The 2013 Winter Fine Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia, 5th – 10th November

 Unbelievably now in it twenty-third year this year’s Fair’s dates have been moved to coincide with Asian Art in London 2013, which does seem a sensible move.  An expected twenty-two thousand visitors will be able to browse and purchase on the stands of the hundred and thirty exhibitors participating at the Fair.  One can confidently buy there as all items are strictly vetted by a team of experts.  It would be difficult to write about the gamut of different, interesting items on show but here is a small selection.

On the stand of Wakelin & Linfield you will come across this rather fine George I (c1720) bow back Windsor type ash chair.

Portraits are always popular and there is a selection being shown by Nicholas Bagshawe Fine Art, including this depiction of Wilhelmina Bowlby (1798-1834) by Sir Thomas Lawrence.

While unfinished it still has the great style and appeal associated with his oeuvre. 

Items in silver are always popular and I can well imagine that this c1880 silver-plated lemon squeezer made by the noted firm of Hukin & Heath will soon go to a new home.  It is being offered by Hampton Antiques.

Finally a touch of Hollywood history and style is being shown by Mark J West.  He has a group of six small glasses and five large glasses all engraved with the initials HB, rightly so as they belonged to Humphrey Bogart.

They were given by Bogart to Bill Rowland Hill as a thank you for his help with the publicity during the filming of the ‘The African Queen’.  They are accompanied by a letter on 20th Century Fox paper from Pinewood.  Bogart signed it Bogie, a form of signature he only used for friends.

It reads:

My Dear Bill.

Before I leave for home I want to say, one big ‘thank you’ from the bottom of my heart for all you have done Publicity wise both on the set, and in Africa. In addition thanks for all the other little things you have done that have helped so much. I wanted to send you some Hootch but on second thoughts I want you to have something to put it in. Will you call at that fancy store (Heal’s) on Tottenham Court Street and see a guy called Gaylard. Choose yourself a dozen glasses from the suite I have had made. They have my initials on them which are the same as yours.

 Once again sport, thanks a million.

Quite a provenance!

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