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New Finds & Familiar Roads: A Conversation with Jim Gallagher

Collage of new arrivals at Garden Court Antiques, with a central portrait of Jim Gallagher. Includes furniture, mirrors, decorative objects from the May 2025 shipment.

Friday, May 30, 2025 at Garden Court Antiques, San Francisco.

An edited transcript from a recent conversation with Jim Gallagher, owner of Garden Court Antiques, about his January buying trip to England and France, the current shipment, and trends in antiques and interior design.

The Buying Trip: England, France, and Market Shifts

Interviewer:
Jim, where did this year’s travels take you—and did any location surprise you?

Jim Gallagher:
We did the usual run: I flew into London, then to Paris for the flea market, then down to the south of France—Beziers, Montpellier, Avignon—before making my way back through the Cotswolds and parts of the Midlands. The biggest surprise was the shift in the Paris flea market. It used to be a great resource for early furniture, but now it leans toward reproductions and 20th-century pieces. Still beautiful, but clearly aimed more at interior designers than antique dealers. Thankfully, the southern fairs brought in remarkable things—dealers from Spain, Portugal, Italy—it was rich with possibility.

Interviewer:
Any particular markets or dealers that stood out during your twelve-day trip?

Jim Gallagher:
Every fair still brings that adrenaline. You’re queued up before dawn, espresso in hand, and when the gates open it’s madness. Dealers rushing to make offers, measuring, photographing, negotiating. We tried the Newark Fair in northern England this year—massive, but not quite for us. And possibly the coldest place I’ve ever been, and I say that as someone who went to college in Vermont.

Interviewer:
Would you say the French and English markets have changed in recent years?

Jim Gallagher:
Absolutely. Fewer Americans are shopping in person now, so English dealers are shifting focus to local clients or selling directly through platforms like 1stDibs and Chairish. That drives up prices but cuts out intermediaries. I still value the connections. There’s a dealer in Petworth, older than I am, who showed me this ingenious 18th-century leather sofa that pulls out into a bed. I almost bought it—until I realized I’d never sell it. He said, “That’s why it’s still in my shop.” Moments like that are why I still do this.

What Designers Are Looking For Today

Interviewer:
What are interior designers asking for these days?

Jim Gallagher:
It varies, but the one constant is the hunt for something singular—something that makes them stop and ask, “What is that?” Those are the pieces that make a room feel personal. They give a space its soul. Not everyone wants a huge piece anymore. More often, it’s about smaller elements—a table, a lamp, a box—that add a layer of individuality and depth.

Interviewer:
Is San Francisco different in how it uses antiques compared to other cities?

Jim Gallagher:
Very much so. I’ve been here for 30 years. There’s a creative, collaborative spirit to the design community in San Francisco. Designers come in, we look at the new arrivals together, talk about their projects. That dialogue—between maker, dealer, and designer—is part of why I love this work.

Highlights from the New Shipment

Interviewer:
Let’s talk about the shipment. Which pieces caught your eye when they arrived?

Jim Gallagher:
I love them all—but I was especially taken by the early Spanish and Portuguese pieces. Deep turnings, rich woods, fantastic character. One bench sold on day two, which is always bittersweet. And then there are small things, like a framed 1930s Babar print I might keep for myself, or a rustic carved burl bowl. Campaign furniture also stands out—streamlined but elegant, perfect for traditional or modern interiors.

Interviewer:
Was there a piece you’d keep if you could?

Jim Gallagher:
That’s the challenge in this business—you fall in love with these pieces. But I remind myself: I’m a dealer, not a collector. I get to live with something for a while, then let it find its next home. And then I fall in love with the next thing. It’s always about the hunt.

Interviewer:
Did anything surprise you once it got to the gallery?

Jim Gallagher:
Absolutely. A bench with an extraordinary patina sold before I could really appreciate it. Another piece—a cabinet I bought in a rush—turned out to be meticulously veneered in bookmatched burl. It’s nice when a piece exceeds your expectations in person.

On Style, Soul, and Selection

Interviewer:
What gives a piece “soul”?

Jim Gallagher:
Care. Age. Use. A piece that’s been looked after for centuries carries its history with it. Waxed, polished, touched over and over again—it’s like literature. I studied English Lit, and a great antique is like a great novel: it transports you. Except you can live with it, touch it, make it part of your daily life.

Interviewer:
What’s the most eccentric or unexpected piece in this shipment?

Jim Gallagher:
A pair of oversized urns, some charming cement bulldogs, and a little pig with piglets. Also, some faux bois garden furniture from early 20th-century France—cast stone made to look like wood. Each piece with a little personality of its own.

Reflections on the Business of Antiques

Interviewer:
Was this year a continuation of last year’s direction—or a shift?

Jim Gallagher:
A continuation, but with a broader reach. I want the gallery to feel like a celebration of makers from the last 500 years. Not dusty. Not static. I even bought a few 20th-century Deco and drinks tables—things I wouldn’t have touched ten years ago—but they were just good. It’s less about sticking to a period, more about quality and surprise.

Interviewer:
Any moment on this trip that crystallized why you still do this?

Jim Gallagher:
Not one moment—dozens. You find something extraordinary, meet the person who brought it, learn something new. It’s not glamorous—it’s 12-hour days, 16,000 miles in 12 days—but it’s a privilege. Finding something special, restoring it, then placing it with someone who loves it—that’s the reward.

Interviewer:
What’s harder now than it used to be—and what’s easier?

Jim Gallagher:
Harder? The Paris flea markets aren’t what they once were. And I’m 53—jet lag’s no joke. Easier? I know what I’m doing now. I trust my instincts. And I can afford a better dinner at the end of the day. That helps.

Interviewer:
Any final thoughts?

Jim Gallagher:
Come visit. Ask questions. Bring your young designers. If you want to nerd out about patina or joinery, we live for it.

Gallery: Selections from the May 2025 Shipment

A closer look at some of the new arrivals on display at Garden Court Antiques.

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In Praise of The Cigarette Case.

In Praise of The Cigarette Case.

In the glittering world of 1920s society, the cigarette case was more than its practical purpose – it became a symbol of status, romance, and the era’s decadent spirit. This small ornamental box served as a social prop, a gift of courtship, and a marker of sophistication.

In “The Beautiful and Damned,” Fitzgerald captures a pivotal moment where the cigarette case serves as a harbinger of marriage and wealth, positioned deliberately between the engagement ring and wedding band. The gesture reveals both the prosperity and precariousness of the era:

It was the third present he had given her; first had come the engagement ring, and then a little gold cigarette-case. He would be giving her many things now — clothes and jewels and friends and excitement. It seemed absurd that from now on he would pay for all her meals. It was going to cost: he wondered if he had not underestimated for this trip, and if he had not better cash a larger check. The question worried him. [..] “By God!” he muttered to himself. “I’m as good as married!”

The Beautiful And Damned By F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1922 P. 141-2

Meanwhile, Dorothy Parker’s keen eye in Vanity Fair finds the cigarette case performing a different role. Her “Hate Song” captures the accessory as theatrical gesture, a prop in the comedy of manners:

I hate Actors; They ruin my evenings.
There are the Juveniles;
The Male Ingenues.
They always interpret the rôles of wealthy young sportsmen,
So that they can come running on in white flannels,
Carrying tennis racquets, and wearing spiked shoes.
Whenever the lights go up
They are discovered with their arms around some girl.
They wear their watches and handkerchiefs on their arms,
And they simply couldn’t play a scene without their cigarette cases.
They think that the three Greatest Names in American History
Are Hart, Schaffner, and Marx.
They are constantly giving interviews to the Sunday papers
Complaining about the car-loads of mash notes they receive.
They know they have it in them to do something Really Big;
They relate how Belasco told them that they would go far—
I wish they were on their way!

Actors: A Hate Song by Dorothy Parker, Vanity Fair, July 1919 issue p. 37

These writers, observing their glittering and restless society, found in this simple object a lens through which to view the complexities of their age.

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Madeleine Castaing and the Influence of Le Style Anglais 1750-1850

Madeleine Castaing and the Influence of Le Style Anglais 1750-1850

Synthesis of English Style as conceived in France: this living room, open on all sides to the forest, seems to bathe in light. Inspired by the trade cottons of the early 19th century, a multicolored percale, used abundantly, imparts a sense of cheerfulness to the rather severe-looking varnished mahogany furniture, making the room both comfortable and irresistible. Located in the heart of Île-de-France, this room’s charm lies less in the luxury of its details than in their subtle juxtaposition.

SYNTHESE DU STYLE ANGLAIS tel qu’on le conçoit en France, ce living-room, ouvert de toutes parts sur la forêt, semble baigner dans la lumière. Inspirée des indiennes de traite du début du xIxe siècle, une percale multicolore, employée avec prodigalité, communique aux meubles d’acajou verni, d’aspect plutôt sévère, son entrain le confort des ilei os un de le de rance, la etat, points irrésistible. En plein cœur de l’Ile-de-France, la — moins par le luxe des détails que par leur subtile juxtaposition.

