Antiikkia – Antiques!

On the eve of the Helsinki Book Fair, the City Museum is hosting a discussion on the antique trade inspired by two books published this year.

The antique trade has an exciting history in Helsinki. To kick things off, Docent Lars Westerlund will talk about how Russian valuables ended up as Finnish antiques after the revolution. Next, antique trade professional Wenzel Hagelstam will share his own experiences in the field. The discussion will be conducted in Finnish and Swedish by the City Museum’s Head of Research, Minna Sarantola-Weiss.

Lars Westerlund recently published a book on the subject entitled Gyllene tider. Lyxhandel och skumraskaffärer. Konst och antik i Helsingfors 1917–1939 (Au Courant, 2023). Wenzel Hagelstam’s life is chronicled by Dan Kronqvist in the recently published biography entitled Wenzel Hagelstam. Antiikkikauppiaan muistelmat (Förlaget M and WSOY 2023). Both books will be available for purchase at the event. Free entry.