Hyde Park Antiques: A Legacy in English Furniture
Marking the final chapter of Bernard Karr’s visionary gallery, Hyde Park Antiques at STAIR on October 30th celebrates over half a century of scholarship, craftsmanship, and their enduring influence on the decorative arts.
For over half a century, Hyde Park Antiques has been one of New York’s most respected destinations for collectors, designers, and curators seeking the finest examples of English furniture. Founded by Bernard Karr in the mid-1960s, the gallery quickly distinguished itself by its unwavering commitment to quality. From its beginnings in a modest apartment to its landmark home in a 19th-century building on Broadway just south of Union Square, Hyde Park evolved into an institution whose influence reached far beyond Manhattan.
Regency Penwork Work Table
William IV Ormolu Mounted and Brass-Inlaid Side Cabinet
George II Style Carved Mahogany Armchair
“One day I looked around my apartment and there wasn’t room for a tennis ball. So, I took an empty store, put all my excess in the store, and started.”
Origins: A Collector’s Eye
Bernard Karr often said his business “almost began by accident.” Having overfurnished his apartment with objects he loved, he was faced with the choice of moving or letting some treasures go. That early dilemma revealed the philosophy that would guide his career: a refusal to compromise on quality. “Making twenty quick sales of second-rate pieces would never satisfy me so much as selling one item of genuine quality,” Karr recalled. “Although going for quality meant slow going, I sensed that eventually it would take me farther.”
He was right. From the outset, Hyde Park Antiques set itself apart by holding out for the very best. Until his first European buying trip in 1982, Karr sourced exclusively from estate sales and private homes. Once business allowed, he traveled to England twice a year to acquire outstanding examples of period furniture. He has been known to advise new collectors to “buy very infrequently, buy fewer things, buy better things”—a mantra that became the gallery’s hallmark.
Scholarship and Community
Hyde Park was never simply a place to buy antiques; it was a destination where scholarship and connoisseurship were part of the experience. The gallery’s reputation was cemented by exhibitions like Penwork: The Triumph of Line (1989), which assembled more than twenty examples of penwork decoration from 1790 to 1830—the largest such display ever mounted. Penwork, with its delicate black-and-white tracery resembling reverse etching, adorned everything from tea caddies to commodes, yet remained enigmatic in its technique. The exhibition not only revealed Hyde Park’s curatorial ambition but also served as the backdrop for a fundraising event that raised nearly $20,000 to support fifteen historic houses, helping to establish the Historic House Trust of New York City.
Restoration and Design
Behind the gallery’s polished presentation stood the Hyde Park Antiques Workshop, at its height employing ten craftsmen—cabinetmakers, carvers, polishers, and a paint restorer—who worked in concert to preserve the integrity of each piece. Restoration was never about making furniture look new. “My criteria require that a piece be handmade by a cabinetmaker at a bench,” Karr explained. For him, the dealer’s role was to visualize a piece as it once looked, and to bring it back to that state without erasing its history. This philosophy of authenticity defined Hyde Park’s reputation and distinguished its inventory from more commercial dealers.
Hyde Park Antiques was also influential in shaping the wider culture of collecting and design. In 2006, to mark its 40th anniversary, Rizzoli published Classic English Design and Antiques: Period Styles and Furniture by Emily Eerdmans, with a foreword by Mario Buatta and Rachel Karr. The book celebrated Hyde Park as “one of the most prestigious purveyors of objects from England’s history” and illustrated the gallery’s impact on both scholarship and contemporary interiors. Designers such as Buatta, Parish-Hadley, Ann Getty, Charlotte Moss, and David Kleinberg drew inspiration from its holdings, integrating English furniture of 1700–1830 seamlessly into modern spaces.
Early George III Mahogany Chest of Drawers
Pair of George III Giltwood Elbow Chairs, attributed to Gillows
“I guess at the core of it, all antique dealers are just great shoppers, and love to shop, and love to discover.”
The Final Chapter at STAIR
At the heart of Hyde Park’s identity was Bernard Karr’s philosophy: antiques were never simply a business. “Antiques are not rational business—it’s a way of life,” he reflected. He offered a buy-back policy that reflected his confidence in timeless quality: “If it was good 10 years ago, it’s good today.” His passion was for English period furniture’s “restraint, understatement, and elegance,” These qualities mirrored his own personality—disciplined, refined, and quietly bold.
The Hyde Park Antiques at STAIR sale on October 30th at 10am marks the final chapter in this extraordinary story. More than 150 years of English furniture, complemented by fine art and ceramics, will be offered as a tribute to the gallery’s lasting impact. The collaboration between the Karr and Stair families underscores their long-standing respect and shared belief in preservation, scholarship, and taste.
This sale is a celebration of Hyde Park’s enduring legacy. For decades, the gallery helped shape the standards of connoisseurship and taste in English furniture, influencing collectors, institutions, and designers across the globe. With this closing chapter, Hyde Park Antiques leaves behind not only extraordinary objects, but also an indelible imprint on the history of decorative arts.
CATALOGUE ONLINE:
Friday, October 17
GALLERY PREVIEW: