We are very pleased to say that we are making steady progress with making our rich series of Oral History interviews publicly available. The very latest interview to be edited, formatted and uploaded to the Oral History pages on the project website was launched a few days ago – thanks to Patrick Bannon, who is editing and formatting the raw interviews and creating short films with embedded visual material from the archives.
Our interview with Gary Baxter, the grandson of Horace Baxter, founder, in 1927, of the well-known antique furniture dealers, H.C. Baxter & Sons, of the Fulham Road in London, is now available on the website – see antique dealer project Oral Histories
Gary Baxter, photographed in 2015. Photograph, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds.
In the interview, Gary tells us about the early history of H.C. Baxter & Sons – how his grandfather used to gather old furniture on a cart around Clapham in South London, from their first shop in Northcote Road, Clapham, to H. C. Baxter & Sons becoming one of the most important trade suppliers of antique furniture in Britain. Below is a photograph of Horace Baxter, taken in about 1950 we think (thank you to Gary Baxter for allowing us to us this photograph).
Horace Baxter, c.1950. Photograph courtesy of Gary Baxter.
Gary also tells us about his own involvement in H.C. Baxter & Sons in the interview – he joined the business in 1978, aged just 17 years of age – as well as many other aspects of the history of the antiques trade. You can also listen and watch some of the other oral history interviews we have edited and uploaded to the project website – Philip Astley-Jones (click here); Kathleen Skin (click here); Jerome Phillips (click here). We are currently working on editing, formatting and uploading all the remaining oral history interviews in the coming months.
The most recent addition to the growing collection of catalogues issued by antique dealers is this rare copy of Antiques Wholesale to the American Trade by the dealer Herbert Sutcliffe, dating from 1968.
Catalogue, ‘Antiques Wholesale to the American Trade’ Herbert Sutcliffe, 1968. Photograph, Antique Dealer Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
Sutcliffe appears to have established his antique dealing business at Ing Hey, Briercliffe, Burnley in Lancashire in the late 1940s, expanding the business in the 1960s and 1970s to be a major player in the then very lucrative ‘Shipping Goods’ business, trading mainly with the USA and Canada. The catalogues, aimed specifically at the North American antique trade, were issued regularly by Sutcliffe to American customers for $3.50 subscription per copy. The issue we have is Catalogue No.22, and whilst undated, the information in the catalogue describing details of parcel post and surface and air freight shipping mentions USA Customs duty, stating that ‘items manufactured prior to 1868 are duty free’ – i.e. items over 100 years old, indicating the catalogue must date from 1968.
There are some fascinating photographs of the Sutcliffe business operation, with images of the offices – the catalogue mentions that there were 5 office staff looking after the orders. According to the catalogue, ‘telephoned, cabled and letter orders are received, upwards to 100 per day, to about 15 days after issue [of the catalogues], when most of the individual items are sold out.’
Herbert Sutcliffe Antiques, office, 1968. Photograph Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
There are also some photographs of the Packing and Shipping Department at Herbert Sutcliffe (see below). The catalogue also contains extensive information on packing and shipping costs and the various methods of transport etc.
Herbert Sutcliffe Antiques, Packing and Shipping Office, 1968. Photograph Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
Images of the storerooms at the business reveal the enormous quantities of antiques that the business sold, with storerooms for antique glass, ceramics, metalwork, furniture, and extensive storerooms full of various types of antique clocks, from mantle clocks and wall clocks to longcase examples.
Herbert Sutcliffe Antiques, Storerooms for antique glass, ceramics and clocks, 1968. Photograph Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
Below is a photograph of the storeroom for antique longcase clocks, which seems to have been a specialism of Herbert Sutcliffe Antiques. The catalogue usefully mentions that buyers should think about including small items that can be packed inside the cases of longcase clocks to save on shipping costs – freight shipping was costed by space, not weight.
Herbert Sutcliffe Antiques, Storerooms for antique glass, ceramics and clocks, 1968. Photograph Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
The catalogue itself is quite heavy, with more than 100 pages of antiques for sale, with each page illustrating dozens and dozens of antiques in various categories. The introductory information in the catalogue confidently states that each catalogue has ‘over three thousand individual offerings’, and that the business itself has ‘about one hundred and fifty thousand quantity lines’. Here are some examples of the category pages illustrating antiques for sale.
