The Summer before last I interned at one of the most recognisable specialist auction houses in London -- Kerry Taylor Auctions. Established in 2003, Kerry Taylor Auctions focuses on the sale of historical dress, vintage accessories and antique textiles. The female-led auction house is regularly frequented by private collectors and representatives of international museums looking to expand their costume collections. The auction house holds two types of sales multiple times each year: the more approachable in price and more wearable in style "Vintage Fashion, Antique Costume and Textiles" auction, and the bi-annual "Passion for Fashion" sale, which features the finest examples of 17th century dress, clothing from the wardrobes of British royalty, items worn by instantly recognisable names and much more.
One of my goals for this academic year is to reach out and talk to more people, especially those working within fields that I find particularly interesting. Completing a work placement or month-long internship is a great starting point, but unless you return to the people you met there and keep in touch, it will not be an experience that you can benefit from in the long-run. Talking to people who are undeniably far more knowledgable and experienced (and usually far more busy) is never easy, but I think it's important to try. As long as you're kind and genuinely interested it should be ok!
Since historical dress is the subject I would like my future career to revolve around -- granted I'm not yet sure in exactly what way -- I knew that getting back in touch with the auction house I interned in would be a very good next step. And considering that it is no longer a train journey away, now that I am studying and based in London, it also seemed like the logical thing to do.
So I came up with the idea to represent a Polish collector of vintage clothing at a Kerry Taylor Auctions sale.
Garments from this private collector's collection have been exhibited at the Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź, Poland and in numerous other cultural and art institutions around the country. Last summer I went to see an exhibition composed entirely of garments from his collection. A blog post about it with LOTS of pictures is still in the works. After seeing the exhibition I was intrigued to find out more about this undoubtedly very passionate collector, however, it was not until November that the idea of getting in touch with him occurred to me. I knew that Kerry Taylor Auctions was preparing for an upcoming sale and I decided to mention this. It seemed to me the perfect opportunity for the purchase of one-of-a-kind vintage couture to add to his collection and I proposed to help him select pieces to bid on, inspect them and then bid on his behalf on auction day. To my delight, when I presented my idea, he was intrigued and interested in the auction house as well as that particular sale itself, especially the section dedicated to royalty. Not that I was surprised, since there were some truly fantastic pieces -- black mourning bodices belonging to Queen Victoria, childhood dresses worn by Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret in the 1930s, letter correspondence between Princess Diana and British couturier Victor Edelstein and a stunning Elizabeth Emanuel gown worn by Diana during her 1986 visit to Bahrain which ultimately sold for £130,000 (not to mention the gown's corresponding design sketch which also sold for a record of £5,500 in the previous lot).
This was the first time I attended a live auction. It was an experience that I will not forget and hope to repeat in the near future. The fact that I had interned at Kerry Taylor Auctions and considering that it is a relatively small auction house compared to the likes of Sotheby's or Bonhams made the event all the more pleasant and intimate, though nonetheless exciting. On this occasion the lot I was bidding on quickly surpassed the upper limit I had agreed with my client. Nevertheless, the earlier condition report I gave him and the original suggestions I made taught me about how such collaborations work. I know I still have much to learn but taking the evening bus home from Bermondsey on that cold Monday evening after sitting for almost five hours through the auction of 252 lots left me feeling the happiest I had been in a long time -- tired, but happy. Here's to hoping that next time I lift my paddle up a bit higher!
Click here to view the final results of the 10th December 2018 auction I attended.
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