MAY 2006

A DEALER'S STORY:
TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING FROM THE BRITISH ART MARKET

Nicholas Bagshawe, Art Dealer and Lecturer, gave a most enjoyable talk at the May meeting entitled: “A Dealer’s Story: Trying to make a living from the British Art Market”.

He told members that no qualifications are needed in becoming an art dealer; one merely buys something and hopes to sell it the next day for a profit. There are helpful art courses but some are expensive and time consuming. The main objective is to learn how to look at an object, understand, date and find its origin; something that comes with experience. Networking and contacts are helpful in progressing by using each others knowledge preferably worldwide. Nicholas Bagshawe stressed that a job in the art world is under paid and you have to like it because you won’t make money at it! He led members through his life in 18/19C pictures starting with a dealer in St James’s and learning the business at someone else expense. A dealer services the need of the very rich who merely wish for instant gratification in buying a clean, framed, itemised and well priced picture, usually bought for its colour. Another approach is to go into partnership where you have twice the chance of selling by using each other’s client list.

Nicholas Bagshawe and his girlfriend decided to set up in business and he described the many pitfalls of starting on a shoestring. 6 months later they became retailers by selling at country fairs. Their first experience did not produce a sale but they found their first client, a gentleman looking for a particular picture of Eastbourne, which they managed to find for him. After 5 years as Fair nomads with the help of Coutts Bank he set up a shop in London’s Walton Street.

He then showed slides of some of the beautiful pictures he had dealt with and amusing anecdotes about them. One such picture being of the actor, Sir John Gielgud, whom they cheekily enquired of Sir John whether he would like to purchase it; this he did but on finding a second and again approaching him, Sir John remarked that buying one picture of oneself was fine but a second would be deemed as vanity! Members were certainly given an excellent insight into the highs and lows of art dealing through Nicholas Bagshawe’s personal accounts.

Chairman, Frances Ashworth opened the proceedings with news of Kate Seibert’s NADFAS post as Overseas Area Representative and Nigel Yallop, our Area Vice Chairman and Trainer’s promotion as Trustee of NADFAS. She reminded members that the Committee is looking for a new Membership Secretary and volunteers in Young Arts, Church Recorders and Heritage. She also mentioned the merits of tours, visits, study days and theatre outings organised for Farnham members.

 

JORDANIAN VISIT

A party of 29 members recently returned from a 9-day tour of Jordan. Led by an excellent guide, we went back in history visiting, amongst others: Jerash created in the 4th century BC; the Umayyad 'desert castles' and Mount Nebo (from where Moses viewed the Promised Land). A drive down the King's Highway, with spectacular scenery, took us to the amazing 'rose-red city' of Petra via the crusader town of Kerak. Our final visit was to Siq al Barid and a somewhat bumpy jeep safari through the Wadi Rum to see 7th century BC carvings in the rock face before a relaxing day by the Dead Sea, where most of the party indulged in the 'obligatory' float. A truly enjoyable tour.

 

CHURCH RECORDER PROJECT COMPLETED

At the end of April the Church Recorders finished record of All Saints, Headley was presented to Colin Brash (who was our co-ordinator when we began work on the church) to the vicar, Reverend Michael Semple. Some of us were able to be present at the 10 a.m. service during which it was given to the vicar and the church. We were joined by Patsy Anders, the West Surrey Area Representative of Church Recordings, our President Susan Filer (who is a member of the Parish) and our Chairman Frances Ashworth. It was a very happy event as these photographs show. We had all enjoyed our work in this church and are at present busy recording a very different church, namely All Saints, Odiham.