HOW TO SURVIVE IN THE ANTIQUE PROFESSION, DEPENDS ON WHAT A DEALER LEARNS FROM ADVENTURES IN ANTIQUITY
BRITISH ANTIQUE DEALER, REGINALD WAY, SURVIVED IN FAMILY BUSINESS THROUGH TWO WORLD WARS AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION
In the antique business, the acceptable reason to price high, as commonplace, if you were to ask a veteran dealer, there would be the immediate reference to rare piece or pieces, with established, anchored, truthful provenance. You always get the opportunity to boost the asking price, when you have this kind of connectedness that strengthens the investment value of a subject piece, whether it is a relic off the Titanic, or a genuine pair of cuff-links that belonged to gangster Al Capone. This is understood, and there are enough televised programs about antique and collectable identification (Road Show valuation clinics), including all the other antique / treasure hunting reality programs, to pound the point home, that there's a lot of money to be made out there if you've got knowledge and a fat wallet. Any time a dealer gets a unique, one of a kind piece, that has some historic connectedness with a world event, the price hits the outer limits. I understand this, and I have a few pieces just like it. Then there are particularly rare pieces of furniture that can be worth a small fortune. There are folk art pieces, and art works that are priceless, as they say, and as far as pricing, yes indeed, the sky is the limit. But let's face it. Ninety-nine percent of what the average antique dealer has in their shop, or antique mall booth, or selling online, is pretty much run of the mill in terms of availability around the country. There needs to be justification on valuations, because every antique dealer should be able to defend a sticker price, and folks, this is what is most troubling to me. There is such a huge discrepancy in prices from one dealer to another, and even in the same malls, that it clearly demonstrates, there is a glaring shortfall in the entire profession. One mall operator told me outright, they didn't interfere with vendors, allowing them to set their own prices for items in their booth. This would be appropriate only when the vendors themselves, policed themselves, to make sure there were no serious price differences on the same items; condition being the only real reason to have one of greater price over the other in someone else's booth. The proprietor(s) of these antique co-ops must look after the interests of the customers, and make sure that they are getting fair treatment from vendors, especially in item pricing. I hate finding a difference of ten to twenty dollars on an identical antique or collectable piece, in a matter of ten feet between booths. It doesn't matter what a vendor pays for an item. When it goes into an antique shop booth, it should be adjusted in price, to reflect similar or identical items in the same building. Actually, it should be on a regional basis, because most dealers know exactly what other dealers are asking for parallel inventory, because, we're nosey by profession. For any vendor or dealer now, who might wish to complain about my attitude on this, for gosh sakes, pinch yourself, and think of yourself as a customer instead of a dealer. Think of yourself in a grocery store, and how mad you get when you see one store selling the same item for three dollars less, as normal fare, not the result of a sale price. The customer deserves better from antique vendors. It's that simple.
There are no acceptable short-cuts in the antique trade, just like there are no acceptable short-cuts in fiscal management, or dentistry, without consequence to clients or patients; the same can be said about most professions in modern times. There are no acceptable short-cuts building a submarine, or constructing a fighter jet. Our mothers told us this time and time again, whether it was about brushing our teeth, washing behind our ears, or wearing clean underwear. There were times we thought these advisories were annoying and foolish, and we were too old and wise, even as snotty-nosed kids, to listen; until that is, we were somehow embarrassed by the evidence, made public, that we took those same short-cuts we had been advised against. In most cases, it can be said with some accuracy, that mothers were just stating the obvious, about the due diligence of living safe and healthy lives. Would we choose voluntarily, to board a plane that was repaired by an auto mechanic, because there was no aviation technician available at the time? Would we reconsider our flight plans? You can mull over a million of these "what ifs" and on a majority of similar enquiries, it's natural to be wary of anyone or company that practices short-cuts because it makes economic sense. We hear and read about this all the time. The trucking company, for example, that refused to do all the repairs to its fleet that were required, to operate safe vehicles. The resulting accident and inquest? If due diligence was followed, many accidents simply wouldn't occur. But short-cuts exist in other professions that are far more subtle than traffic mishaps, or that would result in a plane crash, or surgical complication. But in many ways, it is a short cut that disadvantages a customer. If you find the content below, seems a little harsh on antique dealers generally, think about the time in history, when a baker could go to jail, for not having the accurate weight for a loaf of bread; a butcher for a pound of meat, that was a little shy of what it was supposed to be, by law. When items are misidentified and misrepresented, there is always a compromise to someone, and methinks, most often, it is to the customer. The laws are pretty clear about misadvertising, but how often do you hear about successfully prosecuted court cases in this regard; in an era where "buyer beware," is pretty much the cover-all policy, all of the time. It is incumbent on me, as an antique dealer, to be as conscientious and knowledgable as I can be; and although I won't have the biggest or most exclusive shop, ever, I must be no less honest or trustworthy, and present our wares to customers, as honestly and fairly priced, according to market valuations, as possible. I don't belong to an association that tells me to act this way, or that polices me to stick within guidelines, but by golly, I'm starting to wonder what the future holds, with more antique dealers than ever, not respecting the parameters of the trade that I grew up with, and came to respect. My mentors were honest folk, who lived the life of the antique dealer. It was their livelihood. They didn't want to screw it up, by making mistakes with their loyal customers. I see a great change from the old days, and honestly, it is hurting the image of the antique trade. Price sensibility and misidentification are two glaring situations that need to be addressed, and there are far too many reproductions getting into the mix of genuine antiques, confusing buyers about what is real, and what isn't, in terms of antique investment.
