Celebrating 250 Years of the American Spirit: The Finest Antiques, Art, & Collectibles from Sea to Shining Sea
The years 2025 and 2026 will be significant milestones for the United States. In 2025, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the “shot heard around the world,” marking the semiquincentennial of the American Revolution. The following year, 2026, will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We are introducing a new feature to honor these momentous occasions that will showcase the finest antiques, art, and collectibles from all 50 states.
My Pennsylvania roots run deep, with a childhood spent outside of Philadelphia and relatives and ancestors dotted all over the state. I even have a relative’s name on Gettysburg’s Pennsylvania State Memorial commemorating the fallen soldiers during the Civil War’s Battle of Gettysburg. Pennsylvania is definitely known for historic spots like Gettysburg, but as the fifth most populous state in the union, it is also known for its dense history from east to west, Pittsburgh to Philly, of art, culture, and, of course, antiques and collectibles.
Andy Warhol to Honus Wagner
As the birthplace of Andy Warhol, it is no surprise that Pittsburgh retains some of its artistic heritage today (along with its steel town roots, of course). The city boasts an Andy Warhol Museum, which complements its whopping 446 bridges, partly thanks to its “Steel City” status. Whether you hail from Pittsburgh or further outside the city, as long as you are not closer to Philly, you’ll likely be rooting for the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates.
Pittsburgh sports fans are serious about their teams and team collectibles, routinely shelling out one or two million (yes, million) dollars for antique 1909 Honus Wagner baseball cards. Known as the “Flying Dutchmen” as a nod to his German heritage, Honus Wagner was an MLB baseball shortstop, mostly playing for the Pirates during his 1897-1917 career.
Speaking of Dutchmen, you can’t talk about Pennsylvania art, culture, and collectibles without mentioning the ever-present “Dutch” communities. In Pennsylvania, the word “Dutch” comes from the German “Deutsch” and is a term used for immigrants from Germany (not Holland). Many old families in Pennsylvania have German roots, with some older generations still speaking Pennsylvania Dutch.
Most folks are familiar with the religious Amish and Mennonite peoples, with large concentrations of these communities still settled in Lancaster County today. The Amish and Mennonites are known for their simplified ways of life and their handiwork, crafts, and quilts. While you can easily buy newly made quilts in Lancaster County shops, collectors also don’t hesitate to spend thousands of dollars on antique examples like this Amish “Bars” pattern quilt, which sold for over 10K at auction in 2012.
Crackersport, Frank Lloyd Wright, & Rocky
Funnily enough, while Pittsburgh itself is full of art and culture, you don’t need to head far north or south for a few stops off the beaten path. North of Pittsburgh, you will find towns such as Punxsutawney, famous not just for their groundhog but also for the super concentration of antique stores and malls in the area. Same if you head south a bit to visit, say, Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece Fallingwater in Mill Run, PA. As you’re driving around anywhere right smack in the middle of Pennsylvania (some call it Pennsyltucky), you will have your pick of pickin’, from Altoona to Coudersport to Wilkes-Barre to every oddly named town in the state. Yes, Pennsylvania is the state that proudly holds towns named Intercourse, Crackersport, Bird in Hand, Big Beaver, and, of course, Blue Ball.
Pennsylvania visitors nearing the eastern side of the state, approaching Philly, have no shortage of cultural sights and museums. Philadelphia itself, of course, has the world-class Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Barnes Foundation (which got moved into the city from the suburbs). A small portion of art museum visitors simply want a video of themselves running up and down the steps of the Philadelphia Museum like Rocky.
One of my favorite and definitely quirkier museums in Philadelphia is the Mütter Museum, full of strange antique medical and antique scientific oddities.
Don’t Miss Wyeth & Mercer
In the area surrounding Philadelphia, you don’t have to go far to see Wyeth artwork in the Brandywine River Valley or the unusual collections and ceramics at the Mercer Museum in Doylestown. Three generations of Wyeth artists (N.C., Andrew, and Jamie) have all had close roots to Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, using the landscape as a major influence in their paintings. The Brandywine River Museum holds one of the largest collections of Wyeth paintings in the world, so true Wyeth aficionados don’t hesitate to make the pilgrimage there.
Henry Mercer (1856-1830) was an archaeologist and tile maker, owner of the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works. Vintage Mercer ceramics routinely sell in the thousands, so collectors of fine “Moravian” ceramics should not miss a visit to his homestead, Fonthill, and adjacent Mercer Museum.
From Doyleston to the Steel City to the City of Brotherly Love, you can’t go wrong with an antiques road trip in Pennsylvania!
Amy Moyer is the proprietor of Antmuffin: Art, Antiques & Collectibles. She holds a B.A. in Visual Art from Brown University and lives in Boston.
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