To my regret, I never got to meet Murray Pollinger in person. Yet I consider myself fortunate that my life has been enriched by him in recent years. It all started when I first tried to find out more about early 19th-century porcelain by Samuel Alcock. I kept coming across it, but could find no documentation and I noticed that many pieces were misidentified. The pattern numbers made no sense and virtually nothing was marked.
Where to begin? I asked around, and I heard on the grapevine about a gentleman in Norfolk with a large, meticulously researched collection. Rumour had it there was no plan to publish his work. Keen to meet him, I tried in vain to discover his name, before abandoning my search in late 2022. Merely three weeks later, I received a phone call from someone seeking assistance with a large porcelain collection amassed by her father, Murray Pollinger, who had recently passed away. I asked some questions, and immediately knew that the elusive Norfolk collector had come to find me posthumously.
This was to be the start of many trips to Norfolk over the course of the following year. I stayed with Murray's daughter and her family in the large family home, and they were not only the gateway to this important collection, but also quickly became close friends. By spending long weekends photographing the porcelain as Murray had left it, and delving into his copious notes, the collection and the painstaking research behind it came to life - as did the man himself.
So who was Murray Pollinger? Ask anyone who knew him and you get the same answer: 'a true gentleman'. Getting to know his family, I understood this was not just a superficial description; Murray really was a gentleman in the full sense of the word.
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Lisa Coppin
The Cotswold Company’s chief creative officer shares the pieces that mean so much to her
TRAVEL
Six of the best pineta, plus a festive trip to Covent Garden. Review of The Orange, Belgravia by Katie Pike, travel stories
OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE
Stumbled upon by chance, this ingenious material was a more affordable option than solid silver, and well-preserved examples are particularly desirable today
Merrily on high
Summoning servants since the 1700s, bell boards create instant English country-house style (even if you don't have any servants). Emma Longstaff dons her pinny
Let it snow
Nostalgic, magical and highly collectable, snow globes are curious objects of wonder that never fail to instil joy
Velvet Crush
Once the preserve of the wealthy, velvet finally touched all levels of society, thanks to advances in its production process
Celebrating in the Stable
Antiques dealer Julia von Hülsen specialises in Gustavian pieces - all of which look perfectly placed in her German home
THE SHOW MUST GO ON
Victorian toy theatres charming and exquisitely designed miniature worlds have inspired theatre royalty for decades. Today, the tradition is being kept alive by a small but talented network of makers
NICHOLAS LEES
The ceramic artist talks to Dominique Corlett about new ways of working with clay and blurring the edges of solid objects
Candy CHRISTMAS
Pastel hues, vintage decorations and bowls of sweet treats: the festive run-up is gloriously joyful at Bettina Færgeman's historic Copenhagen apartment, where there's an emphasis on entertaining...