Objects of Desire: The Lives of Antiques and Those Who Pursue Them

In this insightful and engaging book, Thatcher Freund focuses on three of the most highly valued pieces at the 1991 Americana Week in New York: a Colonial blanket chest for a farmer in the 1750s, a Chippendale card table created in Philadelphia in 1759, and an inlaid sofa table from the Federal period. By tracing their individual histories and showing how they came to be at the heart of the antiques market, Freund also shares the fascinating history of how the world of antiques has evolved.

Behind the current price tags of these rare objects lie the rich stories of their creations, plus colorful depictions of the subsequent generations of owners, pickers, dealers, and collectors, all of whom share a passionate if somewhat obsessive attraction to antique objects. Part history, part journalism, and always fascinating, Objects of Desire presents a slice of American life in a completely original way.