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This rare circa 1902 Marklin Ferris wheel features six exquisitely carved and painted gondolas. Private Collection of Jeanne Bertoia.

Bertoia toy exhibit to be displayed at Atlantic City show

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf
This rare circa 1902 Marklin Ferris wheel features six exquisitely carved and painted gondolas. Private Collection of Jeanne Bertoia.
This rare circa 1902 Marklin Ferris wheel features six exquisitely carved and painted gondolas. Private Collection of Jeanne Bertoia.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Bertoia Auctions of Vineland, N.J., will be showcasing a world-class exhibit of museum-quality antique toys at the March 8-9 Atlantic City Antiques Show.

JMK Shows has announced the exhibit is being personally curated by owner and co-founder Jeanne Bertoia with many of the amazing pieces coming from her personal collection as well as other prominent private collections.

Among the important and historic examples in the exhibit titled “Antique Toys – A Retrospective,” will be a rare circa 1902 Marklin Ferris wheel. Coming from the private collection of Jeanne Bertoia, this toy features six exquisitely carved and painted gondolas and center box with musical movement.

Between the years of 1890 and 1930, this German toy manufacturer was considered the best in the world. Marklin employed the best designers, painters and even engineers to create toys that were purchased by the wealthy.

Also from Bertoia’s private collection will be a charming rare blue-robed Father Christmas, which was a store window display in a German shop in the 1890s. This work of art stands 29 inches and the tree limb is actually made of feathers, which have survived in exquisite condition.

From a private collection, a set of three Dent oversized fire toys offers a glimpse into the culture and history of America. In 1898 the Dent Hardware Co. began creating the finest cast-iron toys ever made. Known for their large size – measuring between 23 and 33 inches long – these three examples are the largest horse-drawn examples. Each toy is a replica of the horse-drawn fire equipment that was use at that time.

Rounding this exhibit will be several fine examples of pre-World War II American toys as well as a grouping of character toys from the 1920s through the 1940s. There will also be cast-iron mechanical banks, a particular specialty of Bertoia. These mechanical banks, while classified as toys, were actually educational for the children as a tool to learn about money and saving it.

Finishing the exhibit will be American tin toys from the turn of the century and toy trains from the early 20th century.

The March 2014 Atlantic City Antiques Show is going “Back to the Boardwalk,” being held at the Trump Taj Mahal. Not only is this a venue befitting the exceptional antiques, fine art and collectibles that will be offered by the exhibitors, it is also the perfect venue to showcase this museum-class exhibit of some of the rarest and finest antique toys in the world.

The Atlantic City Antiques Show is produced by JMK Events. The Trump Taj Mahal is located at 1000 Boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ. Show hours are Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m to 6 p.m. (Early buying available Saturday, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.) and Sunday, March 9, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact Allison Kohler at JMK Shows and Events, 6 Pilgrim Drive, Succasunna, NJ 07876; phone 973-927-2794 or 973-224-2797; or visit www.jmkshows.com.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

This rare circa 1902 Marklin Ferris wheel features six exquisitely carved and painted gondolas. Private Collection of Jeanne Bertoia.
This rare circa 1902 Marklin Ferris wheel features six exquisitely carved and painted gondolas. Private Collection of Jeanne Bertoia.
This German Father Christmas, which stands 29 inches high, was once a store display. From Private Collection of Jeanne Bertoia.
This German Father Christmas, which stands 29 inches high, was once a store display. From Private Collection of Jeanne Bertoia.
These Dent fire toys are the largest horse-drawn examples of their kind. Each is a replica of the fire equipment used at the turn of the 20th century. Atlantic City Antiques Show image.
These Dent fire toys are the largest horse-drawn examples of their kind. Each is a replica of the fire equipment used at the turn of the 20th century. Atlantic City Antiques Show image.
Pictured from left: Joan Mooney, executive director, Trump Taj Mahal; Allison Kohler, president, JMK Shows; Dmitri Ilyinsky, antique toy exhibit designer; Jeanne Bertoia, exhibit curator and owner, Bertoia Auctions. Atlantic City Antiques Show image.
Pictured from left: Joan Mooney, executive director, Trump Taj Mahal; Allison Kohler, president, JMK Shows; Dmitri Ilyinsky, antique toy exhibit designer; Jeanne Bertoia, exhibit curator and owner, Bertoia Auctions. Atlantic City Antiques Show image.