THE ESHER HALL ANTIQUES AND FINE ART FAIR RETURNS TO SURREY, UK Some 40 exhibitors, predominantly members of the British Antique Dealers' Association and LAPADA, the Association of Art & Antiques dealers return to Esher Hall at Sandown Park Racecourse this October
The Esher Hall Antiques and Fine Art Fair returns to Esher Hall, Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th October 2009. This boutique-style antiques fair was hailed as a great success on its debut visit to Esher Hall back in April 2008 and October’s show promises to be every bit as appealing. The timing of the fair coincides with people seeking to put their savings and investments into tangible assets to enjoy, rather than leave them to the uncertainty of the more traditional investments.
Some 40 exhibitors, all members of either the British Antiques Dealers’ Association or LAPADA, the UK’s largest association of professional art and antiques dealers, will be offering carefully chosen examples of top quality furniture, sculpture, contemporary and traditional paintings, prints and original book illustrations, as well as the luxurious silver, jewellery, watches and clocks, historical and commemorative medals, objets d’art and oriental carpets and rugs.
The Esher Hall Antiques and Fine Art Fair is a quality event not to be missed, whether you are looking to find an amazing piece for the home or a unique gift for someone special. With prices starting around £100, there will be plenty of choice. Parking is free and there is a free crèche available for children up to the age of eight years on both Saturday and Sunday.
On the opening day, Commander John Morton Lee OBE RN is signing copies of his newly published ‘Thomas Bush Hardy RBA (1842-1897) – A Master Painter of Marine and Coastal Watercolours’, written in conjunction with David H. Kirby-Welch, published by the Antique Collectors Club. One of the best known marine watercolourists of the Victorian era, this magnificent hard-cover coffee table book has over 150 colour plates. Visitors will be able to purchase the book at a special fair price of £30 (RRP £35) on The Edenbridge Galleries stand. John Morton Lee even has some TB Hardy paintings for sale, including ‘Château d’Amboise, Loire’, famed for being the burial place of Leonardo da Vinci, which is featured in the book.
For people looking to collect paintings of local subjects, Cambridge Fine Art is bringing ‘A Scene near Shere, Surrey’, 1855, an oil on canvas by the Guildford artist John Dearman, and ‘A Lane near Addlestone, Surrey’, 1887, an oil by Kate Gilbert, a member of the Williams family and daughter of Arthur Gilbert Williams.
A wonderful opportunity to learn more about caring for antiques is provided the British Antique Furniture Restorers’ Association. BAFRA experts will be on hand to answer questions and demonstrate some of the decorative techniques and specialist tools used when restoring antiques to their former glory, including a fluting jig, leather tooling for desk tops, clock and barometer repairs, oriental lacquer and japanning, gilding, French polishing and the use of Shellac.
Some highlights to look out for at the fair include a very rare pair of pretty early Victorian maple sofas (£11,000 the pair) from local furniture dealer Arkell Antiques of Dorking. From Oxfordshire, WR
