mail them to her, with descriptions and prices. If you’ll remember, back then it was much more difficult to do that than it is today. No digital images nor computers nor email nor Internet. I’ve always taken pride in my photographs, so I took the time to make them good. First to the 60-minute photo shop, then again to modify them to make them better. Then I composed the letter, went to FedEx and shipped off the packet. So what happened? Absolutely nothing. No answer, no nothing.

My reaction? No comment. And you were hoping this would be a better story? Sorry, except to quote the character Sgt. Joe Friday from Dragnet. “All we want are the facts, ma’am.”

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Michael Jackson

One day in the mid 1980s, my wife, Lia, was at our street level shop in the Manhattan Arts & Antiques Center on Second Avenue in New York City. “Big Bob” was one of the security guards on duty that day.  He came into our shop and told Lia that Michael Jackson was in the antique center, shopping  on the floor below street level.  Many of the street level shops have windows that face the street, so privacy was an issue.

She left the shop and went to the floor below. Michael Jackson was there, just coming out of one of the shops.  Lia was a bit shy of approaching him, but his bodyguard assured her that she could talk to him with no problem.  Lia told Michael (can I keep using first names?) that our kids like his music.  He was very gracious, friendly and humble.  He permitted photos to be taken with everyone who asked and signed many autographs.  By the time he left, there was a crowd of approximately 15 people around him.  Hard to reconcile the Michael from that day with the one who just passed away.

It seems to be a pattern, but the Polaroid photo Lia took of Michael, that he also signed, has been misplaced.  Maybe we’ll find it one day, but it doesn’t look good.

Pleeeeaaase write to me with suggestions and/or questions.  If they’re interesting, I’ll write a blog entry.  If you like my blog, please recommend it to others.

Please let me know what you would like to buy, sell  or trade.  philchasen@gmail.com

Johnny Carson

Johnny Carson and a much younger woman came into my shop at the Manhattan Arts & Antiques Center on Second Ave. in New York City in the late 1980s.  I now assume the younger woman was Alexis Maas, whom he wed on June 20, 1987, but I had no idea at the time.  They were interested in several items in the shop.  I thought it odd that the woman was asking all the questions.  By the time they left, (without making a purchase), I realized that Johnny (is it OK to call him by his first name?) had never said a single word.

In his final appearance ever on TV, Johnny appeared on the Letterman show.  He chatted with Letterman for a short while, delivered the “Top 10” list to him, and indicated by hand gesture that he would like to sit in Letterman’s chair behind the desk.  Letterman complied.  After about 40 seconds, during which time the audience continued a standing ovation, he mouthed thank you once and left the stage without saying one word to the audience.  Later, when asked, he explained that he had had a case of acute laryngitis. Well, excuuuuse me, but I don’t think so.  I guess that after all those years in the public eye, he had had enough and reverted to being the very private person that he probably always was.

More celebrities coming.

Please visit chasenantiques.com.

If you like my blog, recommend it to others.  Email me with comments.  philchasen@gmail.com

Dick Clark

Kari Wigton, Dick Clark’s third wife, came into my shop at the Manhattan Arts & Antiques Center in the mid 1980s.  She bought a small Pairpoint puffy table lamp.  I invited her and her husband to a preview party at an antiques show at the 67th Street Armory.  She came into my booth, looked at a few items, and then returned with her husband, Dick Clark.  She introduced me to him and he replied “Hi, I’m Dick Clark.”  What a modest and nice guy!  Unlike some other celebrities, what you see is what you get with Dick Clark.  He’s just as nice and friendly in person as what you see on television.  They purchased another lamp that evening.

More celebrities another day.

Please visit chasenantiques.com.

If you like my blog, please recommend it to others.  Email me with comments.  philchasen@gmail.com

Andy Griffith and Don Knotts

I used to have a shop in the Manhattan Arts & Antiques Center on Second Avenue in New York City in the 1980s.  One day my wife, Lia, was in the shop.  I met her as she was leaving and I was coming into the center.  I asked if anything had happened and she replied “Some old man was looking in the shop and was interested in a lamp.”  I opened the shop and a few minutes later, Andy Griffith walked into the shop with a younger woman.  He was the old man.  My wife has never been very good at recognizing celebrities.  One day, she was talking to Eli Wallach at a show and told him he looked familiar.  She asked him if he were a relative.

