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 looked in his bankbook, 125 Swedish krona and thought ”how much does the city cost?” After that it went fast. With a strong interest in the art world and business, new opportunities showed up. When our father met mother Lotten she became his dear life partner and also kept track of the business that took place in the gallery. Our mother’s amazing ability to organize was invaluable in this ever-changing industry.
All business deals were equally exciting – small and large. He often let one of us siblings come along. Father thought 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 around the world. ”Yes, the company pays,” he said, “but the company is you” we thought. 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 sisters, who spoke French well, had to assist when signing contracts with Salvador Dalí. Dalí stayed on the top floor at Hotel Le Meurice, where you could meet celebrities, actors and writers of the time. ”The first time I went to Paris with my father, we were waiting in the foyer of the Hotel Le Meurice. Salvador Dalí’s wife Gala came down the stairs and sat down on the sofa next to us. She whispered in his ear but I heard what she said: ”your wife is too young for you”. Our father thought it was great fun and sometimes asked the question again ”by the way, do you think my wife is too young for me?” when we checked in to a hotel somewhere in the world. After that, we had numerous meetings with Salvador Dalí and his impresario ”Le Capitaine” Peter Moore.”
In our home paintings came and left. 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 in that generation, he collected everything. The first trips often went to the United States, where he bought back much of what the immigrants had taken with them. He also collected silver and helped to build up 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.
A frequently asked question at breakfast was ”how much is the US dollar worth?” Something new and unexpected happened everyday 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. On the trips we tried to keep up with him, often carrying heavy art books that were bought during the walks. He had a quick mind and often changed the topics of conversation without really explaining himself, we were sometimes busy keeping up with him. We met many famous artists both in Sweden and abroad. It was a fascinating world, so much that one of us siblings continued in his footsteps.
– The family