Just arrived in New York, for the first leg of a mammoth research field trip to the USA, as part of the AHRC Antique Dealer project. We’ll be investigating museum archives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, here in New York, before heading up to Boston Museum of Fine Arts on Saturday 28th March for similar research. From there I head to Philadelphia, then Wilmington, to The Winterthur on 31st March to look at the dealer archives held at The Winterthur (Vernay, Needham and Koopman – all British-related antique dealers of course). Then on Saturday 4th April off to Chicago, to look at the Chicago Institute of Art archives; then on Wednesday 8th April I’m heading across to Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Institute of Art for a few days to investigate their archives. And finally, on this exhausting tour, ending up in Los Angeles at the Getty Research Institute during 11th-18th April to consult the dealer archives there (French & Co and Durlacher…as well as Duveen of course).
The rationale for this extensive research trip to USA is to investigate the relationships between the British Antique trade and the development of public museums in America – the connections are considerable. We’re also planning do undertake some oral history interviews whilst we’re here in USA, and have some very significant figures in the history of the antique trade lined up for interview!
I’ll be posting updates on the blog on the discoveries (research-wise), so do keep an eye on the Blog!
Mark
antiquedealersblog 