Antique Chaos
A few hours, two miles, and more antiques than anyone could actually see.
August brings antique vendors to central New York. Each year, a section of US Route 20 in Madison and Bouckville, New York, is transformed into an antique fair with over 2,000 dealers.
Large tents with multiple vendors set up, individual tents with shops set up under them, food, and crowds of people looking for deals or for the perfect piece to add to their collection.
It’s chaos.
Some dealers have just furniture pieces, primitives, clothing, or other specialized goods. Some have almost anything. Americana. History.
But there’s no directory that will list where you can find that one special item you are looking for. That is up to you, and a comfortable pair of shoes.
My wife and I spent a few hours there this week. I don’t go looking for anything specific. I sometimes find something interesting that inspires me for a photo project.
And of course I have my camera.
Because there are images hidden in the Visual Chaos.
I’m drawn to the rusty stuff, the odd stuff, and the nostalgia of things you just don’t see anymore. At one point, I found a Kodak Six-16 Brownie Special camera. In almost mint condition and over 80 years old, I almost bought it. But it was overpriced for what it was, and there would likely be more interesting things to come.
Anytime I do find something interesting that I consider buying, I have a decision to make: will I find something better in the next tent?
You would think the danger in this is that someone else will buy it first.
Before I go home and it’s time to maybe go back to that one item I passed by… the question is: Where did I see that? And after walking for a few hours, do I have the time and energy to go find it again? I thought about that Kodak Brownie I had seen earlier in our walk. They would probably take less. But at this point, I didn’t remember which tent I saw it in.
✅ Where to Find Me
You can find more of my work on the web at: Simmons Photography
If you want to work with me or inquire about licensing images: Contact Page
More of my work can be seen on Vero and Flickr.