Heim Gallery records, 1965-1991

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Summary

Creators:

Ciechanowiecki, Andrzej S., 1924-, Honour, Hugh, Held, Julius S. (Julius Samuel), 1905-2002, Briganti, Giuliano, Bettagno, Alessandro, Heim Gallery, and Haskell, Francis, 1928-2000

Abstract:

London gallery directed by Andrew Ciechanowieck. Records include extensive correspondence with museums, galleries, collectors, and other colleagues in Europe and the United States. Photographs document paintings, drawings, sculptures, and decorative art sold and exhibited by, and offered to the gallery. Stock and financial records trace acquisitions and sales.

Extent:

120 Linear Feet (271 boxes)

Language:

English .

Preferred citation:

Heim Gallery records, 1965-1991, The Getty Research Institute, Accession number 910004.

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa910004

Background

Scope and content:

The Heim Gallery Records document the business of the gallery, its cultivation of clients in Europe and the United States, and the production of its scholarly exhibitions especially for the period between 1966 and 1988. Correspondence with museums, individual clients and suppliers, and experts comprise the greater part of the collection. Photographs of art works, index files, stock books and other financial papers, research files and publicity files make up the rest of the archive.

The correspondence series contains letters received and the gallery's copies (green copies and daily files) of letters sent. Letters reflect the gallery's offers to museums and individual collectors, curators' requests for works for their collections or for assistance in finding works needed for exhibitions. Many of the letters reveal Andrew S. Ciechanowiecki's wit and warmth as he offers advice to young curators and spreads art world news among his colleagues and friends. The letters also document business strategies - offers to lend works to museums and collectors sometimes result in sales - and Ciechanowiecki's collaborations with museums and his solid scholarly contributions to exhibitions. The letters reveal his close personal association with Poland and its artistic patrimony and royalty. His fascination with class and position in England, and the royal family, are displayed in the publicity clippings and photographs of openings at the gallery.

Until 1986, Ciechanowiecki sent regular bulletins to Francois Heim, reporting in narrative form the current activities of the gallery: offers made, works seen, travels, transactions. Ciechanowiecki's diaries also record in abbreviated form meetings with clients, travels, and other activities on behalf of the gallery. There are no personal papers in the archive.

Photographs of art works are organized by medium: paintings, drawings, sculpture, and furniture and decorative arts, and represent works sold, with additional images of items before restoration, and art works documented for research or commercial reasons. Research notes, drafts of didactic text, printed brochures and photographs illustrate the production of exhibitions at the Heim gallery.

Research files contain notes, photographs, and printed material, organized by artist, school or medium. Offers made to the gallery are documented with photographs and some research notes. Many of these offers represent works rejected by the gallery. Financial records include stockbooks, ledgers and cash books, as well as invoices, paid bills, and documents related to shipping and taxes. Financial records do not appear to be complete, but include records from Heim, Old Masters, and Swiftdene. Gallery publicity is documented through clippings, guest books, and photographs that show members of royalty attending exhibits at the gallery.

Biographical / historical:

Heim Gallery London began in June 1966 with François Heim (from Galerie Heim, Paris, begun 1954) and Andrew S. Ciechanowiecki as partners. Ciechanowiecki served as director in London while Heim remained in France.

The emphasis of the gallery was Old Master paintings, especially French of the 15th - 18th century, Italian paintings of all periods, and sculpture (marble, terracotta and bronze) from the Renaissance to the 19th century. The gallery was known for its scholarly exhibitions and catalogs. Between 1966 and 1989 the gallery presented exhibitions two to three times a year.

The gallery did business with museums and individual clients in Europe and the United States. Ciechanowiecki helped build two significant private collections in the United States, the terracotta sculpture collection of Arthur Sackler (a portion of which is now at the National Gallery in Washington), and the Ian Ross collection of 19th century French sculpture.

Heim Gallery also did business under other names: Old Masters (Paintings and Sculptures) Ltd. was created, apparently, as an internal device for tax purposes and had by 1986 as its sole directors, Ciechanowiecki and John Pomian, also sole directors of Heim Gallery at this time. (Francois Heim resigned as a director around 1986.) The two entities existed concurrently in different premises.

In October 1986, the Heim Gallery premises were leased to Richard Herner, owner of Swiftdene Ltd., and the corporate names exchanged: Herner was to use Heim Gallery, and Ciechanowiecki and John Pomian took on the name Swiftdene Ltd. Swiftdene and Old Masters shared premises at 67/68 Jermyn Street. At this point, Old Masters was still wholly owned by Ciechanowiecki and Pomian, with Swiftdene controlled by a Swiss company. Swiftdene ceased trading 30 September 1989 and its stock was purchased by Old Masters.

Processing information:

Processing was begun in 1992, then revived in 1996 by Jocelyn Gibbs, who processed most of the collection and nearly completed writing this finding aid. The finding aid was completed and the collection was fully processed in 2006 by Isabella Zuralski.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in eight series: Series I. Correspondence, 1965-1990, undated; Series II. Index cards, ca. 1965-1991; Series III. Photographs, ca. 1965-1991, undated; Series IV. Research files, 1966-1991, undated; Series V. Financial, 1965-1989, undated;=Series VI. Gallery publicity, undated; Series VII. Andrew S. Ciechanowieki personal files, 1966-1975, undated.

Physical location:

Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the catalog record for this collection. Click here for the access policy.

Rules or conventions:

archives, personal papers, and manuscripts

Access and use

Restrictions:: Open for use by qualified researchers.
Terms of access:: Contact Library Rights and Reproductions.