OLYMPIC HEIGHTS
by Brook S. Mason



When Florida fair organizer David Lester commandeered the leadership of London’s Summer Olympia Art and Antiques Fair a year ago, insiders pondered the merits of such a takeover. With the grand dame of traditional antiques shows, the Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair, literally expiring on its 75th anniversary last June, the playing field changed considerably. In its place is a flurry of fairs. Brits Anna and Brian Haughton set up their inaugural Art Antiques London, which is slated to open this week, while a dealer-led consortium is launching Masterpiece 2010 London, which debuts June 24, 2010. Can the market support three shows in a single month, or do too many players lead to cannibalization?

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