Now based in New York City, England-born antiques dealer Carlton Hobbs has earned a worldwide reputation as an expert in fine art and furnishings from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Today, his Manhattan-headquartered gallery serves a global clientele that includes both private collectors and an array of influential international museums, but Mr. Hobbs himself hails from humble roots, the son of a merchant who once owned a small shop in London’s King’s Road neighborhood. At Odds and Hobbs, a young Carlton amassed a foundational knowledge of the vintage furniture trade and quickly displayed a noticeable proficiency for business. At only nine years old, he made his first major sale to Barbara Hulanicki, a well-known actress and proprietor of the much missed fashion enterprise Biba.
In the mid-1970s, Carlton Hobbs set his sights on loftier goals and became involved with a family venture called the Furniture Cave, a showroom situated on a multi-dealer site in Chelsea. His ascent to the antique world’s upper echelons followed as he gradually acquired a collection of higher-end pieces, primarily of British and Continental origin. After many successful decades in London, the time came to pursue new ventures overseas, bringing Mr. Hobbs to his current and extraordinary Upper East Side residence/showroom, a John Russell Pope-designed mansion he spent four years renovating and restoring.
In the past few years, Carlton Hobbs has garnered several prestigious awards for pieces in his gallery’s unsurpassed collection and participated in 2012’s TEFAF Maastricht Fair, an annual event that draws top antique dealers and collectors from across the globe. Along with his business partner Stephanie Rinza, Mr. Hobbs also donates to a number of charitable organizations that promote animal welfare. In May 2013, Carlton Hobbs Antiques will participate in the Art and Antique Dealers League of America’s Spring Show, an occasion that will benefit the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
No comments:
Post a Comment