Herbert Sutcliffe Antiques, catalogue page for antique ceramics, 1968. Photograph Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
‘China ‘D’ (above), illustrates one page of antiques for sale, with each item having a number, so that customers could order by telephone or post; for example ‘D6315′ (which is the bowl, top row, middle, with ’15’ written on it) – in the catalogue list this is described as ‘Flo blue bowl by ‘Malkin’, Burslem 16” di.[diameter] From a chamber set. Perfect.’ ‘$15.00’. Most of the antique ceramics appear to be of relatively low quality and value, all appropriate for ‘Shipping Goods’. There are dozens of pages devoted to the sale of antique clocks – here’s just one example (below), mostly priced at between $9.00 and $20.00. The most expensive antique clock on the page is no.17, (row three, middle) priced at $55.00 and described as ‘Fine quality 19th c. Bracket clock 18” high. Casing richly decorated with brass-work. Bevelled glass to bezel. Ornate silver and brass dial. Mach [machine] for time and strike in good order. Casing has side handles and is dark patina. Gen.[generally] Snd. [sound].
Herbert Sutcliffe Antiques, catalogue page for antique clocks, 1968. Photograph Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
There are only 7 pages devoted to illustrations of antique furniture, I guess the Sutcliffe business was more interested in volume sales of smaller antiques. The antique furniture is again generally of lower quality and value, mostly Victorian and Edwardian. Here is one of the pages of antique furniture (below).
Herbert Sutcliffe Antiques, catalogue page for antique furniture, 1968. Photograph Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
The antique furniture item ‘F 10510’ (top left) is described in the catalogue as ‘Cancelled’ – i.e. is must have been sold whilst the catalogue was in production; but looks like a mid-19th century Continental piece. Item ‘F 10511’ is described as ‘A pretty art nouveau style mahogany display cabinet. 45” wide 62” high. Note very pretty marketry [sic] panel to centre. of a stylised peacock. Rich colourful inlaid various woods with some oyster shell inserts. Ex. [excellent] patina. Very cln [clean] and snd [sound] cond.’ [condition]. It is priced at $85.00. The final item, ‘F 10512’ which looks like an early 18th century oak side table, but heavily re-carved in the 19th century, is described as ‘A pretty Victorian 17th century style carved oak loobey [sic]. 33” wide 29” high. 3 small drawers to the front. Richly carved front freeze [sic]. Exce. [excellent] patina. Very cln [clean] and snd [sound] cond.’ [condition]. It is priced at $175.00.
The Herbert Sutcliffe catalogue gives a fascinating insight into the Antique Shipping Goods trade in the 1960s and 1970s, which was of course a major part of the British Antique Trade in the Post World War II period. The catalogue will be making it’s way to the Brotherton Library Special Collections in due course.
Our Antique Dealer Research project Oral History Interviews are finally being fully rolled out into the project website. It’s been a long time coming but we are now starting to upload all of our 40 plus interviews into the Oral History pages – with Philip Astley-Jones and Kathleen Skin the first to join our existing oral history interview with Jerome Phillips (of Phillips of Hitchin). The interviews all need editing before they can be made public, which is both time-consuming and, crucially (given funding is always an issue in research projects!) costly. But, as part of the Year of the Dealer project we have managed to devote time and resources to ensuring that the rich series of oral histories that we have assembled as part of the antique dealer research project can now start to be made available to the public – and big thank you to Patrick Bannon (Patrick Bannon Photography) for all his hard work on editing and creating new visual files for the interviews. Patrick is creating video files for each of the audio interviews, with images of the interviewees and any contextual photographs, so that listeners to the audio files can feel more in the presence of the speaker, and we are embedding the files into the Oral History pages in the project website. Here’s how they look on the Antique Dealer Research Project website:
To actually listen to the interviews you need to go to the Oral History pages in the project website – here is a LINK for Philip Astley-Jones (who very sadly passed away in August 2021) ; and here is a LINK for Kathleen Skin.
We are creating new files for all the Oral History interviews over the coming months – with regular updates on the Oral History pages in the project website – we will have our interviews with Peter Cheek and Gary Baxter available soon, so do keep your eye of the Oral History pages.
In the meantime, I’d like to thank all our interviewees (past, present and future!) for so generously participating in the Antique Dealer Research Project Oral History theme.
Old catalogues illustrating antiques for sale produced by antique dealers give a fascinating insight into how dealers described, classified and marketed antiques. The antique dealers research blog has showcased a number of antique dealer catalogues over the years – see, for example, our recent entry on the catalogue ‘Genuine Antique Furniture’ produced in c.1920 by the London based dealer Rueben Shenker (Blog Post, 30th September 2021). Our latest antique dealer catalogue is a very rare printed example produced by A.W. & F. Little of Bristol, dating from c.1890-1900.