If I was asked, though I won't be, what the greatest economic risk is, to the contemporary antique profession, I could only offer "greed" as being the number one disconnect with the marketplace. It's not like greed hasn't entered the equation, prior to this time in our history; but it is most definitely glaring, at present. When,in my opinion, dealers seem to be taking the greatest risk of offending customers, with their often scandalous mark-ups; especially when compared honestly, to the prices they paid to acquire the items. There are times when I wonder about the sensibility of some antique dealers, who mark-up relatively common, easily found vintage items, several thousand percent, based only, and weakly, on the vendor privilege of free speech, being, "I own it; I got it for a good deal, and it's my right to price it, at whatever I decide, so bite me!" This is a more common reality than most of us, especially consumers, want to believe of their favorite antique dealer(s). It is never a healthy situation, but there's not much that can be done about it, except on your part, by practicing sensible and value-astute purchasing. This gets the greedy dealer every time. Guaranteed.
Before this reads of contradiction on my part, let me offer this explanation to qualify fair pricing. For example, if I buy a painting for what I consider a "sleeper" price, meaning the vendor didn't practice his or her due diligence with research, it could well be the case, the valuation, based on provenance, and general market value of the subject artist's work, (as determined by investigation) might be several thousand percent higher, than the price paid for its original acquisition. I don't pull figures out of the air on paintings, books and historical documents. Suzanne and I put in hundreds of hours every year, validating prices for what we consider our own investment pieces, of shop inventory. We buy what we like, such that if we ever closed the shop, we would be happy with all our investments. We do frequent online searches, and pay close attention to the prices similar paintings, by the same artist, have achieved in the past two to three years. We make no apology for being good at our antique hunting, and our purchases are always based on increasing our return, by no less than one hundred percent. This is with all our business expenses considered. We can never call a dealer "greedy," for proper evaluation, and listing a piece based on the market place precedents, which are pretty easy to find with a half hour's search, even including ebay listings which are enormously helpful when looking at the highs and lows for a subject piece. There are many antique and collectable items that are acquired by savvy dealers for ridiculously low prices, and once again, my argument isn't with the prowess of the hunter-gatherer. For common pieces however, where there is no limit of supply, and little demand to justify price increases, putting unreasonable valuations on them hurts our profession; especially in antique mall set-ups, where you can often find the same item with twenty profoundly different prices; which looks bad on the mall proprietors, and on every dealer, too lazy to travel booth to booth, to establish fair pricing. Customers deserve fair pricing, just like dealers expect, when they go to the grocery store. If for example, a grocery store, adopted the very loose and sometimes irresponsible pricing, of some antique dealers these days, these stores would close quickly because of competition elsewhere. It's why antique dealers are called "fat cats,' and you know, some of us deserve this bit of slander; it's just too bad we don't seem to learn from people turning their backs, and walking out of the shops without making a purchase. I hate it, and we do everything possible, in our own economy, to give our customers a wide range of antique options, for the most reasonable prices we can afford to offer, and still make our one hundred percent profit. Which means, a bag of buttons we get for two dollars, we will sell for four dollars, but tax is included in this amount. I will only pay a hundred dollars for a dresser that I can sell for two hundred. If the dresser was "a sleeper," and actually a piece of Americana, signed by the craftsman from the 1700's, I won't make any apology, about selling it at auction, in United States, and retiring quickly there-after. But this is a pretty rare situation. It is however, why we work so hard to upgrade our knowledge of antiques generally, and their values, so we won't made an identification error. We would be upset if we sold a piece that we had misidentified, and this was brought to our attention. This is a vital consideration, if value is based on this erroneous identification. Well folks, this is my point.
