David Dawson retires from Bellmans
Bellmans book specialist David Dawson has retired after nearly 60 years in the book trade.
He has worked in libraries, new book shops and in the antiquarian book trade. While at book shop Dillons, he remembers the age when founder Miss Una Dillon would arrive by taxi each week to make orders.
Dawson’s knowledge ranges from antiquarian books, maps and ephemera and he was Bellmans’ ‘resident bookman’ and specialist since 2011 – valuing manuscripts, ephemera and maps as well as books.
Bellmans said: “David has been a wonderful member of the team and will be very much missed by everyone.”
US auction house appointments
Simon Shaw named Sotheby’s vice chairman
Sotheby’s has promoted Simon Shaw to vice chairman of its global fine art division. Shaw has been worldwide co-head of Impressionist and modern art at the auction house for the past few years and sold Modigliani’s record-setting Nu couché (sur le côté gauche).
August Uribe has been promoted too, and now takes a position as the firm’s New York department head. He is joined by Julian Dawes and Scott Niichel, who will serve as the co-deputy heads of Impressionist and modern art.
Finally, two new positions have been created. Lucian Simmons joins as senior specialist and Yin Zhao joins as vice president, specialist and Asia business development for the global fine art division.
Cavalier joins Heritage
Chris Cavalier has joined Heritage Auctions as consignment director for its sports division.
He is the creator of the website GameUsedUniverse.com, which he launched in 2005 to educate collectors about game-used sport memorabilia.
“I thought it would be beneficial to the collecting community, given the large amount of suspect and fraudulent game-used memorabilia that was circulating in the hobby at the time,” Cavalier says.
He joins the US auction house with eight years’ experience in the sports auction business.
“He has extensive experience at many levels of sports collecting, which will offer our consignors and collectors an added level of comfort and expertise. Having him in our San Francisco office will increase our presence on the West Coast,” says Chris Ivy, sports auction director at Heritage.
Riley joins Skinner
US auction house Freeman’s has hired Sarah Riley in its jewellery division. Riley has worked in the jewellery trade for more than 20 years and started with Skinner in Boston. After completing a gemology degree from the Gemological Institute of America in New York she has worked for a variety of businesses, including a US emerald wholesaler and luxury brand Tiffany & Co.
She joins Freeman’s as a jewellery and client development specialist in its Main Line gallery in Wayne, Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania.
Former RA head joins commercial gallery Blain Southern
Charles Saumarez Smith has joined Blain Southern as director after stepping down from his post as chief executive of the Royal Academy of Arts, a position he has held for 11 years.
He departs following the unveiling of the £56m redevelopment of the Mayfair institution and a CBE award presented to him earlier this year. His previous roles include stints as director at the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery.
“Having headed up three of the most prominent art institutions in the UK, if not the world, Charles brings a wealth of knowledge and experience,” said the gallery’s Harry Blain and Graham Southern.
Operating out of New York and London, Blain Southern was launched in 2010 and deals in contemporary art. Its UK gallery is in Dering Street, Mayfair.
Former Sotheby’s director takes top spot at US folk art museum
The American Folk Art Museum has a appointed Jason T Busch, a former Sotheby’s employee, as its executive director, according to an article in the New York Times.
Before joining the museum he was director of the Jason Jacques Gallery in Manhattan and was deputy director of the Saint Louis Art Museum. He also worked as a division director for decorative arts at Sotheby’s.
