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  2. AAADA PARTNERS WITH THE JOHNSTON COLLECTION

AAADA PARTNERS WITH THE JOHNSTON COLLECTION

The Johnston Collection is delighted to announce a new partnership with the Australian Antique and Art Dealers Association (AAADA). 

The Johnston Collection (TJC) is an award-winning house museum located in leafy East Melbourne at the historic 1860s townhouse, Fairhall. The museum holds a superb collection of English Georgian, Regency, and Louis XV fine and decorative arts and hosts a unique program of guided tours, lectures, workshops, and events. 

Fairhall and the Collection were a gift to the people of Victoria from William Robert Johnston (1911-1986). A prominent Melbourne-born antique dealer, real estate investor and collector, Mr Johnston operated his antiques business between Melbourne’s Armadale and Greenwich, London. Over the years, Mr Johnston’s collection has been enhanced through the generosity of some extraordinary collectors, including the late Roger Brookes who gifted his distinguished collection of English silver, fine paintings, furniture, glass, timepieces and objet d’art to the Collection in 2021. 

‘The business of antiques is in the DNA of The Johnston Collection’, said CEO Dr Louise Voll Box, ‘so we are thrilled to be partnering with AAADA’. ‘We look forward to sharing the world of antiques and decorative arts with long-term AAADA supporters and new audiences’, she said. ‘In line with Mr Johnston’s intentions, our Collection is displayed in a domestic setting without ropes or labels, and is regularly re-arranged, so we offer the perfect setting to showcase how to live with beautiful objects today’. 

The current re-arrangement of the Collection by interior designer Vincent Jenden is a shining example of this link between past and present. As founder of Vincent Jenden Design (VJD), Vincent already has a close relationship with AAADA. His passion for combining antiques with contemporary styling has taken him from New Zealand to London and then to Melbourne working with private clients and on public commissions. Fit for a King: Vincent Jenden Reimagines The Johnston Collection is inspired by the anticipated Australian Royal Tour by King Charles III and Queen Camilla. As guest curator Vincent has 43 

created a glamorous banquet at Fairhall set with a glittering array of silver and treasures of British and European fine and decorative arts to welcome the royal visitors. Vincent’s theatrical re-imagining has brought touches of wit and whimsy to TJC, creating a visual feast that layers antiques, art, and luxurious textiles with modern furniture to create alluring juxtapositions. 

The Johnston Collection warmly welcomes visitors to the AAADA Antiques and Art Fair Melbourne in 2024. As a special offer for ticketholders, receive 20% off guided tour tickets to the current exhibition using promo code AAADA24. 

Fit for a King: Vincent Jenden Reimagines The Johnston Collection is open Wednesdays to Sundays until 25 August, 2024 for pre-booked tours, and is accompanied by a program of lectures, workshops, and events. 

For more information, chat with us at Malvern Town Hall, visit johnstoncollection.org or phone (03) 9416 2515

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