Pennsylvania Antiques Show 2026

15 PENNSYLVANIA ANTIQUES SHOW at Valley Forge Conestoga wagon, ironwork by Samuel Meals, Adams County, PA, c. 1800–30. Collection of Michael Baltozer. This wagon was purchased at the Hess Conestoga Gallery. time, resulting in a greenish cast. e wagon also retains its original toolbox, with ornate iron hinges and hasp. e toolbox’s location on the front end is unusual; most are on the left side. e wheels, made by a specialized wheelwright, remain full-size and unaltered. e ironwork is marked by the blacksmith, Samuel Meals (1777–1843), of Idaville in Adams County, Pennsylvania. For the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976, the Conestoga wagon saw a brief revival for the Bicentennial Wagon Train Pilgrimage, sponsored by the Bicentennial Commission of Pennsylvania. e pilgrimage included wagons from all fty states, which crossed the country along historic trails and routes—stopping at parades, fairs, and other events to perform a nostalgic “Wagon Train Show” complete with music and engage with massive audiences. Attendees were encouraged to ll out “Rededication Scrolls,” pledging their allegiance to the nation’s founding principles, and turn them in to the wagon masters for symbolic delivery to Valley Forge. e wagons converged at Valley Forge for a huge celebration on July 4, 1976. Fifty years later, to celebrate the U.S. Semiquincentennial, it is tting to revisit the Conestoga wagon as both a Pennsylvania icon and a metaphor for how the Pennsylvania Antiques Show is bringing people from all over the country once again to Valley Forge. It was here in Valley Forge, during the harsh winter encampment of 1777–78, that General George Washington managed to rally his troops and emerge to secure an improbable victory over Great Britain. And the rest, as they say, is history! Sources on the Conestoga Wagon: Bicentennial Wagon Train Pilgrimage to Pennsylvania 1975–1976 (Harrisburg, PA: Bicentennial Commission of Pennsylvania, 1976). Omwake, John. The Conestoga Six-Horse Bell Teams of Eastern Pennsylvania, 1750–1850 (Cincinnati: Ebbert & Richardson, 1930). Reist, Arthur L. Conestoga Wagon: Masterpiece of the Blacksmith (1975). Shumway, George, Edward Durell, and Howard C. Frey. Conestoga Wagon 1750–1850: Freight Carrier for 100 Years of America’s Westward Expansion (York, PA: Early American Industries Association and George Shumway, 1964). The loan exhibition is proudly sponsored by