Arthur Stannard Vernay, nee Avant, (1877-1960) established Arthur S. Vernay in c.1906. Vernay was born in 1877 in Weymouth, England, as Arthur Avant, and changed his name to Vernay, perhaps when he left England for the USA in c.1900. Vernay began his career working at A.J. Crawford, furniture and furnishing store in New York, before opening his first antique shop at East 45th Street, New York in c.1906. In the 1920s and 1930s Vernay expanded the business, opening sales outlets in London. In 1928 Stephen J. Jussel began work at Vernay Inc. and became general manager by the early 1930s. In the 1930s Vernay opened a branch in Newport Rhode Island (branch closed 1938); the Newport shop was at some stage in the 1930s shared with the art dealer Knoedler Inc.
Arthur Vernay retired in 1941, but the business continued with Stephen J. Jussel, J. Gordon Irving and J.L. van den Broeck as officers. In 1952 both van den Broeck and Irving died and Stephen J. Jussel bought the business. The business continued as Arthur Vernay Inc. until 1978 when the name of the business changed to Vernay & Jussel to celebrate Stephen J. Jussel's 50th anniversary in the business. Vernay & Jussel continued with Christian Jussel, Stephen's son, until 1994. Christian Jussel is widely known in the USA as the host of the PBS show 'Antiques Roadshow'.
Arthur Vernay was also well known for his interest in natural history - he collected many animal specimens in the 1920s and 1930s. He undertook many expeditions with his friend Colonel John C. Faunthorpe. The Vernay-Faunthorpe Hall of South Asiatic Mammals opened at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, in 1930.
Arthur Vernay retired to the Bahamas and died on October 25th 1960.
(we would like to thank Christian Jussel for help in compiling the entry on Vernay)