Thanks to the craze for English Regeney furnishings that broke out not only in France but all over the world, for several years we have seen the birth and growth of a new and legitimate curiosity for all artwork that came from England.”

Le Style Anglais 1750-1850 ©1959

“In 1959 English design was deemed of significant enough interest to result in the production of Le Style anglais: 1750-1850, the last in a series on French design history published by Connaissance des arts. The editors noted, “Thanks to the craze for English Regeney furnishings that broke out not only in France but all over the world, for several years we have seen the birth and growth of a new and legitimate curiosity for all artwork that came from England.” Three reasons are enumerated by the editors as to why the French became so enchanted: first, the Regency’s simplicity, delicacy, and petite proportions were easy to place in small apartments; it mixed just as easily with modern as it did with antique furniture; and finally, “l’argument decisive,” no matter how superb the quality, the prices were well below those for French eighteenth-century furniture. Appropriately, Madeleine had several rooms featured in the book. “Romantic, fanciful, picturesque, a bit theatrical” is the description of English style, but it could equally be applied to le style Castaing.”

–The world of Madeleine Castaing by Emily Eerdmans, ©2010 p 160

Madeleine Castaing, a prominent French decorator, is known for her unique approach to interior design, which integrates English influences with French sensibilities. This room exemplifies her ability to combine the austerity of English furniture with softer, more inviting textiles, resulting in a space that reflects her distinctive style.

Le Style Anglais 1750-1850, published in 1959, is a critical resource in the study of English interior design, particularly as interpreted by French designers. The book remains significant for its exploration of the aesthetic dialogue between England and France during this period and its influence on mid-20th century design. ^jh


Emily Evans Eerdmans (2010). The World of Madeleine Castaing. Rizzoli.

Le Style Anglais 1750-1850

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Retro Sunday: A Look Back at One of America’s Most Beautiful Rooms from 1958.

1958 : House on Long Island Locust Valley, New York Home of Mr. And Mrs. Renzo Olivieri The Living Room

House on Long Island Locust Valley, New York Home of Mr. And Mrs. Renzo Olivieri
The Living Room

Excerpted from “100 Most Beautiful Rooms in America” (1958 and 1965) By Helen Comstock p. 208
Photographs: Wendy Hilty

Thoroughly modern in feeling is the manner in which a large scale eighteenthcentury Bolognese painting of classic architecture is used as a wall decoration in this living room. The arts of eighteenth-century Italy predominate here, but French and modern pieces are used also. The manner of arrangement only seems casual; actually the relationship of each piece to the rest has been carefully considered so that from every angle the room shows good design. The Italian eighteenth-century sofa and armchairs, painted blue and gold, are upholstered in white linen, while the cushions on the sofa are covered in Florentine silk with a floral pattern after Botticelli. On either side are Neapolitan eighteenth-century console tables in silver, gray, and white. The old gilt tôle sconces above them are designed as tall urns of flowers and have candle arms in foral form. The walls of the room are pearl gray, and a gray Fortuny fabric covers the Louis XV chair which is drawn up at a low circular marble-topped table, as seen in the view on the opposite page. The large sofa, which stands in front of a handsome pair of torchères in the form of blackamoors, is covered in green damask. An Aubusson carpet has a pastel blue and rose flower design on a pale gold ground.

Helen Comstock (1893-1970), author and expert on Early American furniture, authored numerous articles on antiques, prints, and paintings. She served as a contributing editor to Antiques Magazine and was the American editor of Connoisseur magazine for 30 years, starting in 1931.

Oscar Wendellin Hilty (1913-1978), photographer, was born in Liechtenstein and trained as an architect in Zurich. He worked as an instructor at the Engelberg Ski School in Switzerland. In the 1950s, his photography was featured on numerous record albums for the RCA Living Stereo series and in advertisements and magazine covers, primarily based in Manhattan. In 1958, Hilty moved to St. Croix in the Virgin Islands, where he became a successful real estate developer.
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It’s 2018 and Back to Work! Welcoming, Wonderful and Inspiring!

Happy New Year 2018 from Garden Court Antiques San Francisco!

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year!

I hope that you all had holidays filled with laughter and love!

Now it’s time to get back to work! There are walls that need color, rooms that need furniture and houses that need to be turned into homes. It is our job to make the places that our clients live and work to be welcoming, wonderful and inspiring. How lucky are we to do this work and how lucky are they to have us!

I am looking forward to working with you in this next year. Please come by and see us at the showroom or take a look at what we have to offer at GardenCourtAntiques.com.

Sincerely,

Garden Court Antiques

Items Featured:


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