Thelma Chrysler Foy Collection -Classic French Antiques

“French Modern Paintings, XVIII Century French Furniture, Objects of Art, Rugs, Books... Collected by the late Thelma Chrysler Foy”

The catalogs to an auction held in New York at Parke Bernet Galleries on May 13-16th & 23-24th, 1959. Sales 1905 and 1906.

The legendary collection of French 18th century decorative arts and modern paintings assembled by one of New York's foremost Ladies of Taste, and heir to the Chrysler fortune. The exceptional items included the cut-crystal Table de Toilette owned by Empress Josephine (A similar, or perhaps the same, table is illustrated in Jean Sebastian Eugene Julia de Fontenelle's 1829 study, "Manual Complete du Verrier et du Fabricant de Glaces, Cristaux, Pierres Precieuses Factices, verres colores, yeux artificiels...") and a portion of the Sevres dinner service made for the Cardinal du Rohan of "The Diamond Necklace" infamy.

Wesley Towner, in "The Elegant Auctioneers", devotes five entire pages to Mrs. Foy and this sale, and notes- "It was a perfectionist collection; no note of counterfeit intruded. Relentless in her quest, the curator of that concinnate display would ceaselessly add new triumphs of acquisition, combing the world's great galleries to replace the almost perfect piece with one a hairbreadth nearer perfection... She was determined to be regal, but she had her homey side as well. Sunday nights she liked to stay in and be cozy, with her porcelains and her husband. Forsaking the gold-and-white dining room, they would have a simple meal before the fire, perhaps on the Louis XV tulipwood card table that was to bring $26,000 at the sale. After the servants had withdrawn, Mr. Foy would get out the x-ray machine that was otherwise used medically- to stall the developing leukemia from which Mrs. Foy suffered- and they would spend the evening x-raying the porcelains to make sure the butler had not broken one and had it surreptitiously mended."

Of this catalog, Towner says it was "A veritable compendium of the glory that was France, its 375 pages described 772 lots, interpreting their intricacies in form and workmanship and chronicling their origins and past migrations."

And then there was the auction itself- "Nowhere was battle waged more fiercely than in the halls of Parke-Bernet. Wild were the caterwaulings of the criers, syncopated with the patter of Marion and his lieutenant auctioneers, now monotonous, now rising in crescendo to a jubilant climax... and so it went through (the) warm May afternoons. To the rise and fall of the rude hammer, the lustrous household goods so painstakingly gathered by Mrs. Foy were scattered; her edifice dissolved under a torrent of inflated money. All that remained was the beautiful white catalogue- that and $2,625,880, a grand total unprecedented in the history of art auctions the world over".

We may not have the tulipwood table, but we do have the catalog.

2 volumes. Hardcover. 8"x11", 197 & 178 pages, 772 lots, packed with illustrations in both black & white and color, also many photogravure plates. Covers with light soil. 

-

QUESTIONS about this item? If you have any questions regarding this item, please let us know and we will respond promptly.

We have more books like this listed in our Ebay store!

Joslin Hall Books
Selling books since 1983

INSURANCE??? As a seller we take responsibility for properly packing and delivering your purchase safely to you. You do not have to spend extra for insurance to guarantee that.

RETURNS: We want you to be completely satisfied- anything is returnable for any reason at all within 14 days of receipt; we do ask that you notify us that you are returning it.

OVERSEAS CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE:

-We always welcome orders from customers outside the United States. The United States Post Office has discontinued surface (sea mail) shipments overseas, and so all packages must now go by air, meaning shipping to overseas customers costs more than it used to. You can use the Ebay shipping calculator (below), or use the "Ask Us a Question" button, to find the cost of shipping before you buy a book.

-Import duties, taxes and related import charges added by your country are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer’s responsibility. Please check with your country’s customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up – please do not confuse them for additional shipping charges, which we never impose. We do not mark merchandise values below value or mark items as ‘gifts’ to avoid import duties, as this is illegal in most countries.

-

Member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America
and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed with every book you purchase.