Life Magazine article 16. Antiques by John Bly.

More than many businesses the antiques trade is seasonal, but there seems little time for mending nets before the next one is upon us. And sure enough here we are in the middle of the Summer Season when London hosts two of the most celebrated antiques fairs in the world, namely and in chronological order, Olympia and Grosvenor House, and everything seems to happen at once. Indeed on the very day the director shouted “It’s a Wrap” on my new DVD entitled ‘Speed Dating Antiques’, the Best Boys and Key Grips packed their bags and the Blondes and Redheads were carefully manhandled back into the equipment truck, the doors opened on The Olympia International Art & Antiques Fair - 5th to the 15th June - closely followed by the inimitable Grosvenor House Art and Antiques Fair - 12th to the 18th June - where over £500 million of fine art and antiques are on display and for sale. In the course of the next couple of articles I shall be looking at some of the highlights on offer and seeking the advice and expertise of Robin Duthy and his unique service:- Art Market Research. Just to recap on a mention in a previous article, AMR offers over 1000 indexes covering 350 sectors of art, antiques and collectibles, so now would seem a perfect opportunity to get Robin’s authoratative opinion on the art market and its future movements. In the meanwhile I should explain that Best Boys and Key Grips are technical assistants in a film crew, and Blondes and Redheads are the affectionate names given to large and powerful theatrical lights. In truth I have to admit that I have been working with a minimum three-man (person) unit and we’ve only had one Blonde between us. Lighting and what it does are extremely important elements when inspecting antiques, and given modern technology there are many forms and uses. Ultra violet for example can disclose overpainting on a canvas, or repairs to porcelain while the simple reduction of reflection can enhance the evidence of repairs on a piece of silver. When viewing an auction sale that includes antique silverware and plate you may well see a dealer or old-hand collector holding a piece up to his mouth and breathing on it. Under normal circumstances the silver will be colder than breath and the result will be hazing over producing a matt surface. Any lines of solder, repairs or alterations will become immediately evident. I would suggest you don’t try this out in a friend’s house when admiring the latest addition to their collection - do it at home first. When I worked as a porter in Sotheby’s silver department way back in the late ‘50’s one of my jobs was to take the important items to be photographed in Cooper’s studio just off New Bond Street. Here Mrs Cooper would apply great globs of putty to dull the surfaces both to show any faults and to kill any reflections from the studio lights which might distort the image. My next job was clean off this wretched putty with methylated spirit, which took hours.
To ease this problem I suggested filling any open vessels such as tankards or coffee pots with ice which I could get from the pub next door.
Mrs Cooper agreed and we duly filled three large
Ecclesiastical flagons. The immediate effect was just as desired, with the entire surfaces quickly frosting over. Sounds of approbation could be heard from the assembled company which by now included Mrs Cooper’s famous son Tommy, whose huge frame I remember as filling the studio. My fame soon turned to notoriety however as by the time the photographer was ready to shoot the condensation on the surfaces had turned to running water, creating not only rivulets down the sides but large puddles on the costly velvet on which the flagons were placed. After an awful silence Tommy gave one of his laughs, “just like that”, and all was well…..but I was back with the putty and meths for two more years. (You can now buy an easy-clean spray which does a marvellous ‘matting’ job.)
The images I’ve included here have all been ‘breathed on’ and you can see the effect. Additionally the dullness makes it easier to ‘read’ what may have happened to a piece of silver. Take for example the plain mug next to the embossed two-handled cup. Both are from the 1750’s and in plain form typical of their class and period. But in Victorian times there was little value added to a piece of silver just because it was antique, thus it was cheaper to take an old family piece and have it aggrandised than to buy new. Such ‘improvement’ certainly detracts from the value today. The single jug, which was originally a plain mug from the same period, has had a spout added and some Moorish inspired engraving which suggests it was done in the 1850’s. The later engraving is acceptable but the addition of the spout disqualifies it from being sold until the spout has been assayed and, providing it is of the correct standard silver, struck with contemporary hallmarks. Another aspect of looking at silver is dating from use and shape. The simple vase form of the charming little jug will tell us that it must have been made after the 1770’s, but its use is even more fascinating. It is in fact a small personal gravy warmer called an Argyll. It contains a separate lower compartment to hold hot water to maintain the temperature of the gravy in the upper part. Legend has it that it was invented on the instructions of the 3rdh Duke of Argyll who tired of having cold gravy after carving for and serving all his guests. It is at this point that we must remember the fashion in the mid-18th century for dismissing the servants during mealtimes after they had brought all the food required to the dining room. This was the time when those things we now take for granted such as decanter stands, wine labels and, of course, the dumbwaiter, first appeared in English society. It is said that this new Service a la Russie enabled totally uninhibited conversation among the upper ‘ruling’ classes without fear of repetition or even blackmail from the staff. Such intricate domestic pieces of silver as the Argyll have been prone to damage over the years so a strong light for inspection may be required. I think I will go and retrieve the Blonde.