antiques
Island Life - April/May 2011
Antiques and Collectables
Philip Hoare - F.T.V.I
"My early days in antiques were so
exciting, collecting things was
my passion"
"I first commenced my fascinatiing
journey through the world of Art and
Antiques back in 1967 with Philips,
Son & Neale in Bond Street. It was for
me truly utopia. I had always from my
early childhood loved collecting things,
starting with military badges and
medals. Back in the 1950's my father
used to take me to big Country House
sales full to the brim with the incredible
works of art from old monied estates.
They contained the exotic accumulation
from throughout the British Empire. I
remember particularly I had a birthday
coming up and there was in an auction
items recently removed from a grace
and favour apartment at Hampton
Court Palace, the property of a Lady
Grant and in a box was the most
beautiful object I had ever seen. A
Japanese gold lacquer Court Tachi
(Dignatories Sword). In my minds eye
I can still see it now. I wanted it so
desperately but it was considered too
dangerous for a boy and I was bought
a Persian Steel Helmet instead. A great
disappointment at the time.
At Phillips auction house in these early
times everyday was so exciting, the
volume of items was quite incredible.
Vans were arriving daily fully loaded
with furniture. The volume was so
great that I quickly accumulated diverse
knowledge and learned about so
many things. After my first year as a
general factotum I was put to work as
a cataloguer for the weekly general sale
in the pink room. I was only eighteen
and I was so proud of myself and so
happy. There were so many interesting
and fascinating things to see.
My first experience of cataloguing
a big house sale was
Cliveden - Lord Astor's
home. He had recently
died and Phillips in
conjunction with Gurr
Johns in Pall Mall had
a hugh three day sale
and everything was
catalogued from the fine
art to the contents of
the laundry room. I was
there for over a month
cataloguing. It was a
wonderful house full to
the brim with curios.
I remember my boss
found a Queen Anne
silver mirror on top of a
wardrobe - it was one of
the highlights of the sale
and at the time fetched
an incredible amount
for the day. The sale
received a great deal of
publicity and it was an
intriguing sale because
it was in the Cliveden
Swimming Pool where
the fateful meeting
between Christine Keeler and John
Profumo took place. The subsequent
scandal was still fresh in everyone's
mind.
By the beginning of the 1970's the
antique market was beginning to
change. There had of course always
been keen collectors but values were
important. From my experience it
was for the love not the financial
return that drove most collectors.Then
antiques started to become part of the
mainstrean investment portfolio.
ANTIQUES
“Find out what they're really worth”
Valuations / Commission Sales
Research
Visit our new website - www.visitislandlife.com
Philip pictured in 1973
I remember the British Rail Pension
Fund started to invest heavily by buying
antiques at auction and this was
followed by many other investment
institutions. So during that decade
there was a very substantial increase in
values as the 'Men in Suits' began to
manipulate the market and the rest is
history.
Philip Hoare was a valuer with Phillips
Auctioneers from 1967 to 1985.
Contact: PHILIP HOARE
www.philipahoare.com
Mobile: 07773 877242 email: [email protected]
71 Union Street, Ryde, IW. PO33 2LN
Tel: 01983 612872
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