Biography
CHESTER
CITY CENTRE AUCTION ROOM UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP
Chester
's city centre auction room, in the historic Booth
Mansion in Watergate Street , has opened its doors in 2003 under new ownership.
Adrian
Byrne has bought the auction room from his former employer, Shrewsbury-based
Halls Fine Art, and holds his first sale under the new banner Byrne's Auction
eers and Valuers on Wednesday, January 22.
Joining
Adrian in the new venture is his partner Jo Boucher and the established team
of valuers and administration staff already familiar to regulars at the city
centre saleroom .
"We
are delighted to take on the business following Halls' decision to consolidate
their Shropshire operations and we are very much looking forward to providing
a comprehensive, professional and friendly service of valuation and sale to
clients throughout North Wales and the North West ," said Adrian .
Adrian
and Jo hit the national headlines back in 1998 when they discovered and sold
a rare pair of Sevres vases for a world record £560,000. "That really
was a once in a lifetime discovery and a unique experience for us both, but
who knows what the future holds here in Chester ," said Adrian .
"We
have already had some interesting discoveries since our arrival in Chester and
we are confident that the region will yield more.
"A
calendar of sales has been programmed for the New Year, which will attract buyers
from all walks of life, be they international investors or local collectors."
The new
company's first sale on January 22 includes a good selection of Georgian and
later furniture, decorative arts and collectables.
In addition
to the scheduled monthly antiques auction, Byrne's will also offer themed sales,
with the first in March set to feature regional paintings by renowned artists,
antique maps, quality silver included the coveted Chester hallmark and a good
selection of jewellery.
The company
will also offer a comprehensive range of complimentary services, including restoration
and insurance advice and complete house clearance, in addition to the regular
auction service.
A native
of Cheshire , Adrian , 38, is a qualified fine arts surveyor of 16 years' experience.
His fine art valuation career began at the Chester College of Art before gaining
a degree in History of Design and Visual Arts at Staffordshire University .
He worked
at a managerial level in Leicester, Suffolk and London before returning to Chester
in 1999 to manage the Booth Mansion saleroom . He can be contacted by telephone
on 01244 312300 or by e-mail at antiques@byrnesauctioneers.co.uk
Jo Boucher
graduated from Harper Adams College in Shropshire with a degree in Land Management
before joining Adrian in Suffolk in 1995. She has gained a reputation for her
knowledge within the industry in bespoke IT systems and communication.
Joining
them at Byrne's are Fine Art Valuation graduate Jessica Brassington, History
of Art graduate Katy Griffiths, financial controller Sally Williams and former
Chester fire safety officer Ian Shaw, who heads the saleroom staff.
Picture
caption: Adrian Byrne, managing director of Byrne's Auction eers and Valuers
(front) with his team (from left) Ian Shaw, Katy Griffiths and Jessica Brassington.
For more
information please contact Adrian Byrne, of Byrne's, on 01244 312300 or Duncan
Foulkes, public relations adviser, on 01686 650818.
NELSON
TRIUMPHS AGAIN AS CHESTER AUCTION HOUSE SETS NEW RECORD
Immediate:
October 24, 2003
A
new British record price for a George III silver vinaigrette made to celebrate
Admiral Horatio Nelson's triumph at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 has been
set by a Chester city centre auction house.
Fittingly
selling on October 22, the day after the 197th anniversary of the famous battle,
the tiny rectangular vinaigrette entered the record books at £2,750, including
buyer's premium, at Byrne's Auctioneers and Valuers' successful £140,000
two-day sale at Booth Mansion saleroom in Watergate Street.
Keenly
contested by six telephone bidders, the 2.5cms vinaigrette was made by Matthew
Linwood in Birmingham in 1805 and had a gilt grille worked with the Victory
flanked by the words 'Trafalgar' and 'OCR 21.1805'.
Auctioneer
Adrian Byrne attributed the record price to the rareness of the item and the
interest generated by a similar vinaigrette in a recent sale in Nottingham,
which sold for £1,700.
"There
were obviously many disappointed collectors after the Nottingham sale and they
were all determined to get their hands on this one," he said. "It's
a very rare item and, to put its value into perspective, the next lot in the
sale was a George IV silver vinaigrette of exactly the same size, which sold
for £90."
The
vendor, who lives in Tarporley, was understandably delighted with the record-breaking
sale price, which eclipsed the pre-sale estimate.
Another
lot to attract great interest was an oak longcase clock made by Chester clockmaker
Joseph Smith in 1740, which sold for £4,500. Smith, a member of a prolific
clock making family in the city in the 18th century, is reputed to have made
the Chester Cathedral clock in 1727.
Maintaining
Byrne's growing reputation in the North West for selling quality jewellery,
a late Victorian diamond cluster ring from a city vendor sold for £5,200.
Other
notable prices included £3,500 for a Caernarfonshire oak high dresser
from a farmhouse in the Caernarfon area, £2,750 for an Edwardian mahogany
inlaid bureau bookcase, £2,600 for a set of six William IV rosewood dining
chairs and £2,500 for a William IV rosewood tip top pedestal breakfast
table.
In
the paintings section, two signed watercolours by noted North Wales artist Warren
Williams (1863-1941) sold well. His work showing Afon Llugwy with Moel Siabod
in the background made £3,300 for a Conwy vendor and his view of Snowdon
from Afon Glaslyn fetched £1,600, while a pair of watercolours by G.Hamilton
Constantine (1875-1967) sold for £2,750.
Elsewhere
in the busy, 1,273-lot sale, a rare George III silver nutmeg grater made £1,250
and a cold painted bronze figure of a blackamoor by Franz Bergman made £1,150
to the surprise of a Chester vendor, who purchased it for just £5 at an
auction many years ago.
"The
market was very selective but there is still plenty of interest for top quality
pieces and paintings," said Mr Byrne. "This is obviously the best
place to sell Chester made clocks and we appear to have cornered the market
in the North West for quality jewellery, as we are constantly selling diamond
rings of high value."
