Welcome to The Valley House Journal

What first drew us to antiques, beyond their beauty, was the stories. Every piece arrives with one already half told: a Victorian portrait of a young woman whose name has been lost, a French bronze still carrying its sculptor's signature in the base, a garden painting signed and dated in 1906. Finding the rest of that story is our favorite part of the work at Valley House Antiques, and the Journal is where we'll share it.

We're a small antiques and fine art dealer in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, in the heart of Chester County. We buy and sell antique oil paintings, Victorian portraits, prints and works on paper, French bronzes, and European and American decorative arts. Every piece we list is researched and honestly described, condition included.

What you'll find here

• The stories behind our pieces. Who painted it, when, and why it looks the way it does.
• How to identify and date antiques. What a canvas, a mark or a frame can tell you about when and where something was made.
• Caring for antiques at home. How to hang, store and protect paintings and objects, including lessons we've learned the hard way.
• Behind the scenes. Buying, research and the occasional restoration.

You don't need to be a collector to enjoy it. Most of what makes antiques fascinating is simply knowing what you're looking at.

Browse what's available now in Wall (paintings and prints) and Objects (bronzes, silver, glass and decorative arts), or follow along on Instagram at @valleyhouseantiques.