The Gerschman Collection
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Without any money in his pocket but determined to advance in life, our father Tore took a job with the Swedish American Line on M/S Axel Johnson in 1936. When he finally disembarked and returned to Stockholm, he had two tailor-made suits and a pair of hand-sewn crocodile shoes from South America in his luggage. He checked his bankbook and noted the 125 Swedish Krona balance. Feeling rich, he thought to himself, ”how much for the whole city?” After that things moved quickly. With a strong interest in both the art world and in business, new opportunities opened up. When our father met our mother Lotten, she became his dear life partner, and also the one who kept track of the growing gallery business. Our mother’s prodigious organizational talent was invaluable to father’s success in this fast-moving industry.
All business deals, small and large, were equally exciting to our father. He often let one of us siblings come along as he felt it was good for our general education. In addition, we were good helpers and good company. We flew in economy class but always stayed at the best hotels. ”The company pays” he said. ”But isn’t the company you?” we thought to ourselves. In Paris, at Hotel Le Bristol, the staff always said ”welcome home sir” when we checked in. Father had stayed there since after the war. We travelled to Paris countless times. The oldest of us siblings spoke French well, and was called to assist when signing contracts with Salvador Dalí. Dali stayed at the top floor of Hotel Le Meurice, where you would meet the celebrities, actors and writers of that era: The first time I went to Paris with my father, we were waiting in the foyer of the Hotel Le Meurice. Dalí’s wife Gala came down the stairs and sat on the sofa next to us. She whispered in father’s ear, but I heard what she said: ”your wife is too young for you.” Our father thought it was great fun and sometimes would ask the question again when we checked in to a hotel somewhere in the world: ”by the way, do you think my wife is too young for me?” After that, we had numerous meetings with Salvador Dalí and his impresario ”Le Capitaine” Peter Moore.
In our home, paintings came and went. We saw works by Léger, Utrillo, Derrain, Bonnard, Dufy, Chagall, Renoir, Picasso, Vasarely, Vlaminck, Ougiss, Brazilian, Buffet, Chardin, Delaunay, Hjertén, Zorn, de Chirico, Calder to name just a few. Father was one of the first international art dealers in Sweden and, like many of that generation, he collected a bit of everything. Many of his early trips were to the United States, where he bought back many works brought there by immigrants. He also collected silver and helped to build several significant silver collections in Sweden. Perhaps Kurt Ribbhagen, who was a good friend and who also taught our father to sail, sparked his interest in silver. Our father once brought home a newly purchased antique sugar bowl. He right away placed it on one of our chest of drawers where it would remain for years to come. In the early mornings he would quietly return to admire and ponder his latest find. While such beautiful items were thus exhibited for our everyday viewing pleasure, many were also used on festive occasions. As we learned, beautiful things should not only be admired, but also experienced.
A frequently asked question at breakfast was ”what is the US dollar exchange rate?” Something new and unexpected happened every day with our father. ”Are you coming with me to Paris tomorrow morning?” he could suddenly ask. It could just as easily be another city in the world, such as New York or Tokyo. We once flew around the world in three weeks. We tried to keep pace with him on these trips, often carrying the heavy art books he bought during walks at each destination. He had a quick mind and often changed the topic of conversation without really explaining himself, we had our hands full keeping up. We met many famous artists both in Sweden and abroad. It was a fascinating world, so much so that one of us siblings continued in his footsteps.
– The family