M. Turpin Limited Photograph Collection

Description

The collection has been catalogued to reflect the arrangement of the photographs when they were received in Special Collections. Each series contains the photographs which were in a numbered box when the collection arrived. The original box number is given in the alternative reference field. The series are in approximate chronological order.

The collection is primarily composed of black and white and colour photographs. There are some record sheets which detail conservation work carried out by M. Turpin Ltd. on various antiques. Some of these have photographs attached.

There are also some magazine cuttings, flyers and typescript sheets containing advertisements for M. Turpin and other antique dealers.

Provenance

The collection was donated to the English furniture department of Bonhams by Jackie Mann. Bonhams donated it to Leeds Special Collections in November 2017.

Maurice Turpin (1928-2005) was an antiques dealer and owner of M. Turpin Ltd. Known as Maurice 'Dick' Turpin he was born in Bow, East London. For a short time Turpin worked as an engineer at the BBC. In 1948 he became a runner for the antiques trade, searching for goods to sell to London dealers. His first shop was in Brompton Road in the early 1950s. By the late 1980s he was trading in Bruton Street, Mayfair. Turpin worked in partnership with Colin Hart for more than 30 years. He was one of the first English dealers to make regular journeys to buy in America. A larger than life character, he wore prominent glasses and a trilby and had a thick black moustache. Turpin's wife Dora died in 1988. Afterwards Jackie Mann ran his shop for him and became his constant companion. Christies's SK held a sale of his collection in March 2006.

Access

Access to this material is unrestricted.

Reproduction

Some parts of this collection are in copyright. Photocopies or digital images of the material in copyright can be supplied for private study purposes only. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain the copyright holder's permission for reproduction of copyright material for purposes other than research or private study. Guidance is available on tracing copyright status and ownership.