Stair Galleries announced that Sarah Goslin (left) was promoted to associate specialist, furniture and decorative arts, and Leah Vogelpohl (right) joined the auction house as associate specialist, decorative arts. Goslin began her career at Sotheby’s in the American furniture and European ceramics departments and has more than a decade of experience in the field. She joined Stair in 2021. Vogelpohl helps secure consignments, catalog property and curate sales. She joined Stair in August and also has more than a decade of experience in decorative arts departments at regional auction houses. We reached out to learn about their backgrounds in antiques and hear more on their current roles.
What attracted you to Stair?
Leah: It was appealing to me to work for a firm that is driven by both connoisseurship and a commitment to providing excellent service and results for clients. Stair is small by design, which allows us to be responsive and nimble, while dedicated to the material and training up the next generation of specialists and collectors. It is also a dream come true, for me at least, that a firm of this caliber, handling the collections that we do, exists in the beautiful Hudson Valley. Another thing that really drew me to Stair was our history of handling great single-owner collections. I’ve always loved working on single-owner sales — learning about the collector, finding the connections and throughlines among the collection.
Sarah: I initially came to Stair to begin a furniture conservation apprenticeship under Nigel Thomas of Stair Restoration. My work at Sotheby’s New York in the American furniture department for Erik Gronning introduced me to the field and piqued my interest in conserving important material culture, so when I had the opportunity to learn from a master craftsperson, I knew I had to take it. Through my conservation/restoration training, I developed a keen eye and unique insight as a furniture specialist. On the auction side, highlights include selling some of our important single-owner sales as an auctioneer. I became an auctioneer in my first year at Stair, and in 2022 had the pleasure of selling the collection of Joan Didion alongside Colin [Stair, president and CEO of Stair Galleries]. It is always exciting when our audience expands and demonstrates enthusiasm for our sales. Beyond being an auctioneer, I have managed the sales of the collections of Ann and Gordon Getty and Aso O. Tavitian during my time at Stair. These experiences allow me to travel around the country, meeting with collections managers and curators, and exploring beautiful estates. I enjoy being a large part in helping to tell the story of collectors and the lives they led.
Standing in the auction gallery, Leah Vogelpohl (left) and Sarah Goslin (right) are pictured with a pair of Chinese export lacquer and parcel-gilt dining chairs.
What is one of the most memorable pieces you have cataloged at Stair?
Leah: I’m currently cataloging a wonderful group of Chinese Export porcelain from the personal collection of Bernie Karr that will be offered in our November sale A Way of Life: The Private Collection of Bernie Karr. There are great examples with heraldry, Christian iconography, Western mythological scenes and depictions of current events. It’s fascinating to see how these things were interpreted and presented to the Western market.
Sarah: Most of my time at Stair has been spent on the restoration side. In our conservation studio, I’ve worked on museum-quality pieces for institutions, auction houses and private clients, some of which include The Jewish Museum, the Van Cortland House Museum, Lyndhurst Mansion and Sotheby’s New York. An exceptional experience was conservation work on a furniture piece by the important Eighteenth Century French cabinetmaker Adam Weisweiler. Whenever exquisite items pass through our hands, examining the best examples of furniture is an inspiring learning opportunity.
How did you get your start in the field, and what most appeals to you about it?
Leah: I studied art history, unsurprisingly, and was lucky enough to get my first job after graduate school as a part-time cataloger for Cowan’s Auctions in Cincinnati, near where I grew up. Working for a mid-size, regional firm, I was able to handle property across many departments, which was a great introduction to the field. It allowed me to develop my eye as a generalist as well as get a sense of what interested me more as my career progressed. As the company grew, I moved into the American furniture and decorative arts department, which was my focus for several years. The pace and the variety that comes with working for an auction house is most appealing — no two days are the same. I love the constant collaboration that is required to make an auction house run. It’s fun to work with photographers and the marketing and logistics teams, who might approach things differently than me. It is somewhat cliché, but the best thing about this field is the material and the people. The number of beautiful and fascinating things that come through the doors — I never want to take for granted that I get to handle and study these things.
Sarah: My first full-time role at Sotheby’s New York was in the American furniture department. I was exposed to some of the most important collections and sales of American furniture and decorative arts. Since then, I’ve enjoyed working with objects. I strongly believe antiques should be used and lived with, and that we are stewards whose job it is to ensure these items continue to provide function, aesthetic beauty and historic education for the next generation. Objects connect us to the past in a real and tangible way. I think they can help us understand other people and cultures by opening the door to conversations and questions. I also serve on the board of the Fine Objects Society for these reasons, as it is our mission to promote appreciation of fine handcrafted material; I believe the work we do at Stair helps achieve this goal. Stair is uniquely positioned in today’s market to continue serving the needs of appreciators of antiques and to demonstrate the value these pieces bring to our daily lives.
This pair of Louis XVI ormolu-mounted, cream-painted and parcel-gilt marble-top console tables performed well above estimate in Stair Galleries’ October 22 Fine Sale, bringing more than $20,000.
What are you most looking forward to about working here?
Leah: I’ve spent my career to this point in the Midwest and, over the course of that time, was lucky to learn from great specialists and work on fantastic collections of American decorative arts. Here at Stair, our headquarters in Hudson, N.Y., puts us just close enough to New York City, so I am able to not only go on client visits but also welcome clients into our gallery when they come to visit. The areas of collecting and quality of material is a different beast, and I’m really looking forward to expanding my knowledge and skill set. Our director of decorative arts, Lauren Anderson, has such an extensive knowledge of European decorative arts and Asian works of art, and I’ve already learned so much in such a short time.
Within your department, do you have a specialty or particular collecting category you favor?
Sarah: My specialty within furniture and decorative arts is Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century English and American furniture. Through my conservation work and cataloging important collections, I’ve come to appreciate the forms of the period and the quality cabinetmaking they demonstrate. I enjoy seeing the English influences and connections to American cabinetmaking throughout the centuries and how each country and state developed their own regional styles.
Leah Vogelpohl (left) and Sarah Goslin (right) inspect a large Chinese pale greenish-white jade vase with elephant-and-ring-form handles that sold for more than $40,000 in Stair’s October 22 Fine Sale.
—Andrea Valluzzo
