The Haughtons have told ATG that London dealers Blairman, Rupert Maas, Lowell Libson and Raffety & Walwyn will be standing at their first Art Antiques London, to be held in a marquee in Kensington Gardens, opposite the Royal Albert Hall, from June 9 to 16.
In the increasingly competitive race to fill the vacuum created by the demise of the Grosvenor House fair, these four dealers give the Haughtons a distinct advantage. All four were Grosvenor House exhibitors and would have been considered a good catch by any of the quality events planned for next summer.
Significantly, all four have also exhibited at the organisers’ well-thought-of New York fairs, with clock specialists Raffety & Walwyn and Arts & Crafts experts Blairman having shown at the Haughtons’ flagship International Fine Art & Antique Dealers Show at the Park Avenue Armory last month.
Negotiations are advanced for other top dealers to join Art Antiques London, but even more are sitting it out and will not make any decisions for a while yet – certainly not until the New Year when it is hoped the other contender for the Grosvenor House mantle, Masterpiece, will announce whether it has planning permission to go ahead in Chelsea Barracks.
By David Moss
