Biography
Marlborough Fine Art (Marlborough Gallery) was founded in 1946 in London by Frank Lloyd (b. Franz Kurt Levai 1911-1998) and Harry Fischer (b. Heinrich Robert Fischer 1903-1977) who had been Erica Brausen’s colleagues at Lea Bondi Jaray’s St George's Gallery, London. Both had emigrated to Britain from Austria during the outbreak of war and first met in 1940 as soldiers in the Pioneer Corps of the British Army. In Vienna, Lloyd's family had been antique and picture dealers for three generations, while Fischer dealt in antiquarian books. The gallery opened at 17-18 Old Bond Street in London, selling antiquarian books and a few paintings and initially exhibiting works mainly by Impressionists, Post-Impressionist and French Modern masters. After opening the gallery, they were joined in 1948 by David Somerset, Duke of Beaufort (1928-2017).
The early 1960s also marked the opening of Marlborough New London at 17-18 Old Bond Street where the gallery would exhibit contemporary artists, including Kenneth Armitage, Francis Bacon, Lynn Chadwick, Barbara Hepworth, John Hoyland, R.B. Kitaj, Leon Kossoff, Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson, Sidney Nolan, Victor Pasmore, John Piper, Ceri Richards, Graham Sutherland and Joe Tilson.