A.W. & F. Little catalogue, c.1890-1900. Photograph Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds.
The catalogue is in a fragile state, as you can see – the cover has a section missing, bottom right corner, and there are a number of tears throughout, but it is a remarkable survival given the ephemeral nature of these things. According to his own publicity A.W. Little established his antique dealing business in Bristol in 1865. By the time the catalogue was produced, A.W. & F. Little, ‘Dealers in Antiquities of Every Description’ were trading from two shops in Bristol, one in Narrow Wine Street and the other in Castle Hill. Frederick Little (perhaps a son or brother?) produced this edition of the A.W. & F. Little catalogue in c.1890-1900 (this edition is number 16) – it is inscribed ‘FRED LITTLE fecit’ on the final page (see bottom right in the image below).
A.W. & F. Little catalogue, c.1890-1900. Photograph Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds.
Frederick Little’s association with print media and design seemed to have continued, as by 1902 he was listed as ‘newsagent’ in Narrow Wine Street, Bristol, and as a ‘Commercial Photographer’ at 16 Castle Mill Street by 1914; so perhaps Frederick had left the antique dealing business early in the 20th century? Certainly, by 1924 A.W. Little was in a new partnership with T.G. Smith, at 20 Castle Green, Bristol, but Frederick Little seems to have held onto the Castle Mill Street shop.
The catalogue itself has rather crudely drawn, lithographic, illustrations of various antiques that the business had for sale. The cover (page 1 above) shows a ‘Rare Old Japanese Vase, 24 ins High’, and priced at £10.’ Together with an ‘Old English Roasting Jack, complete with a pair fine fire dogs 28 ins High, Steel Spit and Jack, all in…’ (next words un-decipherable). The final page (page 16 above), also illustrates a variety of 17th and 18th century antiques, including a ‘Chippendale’ chair (£5), a ‘Sheraton’ ‘work table’ (11 shillings?), and a ‘Jacobean’ oak table (42 shillings and 6 pence). There are 16 pages in the catalogue, each one filled with little drawings of antiques for sale. Below is page 2, which rather neatly captures
A.W. & F. Little catalogue, c.1890-1900. Photograph Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds.
the wide range of antiques that a dealer of c.1890-1900 would have for sale. Pottery and porcelain, in the form of an ‘Old Davenport Broth Bowl’ (20 shillings), ‘Three quaint Delft Pottery Animals….’ (5 shillings each), plus what looks like a rare maiolica ‘jardinière’ – described as ‘Beautiful Italian Jardinere, Hand Painted Colours on White’ (£4); ‘Old Bristol Wine bottle…date about 1650’ (5 shillings); an ‘Ancient Greek Bronze Jug’ (30 shillings); ‘a pair of Old Flintlock horse Pistols’ (10 shillings); an ‘Old Carved Oak Chest’ (£6, 10 Shillings); and a ‘Beautiful Indian Execution Sword…Engraved with Verses From the Koran’ (£2, 2 shillings). Page 15 in the catalogue (below) shows a ‘Curious Little Cabinet Made of Mahogany and Satin-wood’ (£3, 10 Shillings), as well as a ’17th [sic] century Card Table’ (actually an early 18th century example).
A.W. & F. Little catalogue, c.1890-1900. Photograph Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds.
The other pages in the catalogue are similarly packed with illustrations of a wide range of antiques for sale, including this page (page 10, below), with a ‘Very Handsome Ebonized Cabinet’ inlaid with ‘Pewter’ and ‘Steel’ (£4) – perhaps an example of ‘Boulle work’?
A.W. & F. Little catalogue, c.1890-1900. Photograph Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds.
Similar examples to the A.W. & F. Little catalogue were produced by the antique dealer Samuel Richards of Nottingham in the period 1880s-1920s (see blog post on 21st June 2014), see example below dating from April/May 1913.
S. Richards catalogue April/May 1913; private collection. Photograph Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds.
The A.W. & F. Little catalogue will, like the other antique dealer catalogues illustrated in the research blog, be making its way to the Brotherton Library Special Collections at the University of Leeds in due course.
The collections of antique dealer ephemera and archives gathered as part of the on-going research into the history of the antique trade in Britain continues apace. The latest additions are two unique photograph albums of stock of the well-known dealer in antique oak furniture and early objects, Mary Bellis (c.1896-1897). Bellis opened her first antique shop in Bournemouth in 1943, and the photograph albums appear to date from an early period in the history of Mary Bellis Antiques.