I study antique malls and shops, as both a competing dealer, and as a critique. I look for pieces that are misidentified, and over-valued based on this inaccurate information. Hudsons Bay blankets are coveted these days, if they are in good condition, and are more than fifty years old. I really get mad at vendors who do not know the difference between blankets that were made in Ontario, by Horn Brothers mill, of Lindsay, Ontario, having an "H.B." sewn-on tag, and an actual "Hudson's Bay" identification. They might look similar but they're not Hudson's Bay blankets. If the vendor had done some on-line research, ahead of pricing based on a hunch, they would have understood the quality and marketable differences, between Horn Brothers blankets, and those made for the Hudsons Bay Company. There really isn't any excuse for taking a short-cut in identification. It is the responsibility of antique and collectable dealers to perform their due diligence, because it is never, ever, acceptable to misrepresent a piece with the purposeful intent of altering the appraised value. While this may be considered an innocent mistake, at a yard sale, or charity event, as soon as it is attributed to an antique dealer, in an antique shop or mall, history repeats like last night's onions, and everyone in our profession takes the brunt of allegation, to our reputations. The antique trade has quite an adverse reputation, as part of its tradition, due to the shenanigans of some notorious rogues, forgers, fraud artists, and deceivers; so forgive me, for dredging up something that is rearing its head more and more these days, as the common fare of the industry. But it is a double-edged sword; the proverbial two headed snake, because an economic downturn, which seems inevitable in this country, with the present decrease in demand for oil, and the fact our country is as successful as oil is valuable, could potentially spark a real estate collapse, and well, a nasty spin-off into a retail downturn generally. The antique wing, of retail, in my opinion, is the most vulnerable, because in a recession, food and household servicing, becomes significantly more relevant, than acquiring a Boston Rocker for the living room, for effect, and more Fenton glass, for the china cupboard. When buyers become more astute about valuations, antique dealers are in the same boat as every other retailer, who wishes to survive the downturn. Low pricing. Sensible, proportional mark-ups. Justified valuations based on the facts of previous sales figures, not on "pie in the sky" assessments, that aren't credible, or won't hold up to scrutiny.
In my thirty five years in the antique profession, in a variety of main street, and in-house shops, and selling online, and special sales, our family has weathered one serious, long term recession, two smaller economic downturns, and years of soft market jags, during minor tourist season slumps; and survived to write about the experiences still being in business after all is said and done. When I suggest that antique dealers today, in large part, are unrealistic about their price strategy, I have a fair amount of knowledge to back up my claims. I'm sorry if they don't agree with me, and frankly, even if they did feel I was pretty close to exposing greed for what it is, I would be shocked to silence to hear so in retaliation. I am one of very, very few, on the inside of the profession, who feels antique dealers are asking too much for too little, if true market value was established. The problem, and it's an old one, is that most antique and collectable dealers are retired professionals, who like playing around with old stuff, and have no serious financial burdens. If they were like every other retailer, in the world, who had to hustle and be innovative every single day, in order to survive, we'd see much more realistically priced antique and collectable wares, with many more initiatives and incentives, which are few and far between these days. But, folks, if a recession morphs out of this present oil crisis, and its spin-off damage to the national and international economy, even the fat cats of the profession are going to retreat, and undoubtedly sit on their inventories until the dust settles. Those dealers who have survived recessions and related down-turns before, will know exactly what strategy to employ, to stay in business, and thrive; because it can be one of the best overall times to make purchases, from those citizens who have to sell their heirloom pieces in order to survive financially. It's true, and I wouldn't think of candy-coating it! Our profession feeds of the disadvantages of others, including the estates of the recently deceased. I didn't write the code of conduct; history did! Our conduct however, does deserve closer attention, and by all rights, we should be policing ourselves, but, well, this doesn't always work either.
I want, at this time, to share a little more of the biography, of former British antique dealer, Reginald Way, from his 1957 biography, simply titled "Antique Dealer," that offers some important information about surviving, even the most serious financial downturns associated with world war, and in his time, the Great Depression. There's much to be learned from those who survived calamity, and even thrived as a result; always based on savvy business practice, and clever, but honest marketing strategies.
"I had more leisure in the (antique) business now. The motor-car had altered the habits of the business men who used to walk up Park Street in the evenings, and they no longer came by the shop, so my father found it wasn't worth while keeping open later than six o'clock," wrote Reginald Way, of the early days of the First World War, as it affected daily life in England. "In the evenings I went out with my friends to tennis parties, late cricket matches and 'flannel dances,' and when we parted it was always with the knowledge that we should be meeting again the next evening. We were carefree and happy, with no idea that so soon we should be plunged into war with Germany."
