Specialist at the Salisbury rooms Alex Butcher estimates there are something close to 2500 books that will be offered in around 300 lots.
The son of a Scottish stockbroker, Brand Inglis, now in his 65th year, entered the silver trade 41 years ago. First working for Spinks, he then worked for early silver specialist How of Edinburgh before joining Thomas Lumley in 1967 where he worked until 1975 when he set up his own business in Belgravia.
A familiar face on the Antiques Roadshow and a past president of the BADA, Mr Inglis was admired by museum curators for his eye and has sold material to, among others, the V&A, Colonial Williamsburg and the Toledo Museum of Art that houses his favourite ‘deal’, a Nuremberg ewer and basin c.1580.
While the dealer will keep his collection of furniture, paintings, silver and curiosities, the funds realised by his library will spark a new venture that involves his second love – cooking. A radical change of direction will see him shortly open an upmarket bed and breakfast close to Montpellier.
As one might expect from one of the last of the old school silver dealers, the Inglis library is remarkably extensive, with books (each with a name plate) covering every facet of gold and silver work from English college and church plate to large holdings on Continental and American silver and goldwork. It was from Tom Lumley that he bought his remarkable run of Sotheby’s and Christie’s silver catalogues that run, respectively, from 1924 and 1902 to the present day. They will form part of the sale alongside auction catalogues from key sales of the 19th century including rarities such as Stowe, Fonthill, Bernal and Hamilton Palace.
Mr Inglis told the Antiques Trade Gazette it would be too much of a wrench to see his library sold, so he has arranged to be in France to discuss a new fitted kitchen.
Brand makes his mark with book sale
Following his decision to move to France, the silver reference library of long-time London dealer Brand Inglis will be sold by auction in Salisbury at the end of this month. As part of their silver sale on January 28, Woolley & Wallis will offer an enviable working library that has served Mr Inglis for over 40 years.
