John Galliher in his London Days

We started off the week with a very stylish figure, Tom Parr, so it seems appropriate to end the week with yet another: John Galliher.

I was a johnny-come-lately when it came to John Galliher. I remember seeing his photos in W back in the 1980s (back in the good old days when W was a broadsheet), but I knew very little about him. It wasn't until the advent of New York Social Diary that I learned what a figure he cut in New York society. But what really captured my attention was a 2001 William Norwich article on Galliher that appeared in the New York Times. The article profiled Galliher and his style of entertaining. He was noted for serving a dish called Chicken Mica as well as clearing dishes straight from the table to a plastic lined basket resting next to him. That way, the conversation could continue uninterrupted.

Though the American born Galliher spent his later years solely in New York, as a young man he also had flats in both Paris and London. Here, you can see Galliher's Belgravia flat as it appeared in the late 1960s. To learn more about him, click here to visit New York Social Diary.



One end of Galliher's living room with a grouping of framed glass pieces by artist Michael Haynes.




The other end of the living room. Galliher was responsible for the decoration of his home.




The book from which the photos came clearly states that this bedroom was from a previous Belgravia home of Galliher's.




Though the book doesn't provide much information about the photo above and the one below, I can only assume that they also show his previous home.




A vignette in Galliher's London home that featured a painting by Aiki and an early 19th century chimneypiece.



The photo at top appeared on New York Social Diary, courtesy of James A. Douglas. All other photos from House & Garden Guide to Interior Decoration by Robert Harling.

Dogs in Good Spirits

So, you've got your vodka, gin, bourbon, scotch, double old-fashioneds, bar pitcher, ice bucket, swizzle sticks, mixers, jiggers, and ice tongs raring to go on your drinks tray or bar cart. What else might you need to complete your bar set up? Well, if you're a dog lover, how about a dog shaped crystal or glass decanter? It's not something with which I was familiar until I stumbled across a photo of one on the internet recently.

While I'm usually not an advocate of cute things, I do think one of these decanters might add a little humor to your drinks tray. A bar or bar cart is one place where whimsy is generally deemed acceptable. Just beware of the vintage ceramic dog decanters that are in abundance on eBay. Now those aren't so cute.

Asprey glass dog decanter, c. 1937, available through Guinevere



C. 1910 English hand blown glass dog decanter that sold at auction around four years ago.



Antique Austrian dog decanter, c. 1900, from The Three Graces



An antique silver plated and crystal dog decanter from Nelson & Nelson Antiques




A collection of silver pieces, from the Estate of Queen Juliana of The Netherlands that was auctioned at Sotheby's last year. Included in the lot was a silver-plated dog spout and a sterling dog mount for a decanter.




Not quite a decanter, but rather a sterling tantalus modeled as a dog house that holds two decanters.


Cartoon at top from The New Yorker, August 11, 1997, by Leo Cullum

Verdant Vistas

What a pitiful winter we've had here in Atlanta. With temperatures consistently in the 60s, I've worn my winter coat all of two times this season. Is it any wonder that this never ending warm snap has turned my thoughts to the outdoors? I'm already contemplating what I will plant on my terrace this Spring, although no decisions have been made as of yet. I'm considering buying both some tomato and Mara des Bois strawberry plants. Will this planting scheme turn out to be a folly? More than likely, yes. But let's not dwell on that. Instead, let's turn our attention to a different kind of folly, one that is far more attractive than any tomato plant. Here, a few follies and gardens scattered around Europe.


Image above: The Nymphaeum at Château de Wideville, Seine et Oise; c. 1635-40.


The ornamental and utility gardens at Château de Villandry, Indre et Loire.




Bosquet de l'Encelade, c. 1675-77, sculpted by Gaspard Marsy. Located in the gardens of Versailles




The Grand Cascade at Caserta, Naples, in the gardens of the royal residence. The gardens date to 1752-80.




