Antique Eastern Shore

by Matt Mikulsky

In life, people view certain things as symbols for a greater picture. For instance, many view baseball as a symbol for America, or at least the leisurely half of American culture. Every culture has a symbol of some sort, whether it be a universal symbol shared by many or a personal symbol shared by as few as one.

The Eastern shore of Maryland is now different. It has it's symbols in their many forms. Many would say that the crab is a perfect symbol for the eastern shore as it is one of the main products/exports of the area. Others would say the water itself is a symbol because life on the shore almost always revolves around the water. But is it possible for history to be a symbol? Tradition is a large part of the culture on the eastern shore. Due to this fact, it is safe to say that history or tradition could be symbolic of eastern shore life. In a physical body, this symbol could be seen in something like antiques.

Antiques are, quite simply, relics of the past. They tell us of our history, both about the style and the traditions of the past. In this sense, antiques are perfect to symbolize the aspect of tradition that is deeply embedded in eastern shore culture. That makes the seller of antiques like scribes or historians. They keep track of each and every piece, knowing what time it is from, what it was used for, and how life would have been different without it. They are keepers of both time, tradition, and memory.

While others may choose the watermen to symbolize the eastern shore in their eyes, I have chosen the antique salesmen to symbolize the shore for me. It is impossible to say that this symbol will stick in the minds of all who read this; it's impossible to say that it will stay with even a few. But in my mind, antiques and those who handle them speak of traditions, both existent and dead. They symbolize all that we know and once knew, all that we do and once did, and all that we hold true to our culture and history. They are the traditions of the eastern shore.

Throughout the Eastern shore, antique shops are present. In every town there is atleast one, if not multiple, antique shops within the community. In Chestertown alone there are nine different stores that sell some form of antique. In all of Kent county there are twenty eight of these stores.(CBIA, 2003) They provide town residents with a place to come and chat while purchasing items that pique their interest. In Queenstown, there is a huge antique dealership known as the Chesapeake Antique Center. With over 60 dealers, it shows that the antique business is no small matter in the eastern shore.(Valentine)

It is from the mouth of one of these salesmen that I learned a great deal about these past relics. I was granted an interview with one Ralph Russum, a man who has become intertwined in the world of antique sales. When asked why he became involved in the business, he stated that he "had been in the whole-sale business for 20 years. It started with [his] son graduated college and [they] opened up a shop together 8 years ago." He stated that he felt that each piece had a story to tell, some lesson to teach or some piece of history embedded in them.

Each antique is like a person: it is created, it lives, and it keeps a record of all of the events that it has seen. "I think that there's a lot to be learned from antiques. I mean, each one can tell us a lot about a time period. It can tell us how people lived back then." Mr. Russum agreed that antiques were symbols of tradition. He also added that they can be seen as symbols of the influence our pasts have on us. He stated that no matter where we look, we will always see a piece of the past somewhere around us, whether it be a piece of furniture or a grandparent.

He stated that "You might not believe it, but antiques are important to a lot of people." When he said this, I asked him what he meant. He proceeded to tell me that while some people may have memories that make them happy or a favorite story, some people placed sentimental value on an old piece of furniture or a music box because it reminds them of something that was important to them.

The minute you set foot into J.R.'s Antiques you can see and feel what he's talking about. Antiques, these pieces of history line the walls and surrounding areas. It has a feel similar to a library and yet entirely unique on it's own. History and tradition in physical form. As I walked through the store, I gazed upon old china, furniture, grandfather clocks, and so many more. Many of these objects reminded me of things from my past.

It is amazing that something so simple could bring people together, bring memories together, bring the past to the present.

Antiques can easily be viewed as a symbol for tradition if one knows where and how to look and think. To so many they represent the past melding with the present. This same ideal is strong in the eastern shore. People and tradition have always been a major front in many societies and this one is no different. So it is only natural for something that basically is tradition to become a symbol for tradition. And now that symbol can become a symbol for an entire area, an area where this idea of tradition and remembering history plays a huge role.