The Best Possible Home

A Halifax collector’s final wish in life was to find a suitable home for a rare 19th-century table valued at $10,000

- Shaun Markey, Ottawa

Jack Craft of Finer Things Antiques & Curios inHalifax, a friend and colleague of mine, wasn’t sure what to expect when he was summoned to the hospital bed of local collector Reidar (David) Olsen, who was gravely ill. As it turned out, Mr. Olsen wanted Jack’s help to disperse his superb collection of antique furniture, the majority of which was made in Atlantic Canada. In particular, he was most concerned about an exquisite, twodrawer Sheraton stand attributed to 19th-century Halifax cabinet maker John Tulles (1771-1827). Jack appraised the table at $10,000.

“It was a collection that was put together over many years and had several excellent 19thcentury pieces in it,” Jack explained. “It was the dying wish of Mr. Olsen, who placed his collection with me, that I find the best possible home for the Tulles’ table.”

It didn’t take long for Jack to land on the idea of offering the table as a donation to Government House in Halifax. Government House is one of the oldest consecutively occupied government residences in Canada, and one of the oldest such official residences in North America.