The Bath of the Doves at Schwetzingen, Baden-Württemberg, in the gardens of the residence of Elector Palatine; c. 1753-80.




The Summerhouse in the gardens of the residence of the Bishop-Prince of Wurzburg, Veitschöchheim, Bavaria; c. 1763-91.




The Oriental summerhouse, also at Veitschöhheim, Bavaria. Designed in 1768 by Ferdinand Tietz.



All images from From Folly to Follies: Discovering the World of Gardening by Michel Saudan and Sylvia Saudan-Skira.

Klaus Enrique, The Arcimboldo Series

I was recently informed of a very interesting looking photography exhibit, Klaus Enrique, The Arcimboldo Series. To be held at New York's Robert Burge/ 20th Century Photographs, Ltd. from February 21 to April 13, the show will feature the photographic work of Klaus Enrique Gerdes. As mentioned in the title of the show, Klaus Enrique's photographs of his vividly detailed vegetable and floral compositions were inspired by the work of Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Just look at Klaus Enrique's Autumn above. Isn't the detail amazing?

According to Robert Burge, Klaus Enrique endured a few hardships while creating his vegetal creations including dealing with swarms of fruit flies as well as petals rotting under hot lights. Ah, the life of an artist. For more information on the show, please visit Robert Burge's website. And if you happen to be in Manhattan, I urge you to see the show for yourself.




Flora, 2011




Vegetable Gardener, 2011




Winter, 2011




Vertumnus, 2010





Primavera, 2010


All images courtesy of Robert Burge/ 20th Century Photographs, Ltd.

Tom Parr in the Early Days

You might recall the blog post that I wrote last fall about the career of the late, great decorator Tom Parr. Parr, who served for decades as the Chairman of Colefax and Fowler and was responsible for much of the firm's success, was one of the last of the gentleman decorators. His work possessed an English sensibility, appearing refined, elegant, and yet comfortable too.

Because so many of you are Tom Parr fans (and I include myself in this category,) I thought you might be interested in these c. 1967 photos of Parr's Eaton Square, Belgravia flat. (The flat, by the way, appears to be the same as that featured in a 2009 blog post of mine. Click here to compare the two versions.) Taken from the book House & Garden Guide to Interior Decoration, the photos are striking in that they capture a home that is quite a contrast to much of the zany, wacky, and colorful interiors that were typical of the era. It's obvious that even as a young man, Parr was confident in his sense of style, not falling for the popular trends of the day. In fact, the book's text says, "Study the pictures for further evidence of Mr. Parr's triumphant defiance of all the decorative dicta that have been uttered by the pundits."

So, to Toby Worthington, who has provided me with so much Tom Parr information in the past, and all of the other Tom Parr devotees out there, this post is for you.







The three photos above (including the one at top) show Parr's drawing room.





Parr's bedroom. Note the jib door as well as the Charles X period needlework rug.



The dining room had red walls, red curtains, and a red tablecloth.

For The Love of Corgis

"Elizabeth, Princess of York, the seven-year-old granddaughter of the King of England, has set her fancy on a corgi or Welsh cattle dog, one of a very ancient breed. But, strange to say, this old farm dog variety has come under the notice of the bench show public only during the last ten years. "
-House Beautiful, February 1934


We all know of Queen Elizabeth II's love of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. For as long as most of us can remember, she has been surrounded by a coterie of beloved Corgis. In fact, it's the Queen who is often credited with popularizing the breed. According to a 2007 Telegraph article, the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret first fell in love with Corgis after seeing those owned by the Marquess of Bath. In 1933, both girls received their very own Corgis, Dookie and Jane. Dookie, who you can see above with Princess Elizabeth in 1936, was named as such because upon his birth, he was selected to be given to the Duke of York's household.

I recently stumbled across the brief, newsy paragraph that leads off this post in the February 1934 issue of House Beautiful. Back in the 1930s and 40s, most of the house and garden type magazines devoted a few pages in each issue to dog news, breeding, and shows. It seems quaint now, but at the time, dog breeding and showing was a rather aristocratic pursuit. It's remarkable, in a way, that after almost eighty years, Queen Elizabeth is still devoted to the same breed. I guess what they say is true: first loves never die.

Princess Elizabeth with Dookie, by Marcus Adams, 1938. The Royal Collection © 2011,Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.



Queen Elizabeth II with her corgi Susan. Studio Lisa, 1952.



Queen Elizabeth II welcoming her corgis on board, 1984.




A portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Michael Leonard, painted in 1985-86.

Condé Nast Prints

I was recently offered a free print from the Condé Nast Store and Art.com. As many of you know, the Condé Nast Store sells prints of photographs and illustrations that have appeared in their various publications including Vogue, The New Yorker, and House & Garden. I thought no more of the offer until I wrote my blog post a few weeks back on vintage illustrated advertisements, something that prompted me to visit the Condé Nast site. After taking a look at the store's website, I decided to take them up on their offer out of curiosity.

Trying to choose my print was difficult. The site offers thousands of prints featuring the work of Christian Bérard, Cecil Beaton, René Bouché, Horst, and others. Did I want an illustration from the 1930s? A Vogue cover from the 1950s? A 1960s table setting photo from House & Garden? I finally settled on a print of a Christian Bérard illustration that appeared in the October 1935 issue of Vogue. (That's it, above.)

I was a little skeptical about what the quality of the print might be. I'm usually not so keen on reproductions nor prints that are offered online. However, I have to say that when I received it, I was very pleasantly surprised. It appears to be good quality, and while it doesn't have the old patina that an original illustration from this era would possess, it's still a charming print. My only complaint is that beneath the illustration is a caption with the Condé Nast copyright. Just something to keep in mind should you order your print framed.

While you're probably not going to display these prints in places where important art should be hung, they would look terrific in powder rooms, bathrooms, dressing rooms, and offices. The gorgeous photos of food that appeared in Gourmet magazine might look great if hung on the backsplash in your kitchen. Just be forewarned: it's very easy to spend hours browsing through the Condé Nast Store website.



A Cecil Beaton illustration from the March 1933 issue of Vogue.




A Horst photograph from the September 1965 issue of Vogue.



A Sal Traina photo of Truman Capote and Gloria Vanderbilt from W, May 1972.



A House & Garden photo by Herbert Matter that appeared in the January 1950 issue.



A Romulo Yanes photo from Gourmet, January 2001.


All photos the copyright of Condé Nast and Art.com

The Joy of Decorating with Phoebe Howard

I was so excited to receive an advance copy of designer Phoebe Howard's new book, The Joy of Decorating, Southern Style with Mrs. Howard. Like so many of you, I'm a fan of Phoebe's work. I'm so admiring of how much she and her husband, Jim, have accomplished over the last few years. But I do admit that I'm a little biased. Phoebe and Jim live in my building, and I consider them to be fun neighbors and friends too.

Pardon the pun, but Phoebe's book is a real "joy" to read. The photos of Phoebe's timeless interiors are full of design inspiration, but more importantly to me, they're daydream-inducing as well. It's not hard to imagine oneself in one of Phoebe's pink bedrooms or Chinoiserie inspired living rooms. I've selected a few of the book's photos to show below including one of Phoebe and Jim's Galley Kitchen in their Atlanta pied-à-terre. (Let's just say that my galley kitchen is a far cry from theirs!) But please don't overlook the text. Writer Susan Sully has done a great job at conveying Phoebe's thoughts on the design process.

Phoebe has offered The Peak of Chic readers a 20% discount off the retail price if you purchase from her website. (Click here to be taken to the correct page.) Make sure to use coupon code POCJOD. And another bonus if you buy the book on her website: a paint chart that lists Phoebe's favorite paint colors will be included. I can already tell that this will be a valuable tool the next time I paint my home.

Click here to see a list of cities that Phoebe will be visiting on her book tour.