Mr. Way writes, "I'm not going to give anything but a brief resume of my time in the army. I enlisted in the 12th Gloucesters on 14th, September 1914, and was in training in various parts of England until, in October 1915, we were sent to France. I was wounded in my left hand by a shell splinter, on Christmas Eve of the same year, and sent back to England. I spent four months in Leckhampton Manor, a V.A.D. hospital on the outskirts of Cheltenham. In April 1916 I went before a medical board, and the officer in charge told me that I would be posted to the Army Pay Corps. My hand was so stiff that it was practically useless. After fourteen days' leave, I received orders to return to the Gloucesters' depot at Chiseldon. When I got there I was summoned before another medical board. I asked them whether I could be sent back to help my father, in his business, as I did not want to go into any C3 occupation, which is what would have happened to me. After some talk amongst members of the board, which I did not hear; I was dismissed, but two days later, when the results came through, I found that I had been medically boarded-out. So, in May 1916, I was back against amongst my beloved antiques in Park Street. Prices as well as values were a little higher, but otherwise things were very much the same as before, the only difference being the types of customer we now had. This was due to a different class of people having more money. Workers in munitions and other government war materials wanted to spend their money on something, so why not antiques.
"I found at this time, that my father had got into a bit of a groove; he was taking it easy and letting the business slide along without any strenuous effort on his part. No doubt the anxieties and privations of the war, had something to do with his new attitude. I realized that I'd have to jolt him out of this, and I began by pointing out that it was time we improved our stock and included more valuable pieces. I said, 'We've got money now; let's buy a better lot of antiques, than any of the other dealers here.' As my father didn't raise any serious objections to my idea, I went out to sales and bought the very best things there, and we soon found that our new clientele bought them readily. This new trade outlook so fired my father's imagination, that he started to search for and buy such valuable articles that I became a little nervous. However, things soon leveled out and the business expanded steadily. At that time we always had in stock fine pieces of English furniture, a good collection of old English china, including fine examples of Chelsea, Bow, and Derby figures, coloured Worcester porcelain and sets and pairs of decorative vases; also a fair amount of coloured engravings which my father had always been noted for, since his early days in the business. There must be literally hundreds of old coloured engravings in the various houses, in the neighborhood, on Bristol, bearing his 'Guaranteed genuine,' label which he always fixed to the back of each one. It was at this time that we acquired a new customer, Horace Annesley Vachell, the novelist, who used to visit Bristol to see his friend, Mr. Harvey of Harvey & Company. This great firm were the original distributors of Bristol Cream and Bristol Milk sherry. Mr. Vachell, whose novel 'Quinneys' had recently been published, was naturally the idol of antique dealers. He became very friendly with my father and I still have a copy of a letter my father received from him at that time. The next two years were rather lonely ones for me because friends of my own age, were in the army; I, therefore, found myself in the company of men of my father's age."
"One morning I had ridden my bicycle over to see a customer who had some furniture to dispose of at Chew Magna, six miles out of Bristol. On my way back I heard a peculiar noise in the distance and as I drew nearer, I distinguished the medley of church bells, cheering, factory hooters, tram-car bells, and taxi hooters; with a feeling of thankfulness and relief I realized that at last Armistice Day had arrived," wrote Mr. Way about the days following the hostilities of the First World War. The antique business his family operated, had also survived. The end of hostilities heralded a boom in the antique business. People had money to spend and leisure to spend it in, and, as so often happens in similar circumstances, the get-rich-quick boys in the trade were out for every penny. Because of this, certain influential London and country dealers got together to discuss what could be done to foster a better relationship between the public and the antique dealer. An understanding was needed which would safeguard both buyers and sellers of genuine antiques against the unscrupulous dealers who were, at this time, unloading a large number of fakes and reproductions." Mr. Way noted that, "To counteract such frauds bona fide dealers all over Great Britain formed, in 1918, the British Antique Dealers' Association. Today (circa 1957) this organization not only has government backing but is recognized by the governments of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Union of South Arica, as the hallmark of the fine art trade of Great Britain, and all antiques bearing the seal of the British Antique Dealer's Association, are exempted from duty on entering any of these countries. Laymen without knowledge of antiques ought to protect themselves when setting out to buy anything, by first asking the owner of an antique shop whether he is a member of the BADA. In this way the buyer is covered against any unfair dealing that may exist in the trade."
More on Mr. Way's years in the antique trade, in tomorrow's blog. Thank you for visiting today. Hope you can come back again.
