Ghosts, phenomenons,

and

The unexplained at

The Drawing Room Antiques

152 Spring Street

Newport, RI 02840

1-401-841-5060

Once in awhile we have as a visitor to our gallery, that special person who senses a presence of the unexplained. The antiques in our gallery were the favorite possessions whose owner has passed on to the other side. Certain objects still hold the essence of the previous owner. We have watched the occasional visitor who stands before a mirror, bronze, painting, etc. and seems transfixed; we walk over and ask "Do you have any questions?" Some share their spiritual interest and others just turn around and walk out of the gallery. A few years ago, I had just opened the shop, went back to my desk, sat down and a woman quickly walked in and went directly to a small room, which we call the library. She stood in the middle of the room and turned around and said to me "There is someone in here" I responded "Who?" She said that there was a man, wearing a frock coat, baggy pants, high boots and a large black hat. At that time two other people came into the shop. A lady and a gentleman. She was dressed in a simple long black dress with a white collar. She asked "Is my friend here?" I said "She is in there" pointing to the "Library". The gentleman said: "She sees things, people, places." I said that I was told there was, as described, a pirate in the room." The woman came out of the library, turned to me and said "He's friendly, but he's attached to something there. I don't know what it is, but he wants to be freed." Then she quickly walked out of the shop followed by here two companions. I got up from my desk chair and walked to the front door which is about 35 feet and looked out the door to the right to see the three visitors and no one was there.

I walked back inside the shop to the Library, peeked in and found no one there, but there was very strong musty smell.

Occasionally late at night, I have to walk thought the gallery from one room to another to turn off lights. Walking back in the darkened room, I feel something strange, like I'm being watched. There are lots of chandeliers and table lamps that a adorned with leaded glass prisms. Cars driving by with headlights causing the crystal refractions to reflect across the rooms. Occasionally I hear a faint tinkling of prisms, I thought caused by a large truck driving by, but still, I don't know, maybe it is something else...

Paintings and their sitters, sometimes sat for hours for the artist to complete the work. I think that a little of that sitter is still evident in the layers of oil paint. Is the sitter trapped under the oil paint or do they want to be there? Hard to say. You look at the painted face and wonder if they are looking back at you also. I have always felt the magic of mirrors and the reflections of past periods all those who saw their reflection. There is a romance to old mirror glass, thinking of the scores of people who stopped in front of the mirror; did some of those people stay captured in the mirror? Maybe. ...to be continued.

ZSOLNAY // FURNITURE // GLASS // PORCELAIN // POTTERY // METAL
LIGHTING // PAINTINGS // EPHEMERA // TEXTILES // GOTHIC // MISCELLANEOUS//CLOCKS

THE DRAWING ROOM ANTIQUES HOME PAGE

The Drawing Room is located at 152-154 Spring Street, Newport, Rhode Island 02840. We are open daily from 11 am to 5 pm and by appointment. If you have an interest in an item listed in this document or wish to purchase an item, please call us at 1-401-841-5060. Our email address is: drawrm@hotmail.com