Letters to the Editor

MADAM – I am writing to say how much I greatly enjoyed your two recent bumper issues: your books special (ATG No 2290) and the edition featuring the dealer round table (ATG No 2291).

MADAM – I read with interest your story about Evelyn Dunbar’s Joseph’s Dream, which set a world-record price for the artist of £73,500 (£60,000 hammer) at Cheffins on May 11 (ATG No 2292).

MADAM – Following on from your ‘State of the Trade’ debate (ATG No 2291), I would like to add my views concerning the advantages of the BADA merging with LAPADA.

MADAM – Milton Silverman in A lawyer writes (ATG No 2291) sets out useful guidance on the legal status of when the hammer falls.

MADAM – In a recent Fairs & Markets (ATG No 2291) I was very interested to read about Bill Neal’s Queen Charlotte mother of pearl gaming counter.

DEAR EDITOR – Without wishing to appear nit-picking (really, I don’t) the article in your militaria special that references the Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund Sword (ATG No 2290) describes Captain Rutherford as US-born, in 1764.

MADAM – In last week’s Books, Maps & Prints supplement (ATG No 2290), on page 39 it is stated that the German astronomer Sir William Herschel discovered Venus.

MADAM – Rejoice, rejoice. Another elephant has been saved from slaughter for its tusks by the prompt removal of an unworked ivory gong from a profit-earning display at Sandringham (ATG No 2290).

MADAM – I thought you would be pleased to hear that a lost family possession from the 17th century has been returned to me after one of your readers noticed my obscure family name in a recent Dealers’ Diary (ATG No 2276).

MADAM – Recent letters and opinions expressed in ATG’s pages about salerooms and better transparency on buyer’s premium have missed an additional yet very important point – namely that of payment to vendors.

MADAM – I have been reading the responses in your letters pages from the antiques trade to the stringent ivory laws appearing around the world.

MADAM – Regarding General Patton’s sword referenced in your militaria feature (ATG No 2287), the details supplied as to the background of this weapon are not totally correct.

MADAM – As someone with a foot in both artist and auctioneer camps, I’d like to add a contrary view to the often one-sided debate on Artist’s Resale Right (ATG No 2287).

MADAM – Having read your story about the reappearance on the market of boatswain whistles that had been pulled from sale in 2008 by the Antique Plate Committee (ATG No 2282), I would like to draw the attention of your readers to the work of this committee and the Hallmarking Act 1973.

MADAM – I read your Editor’s Comment on ARR and Brexit (ATG No 2286) with interest and write to you now with a different perspective.

This is an edited version of an open letter by Anthony Coleridge, chairman of Christie’s South Kensington (CSK) 1987-2001, to Christie’s owner François Pinault (see also news, ATG No 2287, for Christie’s response).

In April dealers and auctioneers were warned to be vigilant about invoice scams on email after fraudsters appeared to have hacked accounts and intercepted invoices. Here one dealer makes a suggestion to help prevent such fraud.

In the debate about transparency of auctioneer fees, sparked by the Advertising Standards Authority December 2016 ruling that buyer's premium needs clearer promotion, the point of view of vendors needs to be heard too, three letter writers argue.

MADAM – I was amused to read in the Previews section of ATG No 2285 that the “star” in Locke & England’s March 30 sale would be a large organ clock, estimated at £3000-5000 (lot 100). This is certainly not the case.

MADAM – Constance King’s reminiscences of Christie’s South Ken (ATG No 2285) mention the difficulties of parking outside to load one’s purchases.