Photograph Album (album 1), c.1940s-1950s, Mary Bellis Antiques. Image, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
The two albums, both comprising bound leaves of thick black card, mounted with dozens of black and white photographs of various antiques that Bellis had in stock, unfortunately have no metadata; no prices, dates, or provenance information about the objects depicted in the photographs. But all of the photos are numbered, in sequence, so I guess they would relate to a stock book (if one still exists?). The first album (above) 12 inches x 10 inches in size, has a hand-painted title ‘Antiques by Mary Bellis’, whereas the second album (slightly larger at 14 inches x 10 inches) has a cover embossed in gilt lettering, ‘Photographs Mary Bellis of Bournemouth Antiques’.
Photograph Album, (album 2) c.1940s-1950s, Mary Bellis Antiques. Image, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
‘Mary Bellis of Bournemouth’ continued to be a trading name of Mary Bellis Antiques for sometime after Bellis moved her business from Yelverton Road in Bournemouth to Charnham Close in Hungerford, Berkshire in 1952, so the albums could date into the 1950s. The business had an international reputation for early oak furniture and associated objects and this is reflected in the array of antiques illustrated in the photo albums. Mary, together with her husband Eric (d.1976), who was a chartered accountant and company director, amassed an important collection of early furniture and objects during the 1920s and 1930s, before Mary began trading as an antique dealer in the early 1940s. After her death in 1987, Christie’s held an auction sale of their collection (Christie’s 21 May 1987, London).
Photograph Album (album 1), c.1940s-1950s, Mary Bellis Antiques. Image, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
The photograph above, (from album 1) illustrates a range of antiques that Bellis sold, including non-European objects, such as what is described as ’16th cent candle’, and which appears to be from the African continent? Several of the photographs have these short descriptions, in pen, but frustratingly none have any provenance detail or information on prices at which they were bought and sold.
Photograph Album (album 1), c.1940s-1950s, Mary Bellis Antiques. Image, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
The page (above) indicates that Bellis also sold ceramics – the photograph shows an English 18th century salt-glaze jug (with a description, in pen, ‘Salt Glaze Jug’ and ‘(see 8)’ and which refers to a photograph of the reverse side of the jug in photograph 8 on the opposite page in the album. Also included are photographs of some of the early paintings that Bellis sold, including one, (photo no.12 bottom right) inscribed ‘Van Kessel’ in pen. Jan van Kessel (1626-1679) was a leading Flemish painter of the 17th century – if anyone recognises the painting, or the other paintings in the album, do let us know.
Photograph Album (album 1), c.1940s-1950s, Mary Bellis Antiques. Image, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
Album no.1 also contains some photographs of what looks like interiors of Mary Bellis’ shop? (see top two photos in the photograph above); perhaps illustrating how Bellis arranged and displayed her shop.
Album no.2 contains similar photographs, again mostly numbered in sequential order, but with emphasis on 16th and 17th century British oak furniture. This page from album no.2 (see below), shows a range of oak cupboards and an oak coffer/chest.
Photograph Album (album 2), c.1940s-1950s, Mary Bellis Antiques. Image, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
Album no.2 also includes dozens of photographs illustrating the wide range of trading stock; paintings, sculpture, textiles, metalwork, stained glass and ceramics – including (in the second photograph below) a collection of 18th century English pottery figures.
Photograph Album (album 2), c.1940s-1950s, Mary Bellis Antiques. Image, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.Photograph Album (album 2), c.1940s-1950s, Mary Bellis Antiques. Image, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
Given the quality of many of the antiques in the photographs, it may still be possible to see if the antique still exist in private or public collections? These examples of 16th an 17th century stained and painted glass, for example, associated with the Verney family? If anyone does know where these objects are now, we would be very interested to hear from you.
Photograph Album (album 2), c.1940s-1950s, Mary Bellis Antiques. Image, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.Photograph Album (album 2), c.1940s-1950s, Mary Bellis Antiques. Image, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2022.
The albums are an increasingly rare survival of business ephemera associated with the British Antiques trade, and give us invaluable insights into the history of the trade. The albums will eventually make their way to join the rest of the antique dealer related material in the Brotherton Library Special Collections at the University of Leeds.
