The Original Round Top Antiques Fair, would not have been possible without the contributions of the three “Ladies from Houston”: Ima Hogg, Hazel Ledbetter and Faith Bybee. Each played an important role not just in the Antiques Fair but also in the growth of Round Top itself.
The first Round Top Antique Fair tent, produced by David Henry’s O’Henry Productions – based in Mt. Calm, TX – was a 200-foot yellow-and-white striped behemoth that produced an odd orange glimmer. The idea for the use of a tent as a means to expand the show after it gained notoriety to the point of needing a wait list came from House Beautiful editor Mary Ellisor.
Two of the first out-of-state vendors were Whilhelmina “Bill” Cook – who made South Louisiana cypress furniture and also brought rustic Native American pieces with her – and New Mexican furniture and Native American pottery dealer Robert Nichols.
Legendary CBS Sunday Morning host Charles Osgood once commissioned a profile on Emma Lee and the Original Round Top Antiques Fair for one of the network’s signature news broadcasts; producer Mary Mapes and Dallas CBS correspondent Bob McNamara took on the assignment. The piece aired in April of 1997.
Early on, adversity was a common theme for Turney and the Antiques Fair, and that adversity came in many different shapes and sizes. During one show, an inebriated young man approached Turney and Hogg, threatening to defend Round Top against the invading antique hordes once and for all. Fortunately, a peacemaker – Clarence Hinze – arrived on the scene just in time to dissuade the troublemaker and steer him toward a set of windmills instead as a way of embracing his inner Don Quixote.
As word of the Antiques Fair spread far and wide across the United States, vendors from more far-flung states who came down to Round Top began to put “GTT” signs on their storefronts while they were away. The “GTT” missive dates back to the 1800s and means “Gone to Texas.”
One of the early antique exhibitors was Laura Ann from Columbus, TX. Ann is a descendent of the original 300 Texas colonists– the “Old Three Hundred” – who came to the region under the guidance of Stephen F. Austin between 1823 and 1825.
Today, the triannual Show hosts 4,000 vendors and sees over 100,000 visitors.
From its humble origins 55 years ago to its status now as a bona fide cultural phenomenon, the Round Top Antiques & Design Show is a spectacle that every Texan should make a point of visiting at some point, regardless of their proclivity for antiques and vintage wares.
Happy antiquing!
The Original Round Top Antiques Fair, would not have been possible without the contributions of the three “Ladies from Houston”: Ima Hogg, Hazel Ledbetter and Faith Bybee. Each played an important role not just in the Antiques Fair but also in the growth of Round Top itself.
The first Round Top Antique Fair tent, produced by David Henry’s O’Henry Productions – based in Mt. Calm, TX – was a 200-foot yellow-and-white striped behemoth that produced an odd orange glimmer. The idea for the use of a tent as a means to expand the show after it gained notoriety to the point of needing a wait list came from House Beautiful editor Mary Ellisor.
Two of the first out-of-state vendors were Whilhelmina “Bill” Cook – who made South Louisiana cypress furniture and also brought rustic Native American pieces with her – and New Mexican furniture and Native American pottery dealer Robert Nichols.
Legendary CBS Sunday Morning host Charles Osgood once commissioned a profile on Emma Lee and the Original Round Top Antiques Fair for one of the network’s signature news broadcasts; producer Mary Mapes and Dallas CBS correspondent Bob McNamara took on the assignment. The piece aired in April of 1997.
Early on, adversity was a common theme for Turney and the Antiques Fair, and that adversity came in many different shapes and sizes. During one show, an inebriated young man approached Turney and Hogg, threatening to defend Round Top against the invading antique hordes once and for all. Fortunately, a peacemaker – Clarence Hinze – arrived on the scene just in time to dissuade the troublemaker and steer him toward a set of windmills instead as a way of embracing his inner Don Quixote.
As word of the Antiques Fair spread far and wide across the United States, vendors from more far-flung states who came down to Round Top began to put “GTT” signs on their storefronts while they were away. The “GTT” missive dates back to the 1800s and means “Gone to Texas.”
One of the early antique exhibitors was Laura Ann from Columbus, TX. Ann is a descendent of the original 300 Texas colonists– the “Old Three Hundred” – who came to the region under the guidance of Stephen F. Austin between 1823 and 1825.
Today, the triannual Show hosts 4,000 vendors and sees over 100,000 visitors.
From its humble origins 55 years ago to its status now as a bona fide cultural phenomenon, the Round Top Antiques & Design Show is a spectacle that every Texan should make a point of visiting at some point, regardless of their proclivity for antiques and vintage wares.
Happy antiquing!