THE BIBLIOPHILE AND THE LOVER OF ART - A LIFE OF BOOKS, ART, WRITERS AND ARTISTS
DOUGLAS DUNCAN'S BIOGRAPHY - "A KEEPER"
THE DUSTJACKET INTRODUCTION, TO THE CANADIAN ART BIOGRAPHY READS AS FOLLOWS: THIS IS AN UNUSUAL MEMORIAL TO AN UNSUAL MAN. DOUGLAS DUNCAN WAS A TORONTONIAN WHO, BY HIS PATRONAGE OF THE ARTS, HAS HAD AN ALMOST INCALCULABLE INFLUENCE ON THEIR DEVELOPMENT IN CANADA. A BIBLIOPHILE ALL HIS LIFE, HE BEGAN BY ESPOUSING BOOKBINDING AS HIS CHOSEN PROFESSION, AND AFTER STUDYING IN PARIS, HE RETURNED TO TORONTO TO SET UP AS A BOOK BINDER IN 1928. BUT THIS WAS ONLY ONE PART OF HIS LIFE, AND WHILE IN PARIS HIS INTEREST IN MUSIC AND PAINTING HAD GROWN AND MATURED. IN 1936 THE PICTURE LOAN SOCIETY WAS FOUNDED AND DUNCAN, AT FIRST ONE OF THE COMMITTEE, BECAME SOLY RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. IT IS IN THIS CAPACITY THAT HIS INFLUENCE WAS GREATEST; LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF CANADIAN ARTISTS OWE TO HIM, IN SOME MEASURE, A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR SOUND ADVICE, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND HELP GENEROUSLY GIVEN."
THE 1974, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PUBLISHED A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY, ENTITLED "DOUGLAS DUNCAN, A MEMORIAL PORTRAIT," EDITED BY ALAN JARVIS, WHICH WAS CONTRIBUTED TO, BY HIS FRIENDS, INCLUDING WELL KNOWN AUTHOR, NORTHROP FRYE, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA, LESTER B. PEARSON, AND EVEN CANADIAN ENTERTAINER JOHNNY WAYNE, A PERSONAL FRIEND. PEARSON WROTE THE OPENING OVERVIEW OF MR. DUNCAN'S CONTRIBUTION TO CANADA. THE REMARKS WERE DELIVERED AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE DOUGLAS DUNCAN EXHIBITION AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA, IN MARCH 1971.
"THERE ARE MANY HERE WITH A MUCH GREATER CLAIM THAN I HAVE TO SPEAK ON SUCH AN OCCASION, BECAUSE OF THEIR CLOSER ASSOCIATION WITH DOUGLAS DUNCAN, WHOM WE HONOR TONIGHT; THEIR GREATER KNOWLEDGE OF HIS LIFE AND WORK; OR BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN CONTRIBUTION TO THE ARTS FOR WHICH DOUGLAS DUNCAN DID SO MUCH HIMSELF. NOT THE LEAST OF HIS CONTRIBUTION IS THIS MAGNIFICENT GIFT OF PICTURES FROM THE DUNCAN ESTATE TO THE NATIONAL GALLERY (OTTAWA); A GIFT WHICH HAS ALSO BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROSITY, THE INTEREST, AND UNTIRING WORK OF HIS SISTER, MRS. JACK BARWICK. I HAVE ALWAYS APPRECIATED THE UNIQUE QUALITIES AND THE CREATIVE WORK OF DOUGLAS DUNCAN. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING HIM DURING THOSE DAYS SO LONG AGO, WHEN, AS A STUDENT AT VICTORIA COLLEGE (UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO), HE WAS A MEMBER OF A SMALL COTERIE OF STIMULATING AND INTELLIGENT UNDERGRADUATES, INTERESTED IN COLLEGE ACTIVITIES THAT WENT BEYOND FOOTBALL AND PROMS (A GROUP THAT INCLUDED ONE DARK-HAIRED AN SINGULARLY ATTRACTIVE CO-ED WHOM AT THE TIME I WAS TRYING TO PERSUADE TO JOIN THE FACULTY WIVES.) INDEED, SHE SHOULD BE SPEAKING INSTEAD OF ME, AS ONE WHO HAS ALWAYS VALUED SO GREATLY HER FRIENDSHIP WITH DOUGLAS BEGUN IN THOSE YEARS.
