The Lifetime Collection of Dr. James & Susan Widder, Cincinnati, Ohio
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For some, antiques are not just objects to buy, sell, and collect, but instead they are truly a way of life. For nearly ï¬ve decades, such as been the case with Jim and Susan Widder. They met at The Ohio State University when Jim was a graduate student (and Susan’s lab instructor), and when Jim completed his doctoral work, the couple settled in Cincinnati, where Jim spent over thirty years in research and management at Procter and Gamble and as a professor at the University of Cincinnati, while Susan spent ï¬fteen years as a research assistant at Children’s and University Hospitals.
When the Widders decided to move away from the then-popular trend of Danish Modern decor, a friend, who also happened to be a local antiques dealer, introduced them to the world of painted furniture and folk art, and they soon began ï¬lling their suburban Cincinnati home with brightly decorated furniture, folk portraiture
of all sizes and a veritable menagerie of carved animals. They also began to participate in antique shows, using their growing knowledge to sell some of their discoveries to their fellow collectors.
To Jim and Susan, however, the things that ï¬lled their home were not just neat things to look at, but rather objects with stories to discover and to tell. Through diligent research in libraries and, later, online, Jim and Susan breathed new life into many of their antiques by making new connections and unraveling the mysteries of their makers. This commitment to research even led them to the front door of the 92-year-old great-great-granddaughter of folk portraitist Ruth Whittier Shute, a moment that was one of the highlights in their life in the world of antiques (and the portrait by Shute is one of the highlights of their collection).
After nearly ï¬fty years of living with antiques (and 52 years of marriage), Jim and Susan have decided to allow the objects in their collection to ï¬nd new homes. Selling now has not only allowed them the opportunity to participate fully in the cataloging of their collection, but to also simplify their lives in order to spend more time with their two daughters and four grandchildren. We at Garth’s are honored to have been chosen to represent this deeply personal collection, of years of a shared love of both antiques and each other, and we remain grateful for the Widders’ contribution to the catalog you now hold in your hands and for their many years as good clients and even better friends.
-Garth’s Auctions