My friend Agatha Sadler, who has died aged 91, created one of the most influential art bookshops in London. St George’s Gallery Books was an institution, a resource for art historian, artist, art lover, auctioneer and dealer alike. The critic Brian Sewell wrote: “No art historian of my generation, European or American, can have pursued his profession without dependence on Agatha and her bookshop.” Not only did she ensure that any book or catalogue, of the most obscure works, however far-flung, was available on her shelves; she also created a welcoming atmosphere where customers could meet and talk.
Like many who were influential in the London art scene in the 50s and 60s, Agatha was a refugee. She was born into a prosperous and cultured Jewish family in Vienna. In 1938, after the Anschluss of Austria by Nazi Germany, she was sent with her siblings to an aunt in the UK, who found her a place at Putney high school for girls, south-west London. Forced to hand over his factory and financial resources to the new regime, their father, Otto, followed with their mother, Lilly.
Otto had built up a private collection in Vienna, much of which he was allowed to bring out. In London, after 1945, he purchased the St George’s Gallery name and became a dealer, starting with his own collection. Agatha worked in a factory and went to theatre school in the evenings at Toynbee Hall, but later took charge of the books and, when her father retired, inherited the book stock and the gallery name. Eventually the business settled in Duke Street, St James, in 1964. Proximity to both Sotheby’s and Christie’s undoubtedly helped it to thrive.
At Toynbee Hall she met Charles, who was an aspirant playwright attending theatre classes and a conscientious objector working as a bricklayer. They were married in 1944. In all her endeavours, Charles was a constant support. A proficient carpenter and builder, he designed and made the bookshelves that soared to the ceiling in the shop, and provided a cheerful delivery service in his white convertible. With business success, they embarked on assembling their own collection of antiquities – including ancient jewellery, which Agatha wore, and sculpture and bronzes. Agatha was a gifted cook and Charles a shrewd investor in wine. Together they were a hospitable couple and entertained among their acquisitions, through which, in a touch of the picturesque, ivy trailed.
The bookshop closed in 1989. In 2003, shortly after Charles’s death, the bulk of the collection was sold at auction. Agatha will be remembered for her many kindnesses to friends and family. She is survived by her nephew and nieces, Marius, Francesca and Philippa, and a great-niece, Verena.
