This post is part of a series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Twenty-One. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come.
The subscription window that includes Issue Twenty-One is open now.
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Issue Twenty-One T.O.C. – “It Never Gets Old: A Visit to Bonhams Skinner Auction House”
It’s an obvious truism that the people who know the most about a subject are the ones who spend the most time immersed in it. When it comes to historic furniture, museum archives are one valuable resource. Being static collections, the same objects can be revisited and reexamined for deeper study years later. And yet, deep exposure is not enough – we also need broad exposure. A well-rounded and complete understanding of handmade furniture only comes by seeing a lot of examples. The more collections we see and antiques stores we drop by, the better our understanding will be. There’s a tremendous value in exposure to quantity.
Now, imagine if your full-time job was to be on the receiving end of a steady flow of handmade furniture so that you can examine and accurately explain the history, construction, and value of all these objects. Auction houses are just such a place. The sheer volume of artifacts that goes through their doors means the folks who work there are absolutely inundated with handcraft.
Woodworkers need to talk to these people. In Issue Twenty-One, M&T editor Joshua Klein visited Bonhams Skinner auction house in Marlborough, Massachusetts to get a glimpse behind the scenes of a decorative arts auction. Skinner, which was founded in the late 1960s, hosts more than 50 auctions per year, selling paintings, ceramics, furniture, coins, rare spirits, and more. General manager Robin Starr explained to Klein the ins and outs of the auction business so that furniture makers can benefit from the insights these experts have gained. At the end of the day, collectors of antiques are furniture nerds just like woodworkers are. Starr explained, “The history these pieces evoke and the stories they tell are as unique as each piece of historic furniture. Big-box stores offer none of this. Collecting is for people who love history, the thrill of the chase, the investing, and those who want to live with things they truly love.”
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