It’s been another stop-start year for the Antique Dealer Research Project, but we ended 2021 on a high, with the completion and screening of Quinneys, the film (2021). And so, on behalf of everyone involved in the project, we wish everyone who follows the Antique Dealer Research Blog a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Our Christmas image is not especially festive this year, but we thought that as most people will be out shopping, or will have been out shopping, an image of shopping for antiques might capture the moment!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!….Quinneys, the film (2021) has now been released on the Antique Dealer Research Project YouTube; so you can now watch the full film (1hr 47 mins) on your TV (or laptop) via the project YouTube.
In our project YouTube channel you can also view the Trailer we made of the film (1 min 21 secs), plus two short contextual films which explore and explain the Set for the film – Quinneys comprised two sets, one Quinneys’ ‘Sanctuary’, filled with expensive and rare antiques, and the other, Sam Tomlin’s set (Quinneys’ brother-in-law, and also an antique dealer), which is much more prosaic (it was loaned by Lyons Tea Rooms in one of the original productions of the play in c.1915).
We have also uploaded a film of the Q&A we had at the Victoria and Albert Museum following the preview screening of Quinneys on 1st December.
Quinneys Q&A at the Victoria and Albert Museum, with L-R Christopher Wilk (Keeper of Woodwork, Fashion and Performance at the V&A); George Rodosthenous (Director of the film Quinneys); Mark Westgarth (Producer of the film Quinneys); Martin Levy (Director of H. Blairman & Sons, antiques), and Joanna Norman (Director of the V&A Research Institute).
We hope you enjoy watching Quinneys – do let us know what you think by publishing comments on the Project YouTube or emailing us at antiquedealers@leeds.ac.uk
Quinneys, the film (2021) is now just weeks away from general release, so do keep your eye on the project blog for details. In the meantime, we have two, invitation only, screenings, one in York (Weds 24th November) and the other in London (1st December) – we still have just a few FREE tickets left for the York Picture House screening (5.30pm-8.30pm) with wine and canapes if anyone is near York on Weds 24th (do email me direct for tickets m.w.westgarth@leeds.ac.uk). In anticipation, we have made an Official Trailer for Quinneys, the film (2021) – see the YouTube below.
And for extra context for the film, we have also made 2 short films which explain a little bit about the significance of the Set for Quinneys, as well as outlining some key ideas that underpin how we have positioned Quinneys within the wider Antique Dealer Research Project at the University of Leeds. Here are links to the 2 short films.
Making the film of Quinneys has been a mammoth task, we’ve had to overcome the impact and restrictions of the Covid 19 pandemic, various Lockdowns and constraints, but thanks to everyone associated with the making of Quinneys, the film (2021), we are very near to making the film live again, more than 70 years after Quinneys was last seen as a film.
We do hope everyone will get a chance to see the film, and will enjoy it!
Our film of the play Quinneys is very near to being released – the final edits and addition of film credits and music are being completed in the next week or so. As readers of the antiquedealersresearchblog will know, over the past few months we have been busy making a film version of the play Quinneys (1915).
Quinneys, the film (2021), full cast. Photograph, Andrew Mills, 2021.
George Rodosthenous (the director of the film) and I had a first look at the completed film this week at the cinema on campus at the University of Leeds (George even brought popcorn!). I must say, it’s looking fabulous! Patrick Bannon (cinematography) and George have done an amazing job on editing the footage and have created a real legacy project for the AHRC Year of the Dealer project.
Here are some exclusive photographs of how the film looks in its final version – taken at the first viewing of the ‘proof’ version screening of the film this week on campus.
Jim (Fergus Johnston) and Posy (Annabel Marlow), Quinneys (2021). Photograph, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2021.Sam Tomlin (Malcom Webb), Quinneys (2021). Photograph, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2021Susan Quinney (Hannah Rooney) and Posy Quinney (Annabel Marlow), Quinneys (2021). Photograph, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2021.Posy Quinney (Annabel Marlow), Cyrus P. Hunsaker (Stephenson Catney), Jim (Fergus Johnston), Quinney (Samuel Parmenter), Dupont Jordan (Sebastian de Pury), Sam Tomlin (Malcom Webb) and Susan Quinney (Hannah Rooney), Quinneys (2021). Photograph, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2021.Mable Dredge (India Walton), Quinneys (2021). Photograph, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2021.Dupont Jordan (Sebastian de Pury), with one of the ‘Chippendale’ chairs. Quinneys (2021). Photograph, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2021.Quinney (Samuel Parmenter) and Susan Quinney (Hannah Rooney). Quinneys (2021). Photograph, Antique Dealers Research Project, University of Leeds, 2021.