Andy Griffith was interested in a small Pairpoint puffy lamp that he purchased.

Please visit chasenantiques.com.

If you like my blog, please recommend it to others.  Email me with your comments.  philchasen@gmail.com

OK, I admit it.  I’m a sucker for celebrities.  I’ve met many of them and had some amusing encounters.  Here are a couple more of them.

Kareem Adbul Jabbar

I used to have a shop on Madison Avenue in New York City called Chasen-Stamati Gallery in the late 1980s.  One day, Kareeem Abdul Jabbar came in.  We had lots of chandeliers in the shop that were hung high enough for most regular-sized people.  The shop was not designed for basketball players.  So I said to him “Please be careful and watch your head”.  If looks could kill!  He might have been thinking “I’ve been this tall all my adult life, you idiot.  I know to watch my head.”  I sure wish I hadn’t opened my mouth.  He was interested in an Art Nouveau marquetry wooden planter, which we didn’t have, but eventually found for him.

Steve Martin

Steve Martin came into my shop one day and looked at several Handel lamps that we had.  He’s a very quiet, serious guy in person, nothing like the comedian you see on television or the movies.  He liked three Handel lamps that we had and asked if we could send them over to his apartment on Central Park West, so that his wife could see them and they could decide together.  After several days, he called back and told me that they couldn’t decide, so they wouldn’t be buying any of them.  I personally went over to his apartment to pick them up, hoping that I could persuade him to purchase at least one of them.  When I arrived, he wasn’t home, but instead, a worker let me into the apartment to pack them up.  Mr. Martin left a bottle of champagne and a note apologizing for the trouble — a gentlemanly thing to do, but again unfortunately for us, no sale.  To make matters worse, I’ve misplaced his note and haven’t been able to find it for many years.  Oh well!

More celebrities soon.

Please visit chasenantiques.com.

If you like my blog, please recommend it to others.  Email me with comments.  philchasen@gmail.com

Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker

Being in the antiques business for over 30 years has allowed me ample opportunities to meet many celebrities. Some of the encounters were rather amusing, so here are a couple of them, not in any particular order.

My wife and I were exhibiting at an antique show in the New York Coliseum, (it’s since been demolished and replaced by the Time Warner Center), when Jonathan Frakes came into our booth. For those of you who don’t know him, he was Commander William T. Riker on Star Trek when Patrick Stewart was the captain, Jean-Luc Picard. Picard always referred to him as “#1”. So when he came into the booth, I called my wife and said “Look who’s here.” She came over and said “Yes?” I replied “It’s #1.” And she replied “Yes?”, totally not recognizing him, even though we watched the show regularly. I finally had to explain to her that he was Commander Riker from Star Trek. My wife was a big Trekkie and was embarrassed because she didn’t recognize him. Suddenly a big crowd gathered around a woman near him. I couldn’t figure out what was going on. As it turned out, it was his wife, Genie Francis, the actress who portrayed Laura Spencer on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital. Apparently soap stars are bigger than sci-fi stars.

Another time I was exhibiting at the Miami Beach Antiques Show at the Convention Center. The booth was empty and I was sitting and reading. A couple walked into the booth. When I looked up, I thought I recognized the gentleman, so I asked “Are you the person who I think you are?” He replied “Who do you think I am?” I said “Bruce Springsteen”. He said no, he isn’t and then a few seconds later said yes, he is, and shook my hand. He and his wife, Patti Scialfa, admired some Handel lamps that I had in the booth, but unfortunately for me, did not make any purchase.

More celebrities in my next post.

Please visit my website, chasenantiques.com.

If you like my blog, please recommend it to others.  Email me with comments.  philchasen@gmail.com