Dealers to Know: Meet the Specialists at LAPADA 2026

Winsor Birch

Founded by two former Sotheby’s specialists in Victorian and 20th-century British and Irish art, Winsor Birch focuses on sourcing exceptional works by both celebrated and overlooked artists. With an emphasis on quality across a range of price points, the gallery champions the richness and variety of British and Irish art.

At LAPADA this year, Winsor Birch will present works from superb private collections, including Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite paintings and drawings.

A particular highlight is Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s A Christmas Carol, a richly detailed red chalk drawing dating to 1867. Depicting the artist’s model Ellen Smith in an embroidered gown playing a musical instrument, the work is a beautiful example of the Aesthetic movement. An oil version of the composition sold at Sotheby’s in 2013 for £4.5 million, while a smaller pencil study is held in the British Museum.

For the gallery, collecting begins with a personal connection. As they explain, an object should first and foremost be something that resonates with you, even if the reason isn’t immediately apparent.

“Quality, rarity, context and value are layers on top, but I would always start with the personal. Collections are a reflection of an identity, and the most engaging start from there.”

Returning to Berkeley Square, the team is looking forward to reconnecting with collectors, meeting new faces and exploring the Fair themselves.

De Jong Fine English Furniture

London-based dealer Andreas de Jong specialises in distinctive examples of 18th- and early 19th-century English furniture, with a particular appreciation for exceptional craftsmanship, colour and originality.

Making his LAPADA debut this year, Andreas will present an outstanding selection of early walnut furniture, alongside an extraordinary George I scarlet japanned bureau cabinet and finely carved Georgian mahogany pieces.

Among his personal favourites is a George II carved mahogany Gainsborough armchair, distinguished by its exceptional carving, rich colour and unusual proportions. A departure from the more familiar Gainsborough chair designs, it combines sculptural presence with remarkable comfort and practicality. The chair is also illustrated in Moss Harris, A Catalogue and Index of Old Furniture and Works of Decorative Art, Volume II.

Another highlight is a George I walnut bachelor’s chest, whose extraordinary colour and rich patina reflect its remarkably untouched condition. For Andreas, it is a piece of almost museum-worthy quality, the sort of survival increasingly difficult to find.

“Collecting is about following your heart and buying what you love. I like to think of collecting as revealing the ‘true you’ through objects.”

This year marks Andreas’s first appearance at LAPADA, where he will be sharing a stand with his close colleagues at Godson & Coles.

Mary Cooke Antiques

Established in London in 1967, Mary Cooke Antiques has specialised in 18th-century British silver and early 19th-century collectors’ items for nearly six decades. Now run by Neil Shepperson, the gallery offers an exceptional selection of historic British silver, including pieces by Hester Bateman and examples from the great regional centres of British silversmithing.

At the heart of the gallery’s presentation at LAPADA will be the extraordinary Gorges Cups & Covers, a pair of Queen Anne silver-gilt cups made in London in 1702 by the Huguenot goldsmith Pierre Platel.

Part of the celebrated Gorges plate, the cups represent a rare surviving pair from one of the great commissions of early 18th-century English silver. Their importance lies not only in the exceptional quality of their richly worked decoration and engraving, but also in their remarkable history.

Platel’s workshop would soon welcome the young Paul de Lamerie, who went on to become one of Britain’s most celebrated silversmiths. More than a century and a half later, the cups were acquired by Garrard & Co. and sold in 1878 to the future Prime Minister Lord Rosebery, the year of his marriage to Hannah Rothschild. They subsequently formed part of the renowned Rothschild and Rosebery collection at Mentmore.

For Neil, building a great collection requires more than simply acquiring rare or valuable objects. Personal enjoyment comes first, followed by careful consideration of quality, craftsmanship, provenance and variety.

“The first consideration with collecting any item is that you like the piece.”

Neil is particularly looking forward to returning to Berkeley Square, welcoming established clients and introducing new collectors to the gallery’s latest acquisitions. With fewer major art and antiques fairs in London than in previous years, he sees LAPADA as an important opportunity for collectors and dealers to come together in the heart of Mayfair.