"DOUGLAS DUNCAN WAS A RARE PERSON. HE GAVE MEANING TO THOSE SHOP-WORN WORDS 'UNIQUE' AND 'DISTINCTION.' IT IS A DEPRESSING RECOLLECTION ON OUR TIMES AND ON TODAY'S MORES THAT THIS CONSTRUCTIVE WORK AND HIS DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CULTURAL, NON-MATERIAL, DEVELOPMENT OF OUR NATION'S LIFE IS SO MUCH LESS KNOWN, OR LESS GENERALLY APPRECIATED, THAN THAT OF MANY LESSER PERSONS DOING SMALLER THINGS, WHICH WERE MORE NEWSWORTHY BECAUSE THEY WERE SPECTACULAR OR CONTROVERSIAL. BUT, AS SO OFTEN HAPPENS, THE IMPORTANCE OF HIS LIFE, AND HIS SERVICE TO THE ARTS TO WHICH HE DEDICATED THAT LIFE, IS BEING MORE WIDELY RECOGNIZED NOW THAT HE HAS GONE."
I HAD BEEN LOOKING AT MY REFERENCE COPY, ONE DAY AT THE SHOP, HERE IN GRAVENHURST, SIMPLY BECAUSE I HAD TAKEN IT FROM HOME IN THE MORNING, TO MAKE SOME NOTES FOR THIS BLOG OVERVIEW. IT WAS SITTING ON THE DESK, FOR LACK OF A BETTER PLACE, THAT MOMENT, AND A WOMAN CAME BY THE COUNTER AND GRABBED IT UP; STUDYING IT FOR PURCHASE SUITABILITY I SUPPOSE. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR THIS BOOK……IT'S IN REALLY BAD CONDITION, AND IT WAS A LIBRARY DISCARD YOU KNOW…..I'LL GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF BUCKS FOR IT," SHE BLURTED BEFORE I GOT MY HEAD FULLY ABOVE THE DESK….AS I WAS PUTTING A COUPLE OF GLASS BOWLS BELOW THE SHOWCASE. "IT'S FOR SALE ISN'T IT; IT WAS ON THE COUNTER," SHE REMINDED ME, AS IF THAT WAS ALL IT TOOK TO BE AN ACT OF FUNDAMENTAL RETAIL.
"NO MADAM, THE BOOK IS NOT FOR SALE," I SAID, AS RESPECTFULLY AS I COULD….IT'S MY PERSONAL COPY, AND I'M USING IT FOR A RESEARCH PROJECT." SHE LOOKED AT ME WITH CONSIDERABLE DISDAIN, SO I ASKED HER IF SHE HAD KNOWN "DOUGLAS DUNCAN," AND SHE ANSWERED, "I KNEW OF HIM…..BUT I WANTED THE BOOK FOR MY HUSBAND WHO COLLECTS CANADIAN ART," SHE REPLIED. "WOULD YOU SELL IT WHEN YOU FINISH READING IT?" "NO, I WILL NEVER PART WITH THIS BOOK, BECAUSE I CONSIDER MR. DUNCAN THE KIND OF ART PATRON I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE…..BUT COULDN'T AFFORD…..SO I LIVE VICARIOUSLY THROUGH THE WORDS OF THIS WONDERFUL LITTLE BIOGRAPHY." SHE LOOKED AT ME WITH EVEN GREATER DISDAIN, HUFFED AND PUFFED LIKE AN OLD STEAM LOCOMOTIVE, AND STOMPED FROM THE STORE, AS IF BY BODY LANGUAGE ALONE, THE MESSAGE WAS CLEAR……I WOULD NEVER SEE HER IN OUR SHOP AGAIN. NOW CONSIDERING SHE WOULD HAVE ONLY SEEN THAT BOOK FOR ABOUT TWO OR THREE SECONDS, ON THE FLY BY OF THE COUNTER, IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT ANY BOOK THAT HAPPENED TO BE ON THE COUNTER AT THE SAME TIME. IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, THAT SOMETHING ON THE DESK, WITH NO OTHER CUSTOMERS AROUND, MEANS A "NEW ARRIVAL," AND POSSIBLY SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT HAS YET TO BE PRICED." I DON'T THINK SHE HAD HEARD OF DOUGLAS DUNCAN. BUT IT STIRRED ME UP A BIT, THAT IN HIS HONOR, I WOULD DEFEND THIS BOOK, THAT LOOKS AS IF IT HAS PASSED THROUGH A COMBINE-HARVESTER AT SOME POINT. I CAN TELL YOU ONE THING. IT HAS HAD THOUSANDS OF READERS PASS OVER ITS PAGES SINCE IT WAS PUBLISHED, ATTESTING TO ITS COMPELLING STORY. AS SOMEONE INTERESTED IN BOTH ART AND BOOKS, THIS HAS BEEN ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE REFERENCE TEXTS, THAT VALIDATES SORT-OF, WHAT I'VE SPENT MY OWN LIFE WORKING AT…….OUT OF ENJOYMENT MORESO THAN ANY QUEST FOR HUGE FINANCIAL GAIN. DUNCAN'S BIOGRAPHY HAS BEEN IN MY COLLECTION THE LONGEST, AND IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE STORIES THAT REMINDS ME, WHEN I BECOME CONSUMED BY STATUS QUO, BOREDOM AND FRUSTRATION, THAT IT'S PART OF THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING A LIFE-LONG PROJECT. NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY. PLAIN OLD COMMONPLACE, IS WHAT IT ALL ADDS UP TO, BUT BY GOLLY, DOUGLAS AND I HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF JAMS IN THE PAST……..AS I TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I LOVE MOST…..ART OR BOOKS, BECAUSE AT TIMES THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ROOM FOR BOTH. RETREATING TO THE BOOK, THE MESSAGE IS……CARRY ON OLD CHAP…..LOVE AND CHERISH IT ALL, BECAUSE LIFE IS FLEETING. MAKE FRIENDS AND KEEP FRIENDS. I WONDERED ALOUD, WITH A LITTLE ECHO IN THE SHOP, WHETHER, IN FACT, I SHOULD HAVE RUN AFTER MY CUSTOMER TO OFFER ANOTHER APOLOGY FOR HOARDING THIS NEAT LITTLE ART HISTORY. HEY, YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYBODY, AND SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO SETTLE FOR PLEASING YOURSELF. SO I SAT DOWN WITH A COFFEE AND A MUFFIN, AND READ MORE ABOUT THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MR. DUNCAN. I'VE READ THIS BOOK AT LEAST FIVE TIMES ALREADY. EACH TIME I FIND SOMETHING ELSE I NEED TO KNOW BUT HAD FORGOTTEN.
PEARSON'S TOAST TO A LONG SUFFERING PATRON OF THE ARTS IN CANADA
"HIS LIFE SPAN COVERED THE UNLIKELY COMBINATION OF KALAMAZOO, CORNWALL, PARIS, AND, OF COURSE, TORONTO, WHICH BECAME THE CENTRE OF HIS INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES, AND WHERE HE IS BEST KNOWN," WRITES PEARSON, ORIGINALLY GIVEN AS AN OPENING PRESENTATION, AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY.
"BOOKBINDING - WITH WORK OF BEAUTY AND STYLE - WAS HIS FIRST ARTISTIC LOVE AND EXPRESSION. IT LED NATURALLY TO THE COLLECTION OF RARE AND GOOD BOOKS FROM WHICH MORE THAN ONE LIBRARY - BUT ESPECIALLY THAT, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO - HAS BENEFITTED.
"He will, however, be remembered best for his 'Picture Loan Society' - so unique a concept and so uniquely his own, and through which he did so much to spread the gospel of appreciation of Canadian painting, and encourage and help those who painted. No young artist who ever approached him was ignored or rejected. The operation and the influence of the Society was - as Alan Jarvis has written - 'Douglas Duncan's intangible legacy,' while his collection of paintings, now so widely distributed, was its tangible expression. All Canadians who love painting are his debtors - and especially those who themselves were enabled and encouraged by him to paint and persevere," wrote Lester Pearson. "The way the Society carried on, as well as how it operated, reflects well the kind of person Douglas Duncan was; this tall rumpled, unconventional, and to many, I suppose, disconcerting man. In a time of bowing down to corporate and organizational efficiency, which can be so depressing in many ways, he was supremely and wonderfully unorganized and unorthodox. His business methods, which are now becoming a Canadian legend, rejected 'C O D,' for 'P Y R,' - Payment for your Request. However, if you pressed too hard for a bill, you were in danger of being cut off the list of clients. Even today there must be hundreds of people wondering how much they owe Douglas Duncan - and I am reducing the debt now simply to money. In this frightening age of computers and psychiatric couches, one can gain comfort and hope from Douglas Duncan's insistence: 'Thank God, I have no system!' What this country needs - I believe Douglas Duncan would agree with me - is 'more unopened letters and uncashed cheques;' more 'third floor backs on 3 Charles Street West,' even if it means fewer skyscrapers for super banks."
