Celebrating Collections. Since 1919.
For this special issue of Leonard, we decided to ask ourselves what the phrase that accompanies our logo means to us as auctioneers and valuers; “Celebrating Collections. Since 1919.” For me, it is not just an elegant phrase, it is a promise. Not just to present and promote a collection or beautiful object with a glossy catalogue and the flourish of an auctioneer on the rostrum, it is more than that. It is about honouring not just the property
we are entrusted with, but also the memories and history that inhabit every collection, great and small.
From the client that never knew their box of costume jewellery hid the most precious natural pearl ever found in Australia, to the meticulous and sacred task of ensuring every personal item was found, identified, and recorded within Mirka Mora’s studio, this is how we honour the people, the property, and the provenance in every lot and in every auction. This, to me, is what celebrating collections really means; the passing of property from one individual to another, one family to another. In harmony. The cycle of collecting at auction, from sale to settlement, with property respected and history and memories intact.
Our Leonard magazine, now in its 12th year and 100th issue, forms part of the Leonard Joel promise to record and explore collections and the act of collecting. In every issue, we go on little journeys with people, objects, and periods. I say with pride, that very few fine auctioneers around the world have managed to create, evolve, and maintain a periodical of this quality, and for this long. This achievement is testament to all the specialists, contributors, and creators of Leonard, that every two months bring their passions and curiosity to the magazine. In the process, we honour, in a very personal sense, the collections that find their way to Leonard Joel.
And a special thank you to Daniel Callan, the Melbourne-based creative maestro, that after a conversation with me, conceived exquisitely the look, the feel and the style of Leonard magazine!
JOHN ALBRECHT
Chairman / Head of Important Collections
Banner Image: The Magical Studio of Mirka Mora, 2019
September2022