Letters to the Editor

Regarding Christopher Crellen’s carte de visite (Letters, ATG No 2615), the following might be of interest.

I act for the Goldsmiths’ Company of the City of London and the Goldsmiths’ Hallmark Authentication Committee. Your article ‘Elizabethan goblet good to go after further examination’ page 4, ATG No 2612, is materially misleading. That arises from a typo in the auction catalogue.

Re: ‘More than $19m of antiquities have been returned to Italy following an investigation by New York authorities’, an ATG website story on October 17.

I own this rather macabre looking carte de visite, and wondered if ATG readers would enjoy the challenge of identifying its subject in the run-up to Halloween.

Your article ‘Rare Canadiana in Sussex… and another Bobins’ (Books and Works On Paper, ATG No 2607, plus an online version) made one significant error in an otherwise excellent review.

We were disappointed to read the article The Young Guard, published in ATG No 2609. After an hour-long interview discussing our experiences as young women in the beginning of our careers, we were taken aback by the published article’s seemingly disparaging portrayal of our narrow commentary around some of those experiences.

At 59, I am not sure whether the ‘Young Guard’ at Forum Auctions (ATG No 2609) would count me as an old man, but like a great many of us in the British antiques trade, in books and otherwise, of course I am white.

With regards to J Boyle of Co Kildare’s letter (‘Remember Crystal Palace 1900?’, ATG No 2609), the ‘Crystal Palace Picture Gallery’ was founded as an exhibition space in 1856, and during its heyday at Sydenham held an annual selling exhibition of many hundred modern paintings.

In reply and hopefully to provide Alan Landis with some reassurance, the rescue of Liberty’s woodwork is a sign of their commitment to preserving its rich heritage (Letters, ATG No 2606).

It was very interesting to see your front page story about the Coade stone torchère and its acquisition by The Fitzwilliam Museum (ATG No 2608).

As widely reported in the media, Christie’s has bowed to pressure and cancelled the remaining sale of the spectacular jewellery, owned by the late Austrian art collector, Heidi Horten.

I would be grateful if any reader could assist in the researching of a painting by providing information regarding the exhibits at the 'Autumn Exhibition of Modern Oil Paintings and Watercolour Drawings' held at the Crystal Palace in October 1900.

I haven’t the slightest interest in political or royal commemorative ceramics (see Denzil Lush interview ATG 2607) but I find your interviews with collectors fascinating.

I enjoyed reading David Lynd’s plea for help tracking down the elusive ‘little book’ mentioned by The Studio Magazine in 1919 (Letters, ATG No 2607).

Sorry to hark back to this subject again – ivory – but what brought it to the fore again is an article in ATG No 2607 about British Museum items on eBay.

Your back page on Volvos brought back many memories (‘Workhorse of the trade rides into the sunset after 70 years of toil’, ATG No 2605).

I would like to warn others in the trade of an incident that happened to me recently.

I have recently acquired a pencil portrait by Keith Henderson (1883-1982), the war artist and illustrator.

In reply to Dirk De Nul’s enquiry about Hewson & Forster (Letters, ATG No 2606), Robert John Forster (1872-1928) moved from Newcastle to Sheffield in 1909 and joined William Hewson (b. c.1871) in the foundation of Hewson & Forster at 16 (they soon expanded into number 18 as well) Church Street, Sheffield.

I have been a subscriber to ATG for almost two decades and this is the first time I have written to you on a particular matter which I feel very strongly about.