Ask a New Yorker: It smells a little like antiques in here.
Lewis: This stuff is old.
Ask a New Yorker: What’s your definition of an antique?
Lewis: Well, I have my own definition of antiques. The government basically,
for import purposes, says it should be over 100 years old for it to be duty
free. But my definition is anything that is an original design of its period.
In other words why wouldn’t Art deco be an antique? It’s original
design. So I think 100 years is not necessarily the right definition. But for
duty purposes the government has to have some kind of cut off.
Ask a New Yorker: Who am I talking to?
Lewis: Who am I? I’m Lewis Baer, a third generation antiques dealer. That’s
who I am. (Laughter)
Ask a New Yorker: Where are we?
Lewis: Were at Newel Art Galleries actually
called Newel LLC 425 East 53rd Street all the way by the river where there are
no other antique shops or other shops that’s even associated with what
we do. So we’re a little off the beaten path. We are a destination.
Ask a New Yorker: This is a very unique space, building.
Lewis: This use to be a warehouse for Bloomingdales when it was first built.
You’ll see when we go up stairs its high ceilings, pallet racks. It’s
not really how you show antiques or how most antique dealers display their merchandise.
This is warehoused. It’s not displayed.
Ask a New Yorker: Interesting.
Lewis: Newel was actually started by my grandfather about 70 years ago as a
prop house for Broadway. Over the course of 70 years Broadway has become a much
marginalized part of our business and television and movies have become much
more of a bigger part of our business. The interesting thing is when he was
buying these things they were “props”. They were really basically
three periods that he was buying. English, French and Victorian. That’s
what Broadway was basically back then. What were props back 70 years ago have
turned into fine antiques over the course of time. And the demand for antiques
has changed radically. These periods beyond French, English and Victorian are
now Biedermeier,
French 40’s, Art deco, Mission, None of these styles were recognized 70
years ago.
Ask a New Yorker: Thank you Grand Pop!
Lewis: He was a very smart guy and I give him all the credit and I’m just
trying to maintain what he created. And that’s tough enough because the
industry is much more completive then when he was around.
Ask a New Yorker: So a big part of your business is renting to the movie studios
for their movies. What movies are
we talking about?
Lewis: Well, when I was in college I remember doing the Godfather series. Broadway
shows from My Fair Lady to all kinds of interesting movies. The Departed, The
Thomas Crown Affair, Duplicity, Michael Clayton, Goodfellas, Terms of Endearment
etc.
Ask a New Yorker: What did you score on your SAT’s? (Why this question
is asked I don’t know)
Lewis: What did I get…1300
Ask a New Yorker: Straight-A student I bet?
Lewis: No, basically I was one of these guys that got D’s and C’s.
I was not the greatest student.
Ask a New Yorker: Who are some of the designers that use you?
Lewis: Mario Buatta, Cullman and Kravis, Jeffery Bradfield to name a few, and
Celebrities such as Michael Jackson have bought things here, Jane Fonda etc…
Ask a New Yorker: Where do you buy your antiques these days?
Lewis: That’s evolved. My grandfather would go to local dealers down town.
He would go to Europe. Back in the 50’s we could go to Europe and fill
up a container for next to nothing, even in the50’s, 60’s, 70’s
and maybe up the the 80’s. Now it’s very competitive. You have to
find antiques where and when you can. I try to buy items that will fill in the
collection because were diversified. So I’m not just buying English, not
just buying French. I’m just trying to buy unusual items that fill in
the gaps in terms of all the decorative art styles. I could buy art nouveau
one day and Old Hickory the next and then Louis XVl. It just depends on the
price, the quality and the need.
Ask a New Yorker: Just standing on this floor I’m blown away by the splendid
cornucopia of stuff. Did I just say splendid cornucopia? Anyways, this place
is amazing.
Lewis: The first floor really is little vignettes and examples of all the different
styles that we have. When you go upstairs then you see all the other different
styles we’ve collected.
Ask a New Yorker: Well let’s go for a tour, but before we do tell us about
your blog.
Lewis: I write about issues that I think are important to dealers and people
in the art and antiques industry.
Ask a New Yorker: Let’s go touring.
Lewis: Newel is a visual overload. As we mentioned before it is not displayed
like you see in showrooms on Madison Ave. There’s merchandise to your
left to your right. Looking up and looking down. You can’t see it all
and it becomes a blur. Even the most sophisticated collector or dealer and designers
have a problem really focusing. I’ve seen it forever.
Ask a New Yorker: We just finished the tour and thank you Lewis so much. That
was memorable.