We are planning two exclusive, invitation only, premiere screenings of Quinneys (2021) later in November and early December, before we release the film to the world as a free download on the project websites. I will of course post some updates on the screenings in the coming months, but for the moment I’d like to thank George, Patrick, all the actors, and everyone who helped create Quinneys (2021). It’s a brilliant piece of work!
Our collections of historic antique dealer catalogues and brochures continues to expand. The latest edition is a rare sales catalogue issued by the antique dealer Reuben Shenker (1872-1952) in c.1920. Shenker was born in Russia and came to England, settling initially in Grimsby, North Lincolnshire with his parents. The family moved to London by 1910, and Reuben, together with his younger brother Isaac (1882-1959) established an antique dealing business, specialising in ‘early oak furniture’.
Rueben Shenker, ‘Genuine Antique Furniture’ dealer catalogue, c.1920. Image, antique dealer research project, University of Leeds.
Isaac Shenker seems to have worked for his brother Rueben – he is recorded as ‘assistant antique furniture’ in the 1910 Census, whilst Reuben is listed in the same Census as ‘antique dealer’. Isaac appears to have left his brother’s business in 1913, first trading from Holland Park Avenue, then, by 1928, from 118 Brompton Road, a location with a very high concentration of antique dealers in the period. Isaac became a BADA (British Antique Dealers’ Association) member by 1932, and seems to have been very successful, ending up with a shop in Old Bond Street by the late 1940s.
Rueben established his business in 1911, trading from Red Lion Street, London until 1936. He specialised in ‘early oak’, which was hugely popular for furnishers and collectors in the opening decades of the 20th century. In 1937 Reuben appears to have closed his Red Lion Street shop and became ‘manager’ of an antique dealing business, Coslyn Limited, who were based at St. Mary Abbott’s Terrace, London.
Advertisement, R. Shenker, from Connoisseur, June 1914. Image antique dealer research project University of Leeds.
Rueben’s ‘Illustrated Catalogue of Inexpensive Genuine Antique Furniture’ contains a series of photographs of various examples of 16th, 17th and 18th century furniture, and is dominated by ‘early oak’ specimens.
Rueben Shenker ‘Genuine Antique Furniture’ dealer catalogue c.1920. Image antique dealer research project, University of Leeds.Rueben Shenker ‘Genuine Antique Furniture’ dealer catalogue c.1920. Image antique dealer research project, University of Leeds.
In his introductory remarks to the catalogue, Shenker draws attention to the popularity of ‘early oak furniture’. He writes, ‘In recent years Genuine Antique Furniture has come into greater favour with buyers of all tastes and classes than heretofore…..The most important and durable pieces are to be found in the early oak examples, which, while being quaint in design and workmanship, are the most useful for country residences.’
‘Old oak’ was indeed amongst the most popular tastes in the opening decades of the 20th century, with many specialist dealers emerging in the market. There was also a thriving trade in the sale of ‘old oak rooms’, recycling 16th and 17th century panelling and fittings into new old-style properties as collectors and furnishers wanted the ‘period room’ look. Dealers such as Lenygon & Morant, Frederick Litchfield, and perhaps most famously, Charles Roberson, did a brisk trade in the sale of period panelling and period rooms. Below is a photograph of a ‘Gothic Oak Room from Boughton Malherbe Manor House, Kent’, from Roberson’s sales catalogue, volume II of three volumes, also, like Shenker’s catalogue, dating from the early 1920s.
‘Gothic Oak Room from Boughton Malherbe Manor House, Kent’, from Roberson, ‘Antique Panelled Rooms, vol II’, c.1921. Image, antique dealer research project, University of Leeds.Rueben Shenker ‘Genuine Antique Furniture’ dealer catalogue c.1920. Image antique dealer research project, University of Leeds.
Reuben continued in his introductory remarks in his catalogue, highlighting the increasing importance of authentic specimens, which was a special concern for collectors of ‘old oak’ in the period, and of his own his expertise as a dealer. Reuben writes, ‘Having specialised in early oak furniture for many years, I offer intending purchasers the benefit of my experience to guard them against unfair dealing…I may mention that I have a large clientele all over the world, which has been obtained by giving satisfaction and by honest dealing.’
Rueben Shenker ‘Genuine Antique Furniture’ dealer catalogue c.1920. Image antique dealer research project, University of Leeds.
Shenker’s catalogue is a rare survival of an antique dealer’s sales catalogue from the 1920s and will be joining the growing collection of antique dealer catalogues and ephemera and antique dealer archives at the Brotherton Library Special Collections at the University of Leeds in due course.
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