H. M. Lee & Sons and R. A. Lee Collection

The collection comprises the business archive of H. M. Lee, H. M. Lee & Sons and R. A. Lee. It includes comprehensive stock records for the business on index cards and in stock books. The collection contains financial records in ledgers and sales books. There are some administrative records including correspondence and a diary. Of particular note is the extensive number of photographs of the companies' stock including furniture and works of art. The collection includes newspaper cuttings in scrapbooks.

The Lee family antique dealing business began in Kingston upon Thames when Henry Morton Lee set up as H. M. Lee just after WW1. His brother Morton Henry Lee joined him in the venture. In 1927 when his sons joined the family company Henry changed its name to H. M. Lee and Sons. One son was Ronald who was later to open his own very successful business.

During the 1920s and 1930s Henry Lee sold a vast array of objects to many of the most important dealers of the day, including Joseph Duveen (1869-1939), the son of Joseph Joel Duveen of the world-renowned Duveen dynasty of dealers.

In 1949 Ronald set up on his own business as R. A. Lee. He, like his father Henry, was a highly successful dealer. An expert on clocks, Ronald was particularly knowledgeable about the clockmaker Joseph Knibb. In 1965 he wrote the biography of the Knibb family of clockmakers, which is still a key work on the subject.

Ronald sold an astonishingly wide range of objects, to collectors and museums all over the world. A key driver for him appears to have been the historical significance and beauty of objects.

This collection is subject to various access conditions. Please see individual catalogue descriptions for further details on access.

Donated by Georgina Gough, daughter of Ronald Lee, in 2017.

Material in this part of the collection is in copyright. Photocopies or digital images can be supplied by the Library for research or private study. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain the copyright holder's permission to reproduce for any other purpose. Guidance is available for tracing copyright status and ownership.