John Hill

John Hill of Jeremy Limited , London, established 1946.

A conversation between John Hill and project lead volunteer Chris Coles. This interview is the seventh interview in an extension to the Oral Histories project, called 'BADA Voices', and which is supported by the British Antique Dealers' Association.

John Hill, together with his brother Michael Hill, ran the well-known antique furniture dealer 'Jeremy Limited' at 255 King's Road in London, which had been established by their father Geoffrey Hill in 1946.

In this absorbing interview John recalls the history of the firm 'Jeremy Limited', with fascinating detail, including how the firm got it's name; his father, Geoffrey, was always known as 'Jerry', hence the eponymous name of the dealership.  Geoffrey Hill was incarcerated in the famous Colditz Castle during the Second World War and began his career in the antiques trade in partnership with another dealer called Tug Wilson before opening his shop in the King's Road in 1946.

John tells us of his father's buying trips to New York in the 1950s, and of his own memories of a wide range of other antique dealers such as John Partridge, Pelham Galleries, Horace Baxter and Blairman & Sons.  As well reflections on key characters from the trade such as Francis Egerton at Mallet & Son, John also recalls the famous Mentmore auction sale of 1977 and memories of working with his father and his brother Michael - shown in the photograph (right), John, Geoffrey and Michael Hill.

Photograph courtesy of John Hill, copyright Jeremy Limited.