We have specialised in 19th and 20th Century design with our retail premises, The Design Gallery, for 24 years. John and I have written widely on these fascinating periods of design, including being invited to authenticate the decorative arts sections of the Antiques Price Guide, edited by Judith Miller, and contributing the chapters Art Deco Furniture and Art Deco Ceramics to Judith’s book 20th Century Design.
Provenance and accurate descriptions have always been essential to us. Dr Roger Shuff Yatol BD MRHistS is a research historian who has worked with us as a showroom manager and researcher since becoming a client when we first opened our doors. He wrote an article on the creation of Art Deco and Modernist home for the Decorative Arts Society Journal, and John was the Honorary Treasurer of the DAS for 8 years.
We have invested in archives of photographs of interior schemes, trade catalogues, copies of contemporary magazines and periodicals such as The Studio, Architectural Digest and The Artist, along with a library of over a thousand books.
Where there is a strong likelihood that an item is by a particular hand we write “attributed to”. Where we can’t be 100% certain of a designer or a manufacturer, we will describe a piece as “possibly by”. These attributions are based on years of experience in handling similar pieces, as well as studying the construction, style and design characteristics and the archives.
Exhibitions have been held annually at The Design Gallery. For example, in 2024 the author Tracy Chevalier gave a talk and opened ‘Adornments: Venetian and Bohemian Trade Beads’ on the launch of her latest novel ‘The Glassmaker.’ The exhibition was attended by curators of the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
If you are looking for a particular piece, please ask to be added to our Wants List. We will do our best to locate rare pieces for you. Email: john@thedesigngallery.com or chrissie@thedesigngallery.com