"He was modest and unassuming in everything he did - to the point of self-effacement. His satisfaction came from what he could do for art and artists, not what he could do for himself, by collecting paintings, or anything else. It is not always so, even in the cultural world," notes Pearson of his art patron friend. "Norman Endicott, in writing of Douglas Duncan, once said, 'The way you hear about the 'Mellon Collection,' you'd think Mr. Mellon himself had painted it. There's none of that nonsense about the 'Duncan Collection.' Douglas once said that he merely considered himself 'a casual collector.' Indeed he seemed to regard with suspicion any formal concept of 'collection,' and 'collector.' Alan Jarvis quotes him as saying, 'A collector is the sort of person who owns works by six members of the Group of Seven and lives in torment until he can fill the gap with a purchase of the seventh.' That kind of collector, today, would not free himself from torment even after achieving the seventh; what will a white paper on taxation eventually do to any of his pictures? Lorenzo the Magnificent would not find it too easy to be a public benefactor and a blessed patron of the arts in the federal state of Canada in the last half of the twentieth century," which is a pretty profound statement to be made by a former Prime Minister of Canada. "Douglas Duncan's casual collection of paintings, including those by which the National Gallery will no so greatly benefit - as practically every gallery in the country has benefitted, is a roll call of Canadian artistic talent.
"The paintings of (David) Milne are, of course, a major part of the collection, but they are only a part. Douglas was a Catholic, if discriminating, in his appreciation of art, as he was generous in his encouragement and assistance of artists. Yet of Milne, he had a special attachment. I share his feeling for the work of this strange but authentic genius who put beauty above all material things. The many who have so greatly enriched our artistic life by his perception, and his generosity, has thereby enriched our whole national life. In doing so, he has, I hope, helped us to realize that there is far more to national development than a seven per cent annual increase in G.N.P.; and far more to personal development than reaching the highest income tax bracket or the lowest golf score. I am privileged tonight to pay this humble tribute to a quiet, unselfish Canadian who 'wrought better than he knew'."
TRIBUTE BY ALAN JARVIS TO HIS FRIEND DOUGLAS DUNCAN
"On the occasion of the opening of an exhibition, at the Willistead Gallery, in Windsor, in October 1967, of a selection of works which he owned, Douglas Duncan, to the astonishment of a good many people, walked to the lectern and spoke on his own behalf. The astonishment arose because Duncan had always been self-effacing to the point of invisibility and had cocooned himself in a persona of shyness which had become legendary. Slowly surveying this handsomely presented exhibition, Douglass announced, 'This is not a collection…..it is an accretion.' As always he was using language with precision and he spoke quietly and calmly but with authority. His noun was perfectly accurate. He was not a collector as the word is normally understood. He never beat about the bushes and hedgerows seeking bargains or finds. Instead, he hived up at 3 Charles Street West, Toronto, and the artists (and collectors of the conventional mould) came to him, trudging the three flights of stairs with their portfolios or canvases under their arms. They were greeted by a quietly affable man who, more often than not, squatted on his hunkers - a position he found comfortable and which allowed his visitors to see over his head to the important things, the pictures - with a cigarette poised between elegant, attenuated fingers. They were greeted by a dispassionate D.M.D. (I shall use this trigram henceforth because it was the way he liked to sign his sporadic letters or dedicate the countless books he felt the young needed for their edification, and which he distributed like a one-man Gideon society) If or when they presented their work his judgement would be direct, considered and frank - sometimes even brutal - but almost always of impeccable taste. I use the word almost because I was privileged to share with him the choosing of works to be included in the Willistead show, and from time to time, after long contemplation, we agreed that certain works did not merit hanging alongside the obviously first rate. On a few occasions - usually out of sheer kindness - DMD had adopted young artists of promise, promise which they never fulfilled. Without either recrimination or regret, their work was shifted to the 'study collection.'
If you like Canadian art, and the fine art of bookbinding, and the old books to go with it, please join me again tomorrow, for some additional biographical information on this stalwart patron of the arts in Canada……Douglas Duncan, who we should all know about…..but sadly, there just aren't enough of his biographies to go around. So I want to share a portion of this interesting life for my readers, who may never own, even a beat-up copy, as I do, as a cherished reference copy and ongoing source of inspiration…..to be of sensible proportion about this "collecting thing."
Once again, it has been a pleasure, serving your reading interests. While I have often flattered myself as a humble patron of the arts, my participation has always been well beneath the standard set by the good Mr. Duncan. My contributions so far, have mostly been in the editorial capacity, of producing, out of personal interest and not financial reward, local artist biographies, here in Muskoka, for use by the National Art Gallery, and Art Gallery of Ontario archives, which have included profiles of landscape painters, Robert Emerson Everett, Bracebridge, pioneer artist Ada Florence Kinton, Huntsville, Richard Karon, Lake of Bays, and in the near future, Canadian artist and printmaker, Frank Johnston, formerly of Gravenhurst and Picton, Ontario. With the exception of the Everett biography, both Karon and Ada Kinton can be archived on this blog-site. The Johnston biography will be published on this blog-site as well. Please join me again tomorrow, for more information about Douglas Duncan, and his contribution to the rising popularity and acclaim of Canadian art and its artists. See you again soon.
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