Dealers

...but Web provider still won’t budge on credit card charges

A POWERFUL group of top-end American dealers have voiced opposition to the British Antique Dealers’ Association’s decision to stage a 50-stand fair at Sotheby’s New York early next year.

Stephen and Iona Joseph began collecting and dealing in primitive animal portraits more than 30 years ago and as Iona Antiques were well-known exhibitors at top antiques fairs both here, where they were regulars at Grosvenor House, and in the United States. However, since Stephen Joseph died last year his wife has decided to stop dealing and is selling her collection at Bonhams on March 21.

An antiques dealer from Heathfield in Sussex has become the first British woman to complete the punishing Dakar Rally. The appropriately named Patsy Quick, owner of Toad Hall Antiques, set off on the 16-day trek on January 1 in Portugal, crossing Spain and Africa in the 5600-mile trip to Dakar, Senegal. She crossed the finish line on her motorbike one place ahead of her partner, Clive Town.

ST James’s gallery Frost and Reed, founded in 1808, have undergone a management shake-up and will have an increased focus on Contemporary art.

...and I’ll fight it in the courts if I have to

PARTRIDGE are to relaunch themselves on the fairs scene with a stand at the British Antique Dealers Association fair in March.

CHRISTIE’s will stage a sale of 200 items from Partridge’s stock in New York next May.

Plans to rejuvenate firm include big stand at Olympia

A much-publicised decision to devalue their stock by £10m, is the headline figure of the six-monthly accounts published by Partridge Fine Arts.

MALLETT, one of Bond Street’s most famous names, are to expand their New York branch, with work hopefully starting in November.

London antique dealers Mallett’s of New Bond Street have been awarded €111,533 (£80,000) by the Irish High Court after suing an Irish dealer over a stolen bureau bookcase.

LONDON antique dealers Malletts are waiting to hear whether a Dublin dealer will have to pay them more than £100,000 in compensation over a stolen 18th century bureau bookcase.

AFTER more than 41 years, veteran silver dealers Hymie and Shirley Dinerstein have left West London’s Portobello Road.

PORTRAIT dealer Philip Mould has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours.

THE last of the four annual selling shows of Japanese woodblock prints at The Japanese Gallery, 66D Kensington Church Street, London W8, is Cats, Birds and Flowers which opened earlier this month and continues until February 28, 2005.

NOTED Manchester horologists Northern Clocks, run by Robert Love and his daughter Mary Anne, always have more than 100 good, craftsman-restored clocks in stock at Boothsbank Farm, Leigh Road, Worsley, but you can also see what they have on offer in their just published 2005 catalogue.

“Business has been good, but to achieve this I have had to work extremely hard.” This is how Chris Beetles summed up 2004 and, having already taken over £500,000 in sales from his renowned annual exhibition of British illustrators, he is ending the year on a bullish note.

FEIGEN Aaron is a new firm in London’s St James’s launched by two top dealers from New York and Paris and aimed at the expanding Russian market.

THE Chicago Clearing Company, the US firm trading in auction house class action certificates, will be in London again this week.