Mr Jesse’s eponymous shop has been a fixture on the street for almost 40 years. He moved there in 1966, two years after starting in Portobello, setting up in a shop that was actually adjacent to his current premises. He was, he told ATG, the first Art Nouveau and Deco dealer in the street, a ground-breaking departure followed by many other names that have since made it an important centre for this particular sector of the art market Of his departure, Mr Jesse said: “The time is right. I found a vein of gold and I mined the seam and now I’ve come to the end of it. I want some younger people to come up.”
John Jesse won’t be hanging up his decorative arts hat completely. He intends to carry on dealing, set up a website and become what he describes as a “gentleman collector/dealer”, so we can expect to see the familiar face at fairs and auctions.
After the closure of the shop he can be contacted on 07767 497 880, email jj@johnjesse.com and via his website at www.johnjesse.com
Kensington Church Street bids farewell to John Jesse
September will see the end of an era and a Kensington Church Street landmark when John Jesse, the pioneering decorative arts dealer, shuts up shop following the expiration of his lease.
