Appraiser Biographies
KAREN M. KEANE
Partner, Chief Executive Officer
As CEO of Skinner, Inc., Karen Keane oversees the operation of one of the world’s leading auction houses. Under her direction, Skinner has grown from a New England specialty auction house to a viable player in the international art and antiques marketplace. Karen was instrumental in the establishment of Skinner as a world-class auction gallery in Boston, as well as the company’s expansion into specialty areas that include Fine Musical Instruments, Science & Technology, Rare Books & Manuscripts, Fine Wines, and Judaica.
Karen brings her lifelong passion for art, antiques and the study of material culture to bear for Skinner’s business. In addition to running the company, she is also one of firm’s most versatile appraisers, possessing a broad knowledge of furniture, and fine and decorative arts. Her specialty areas include American Furniture and Decorative Arts, Americana, and Folk Art. She is also a formidable presence at the auction podium, and became the company’s first female auctioneer early in her career.
Karen is also a familiar face and leading appraiser on the PBS Emmy Award-winning TV series The Antiques Roadshow. Sought-after by the media, Karen is a regular contributor to art and antiques publications, symposiums, web sites, and blogs. She lectures and conducts benefit auctions and appraisal events for non-profit and for-profit institutions nationwide. Karen is a patron of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and a major supporter of the American Folk Art Museum. She holds a Master's degree from Boston University’s Decorative Arts Studies program.
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STEPHEN L. FLETCHER
Partner/Executive Vice President and Chief Auctioneer
Director of American Furniture & Decorative Arts
Stephen Fletcher, Executive Vice President of Skinner, Inc. and Director of the Americana department, is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost experts on Early American Furniture, American Decorative Arts and Folk Art. His expertise in American formal and country furniture and his work over the past thirty years as Chief Auctioneer and generalist appraiser for Skinner have earned him a deserved reputation as a highly versatile art and antique generalist. Under his skillful eye, the department has grown considerably, making Skinner one of the most formidable auction houses in the world for fine American furniture and decorative arts.
As Chief Auctioneer for Skinner, Steve can been seen regularly at the Skinner auction podium and he carries a full schedule of institutional and estate appraisals. He is often sought out as a source of knowledge on Early American life, and eagerly lends his expertise to the media, museums, historical societies, and non-profit institutions.
Steve is a corporate member of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and serves on the board of trustees for the Provincetown Art Association and Museum in Provincetown, Massachusetts. He frequently lectures and was a contributing presenter and writer of "Art and Antiques in Estates," a forum conducted by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, and the Smithsonian Lecture Series.
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LAGINA AUSTIN
Director of Appraisal & Auction Services, Senior Appraiser
As Director of Appraisal and Auction Services for Skinner, LaGina Austin leads Skinner’s efforts to assist clients interested in consigning property for auction. She also directs appraisal services, assisting clients in need of various types of appraisals, including Fair Market Value Appraisals, Replacement Value Appraisals, and auction estimates.
As an experienced generalist appraiser and auctioneer, LaGina evaluates and brings to auction a wide range of material, including American and European antiques, fine art, jewelry, ephemera and collectibles. In her former role as a Specialist in the Skinner Americana department, she also took part in Skinner’s "Appraisal Days" for various benefit causes, identifying what turned out to be a $250 thousand dollar painting during her very first Appraisal Day!
Prior to Skinner, LaGina ran the Eclectic Auction department at Garth’s Auctioneers and Appraisers in Ohio. She also served as an editor for the Antique Review covering antiques shows and auctions throughout the country.
A native of the South, LaGina grew up working in her parents’ antiques shop and auction business, doing everything from running the store to clerking at auctions, eventually auctioneering at sales during her college years. She particularly enjoys Americana, needlework and handcrafted textiles, and art pottery.
LaGina serves as auctioneer for various benefit auctions and is on the board of overseers of the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, MA. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in history from Lyon College in Arkansas, and a master of arts in history from the University of Central Arkansas. She received training as an auctioneer at the Missouri Auction School.
CHRIS BARBER
Deputy Director of American Furniture & Decorative Arts
Chris Barber is a specialist in Skinner’s American Furniture & Decorative Arts Department. His special areas of interest are American furniture and 19th century folk art. Chris has also had experience working with 18th and 19th century American clocks, nautical and maritime art and antiques, and catalogued an extensive collection of early microscopes.
Chris joined Skinner 2004, and since that time has expanded his role to include auctioneering. An avid supporter of the arts, Chris is a member of the Museum Council at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and often lends his talents to supporting art and antique appraisal events for non-profit and corporate institutions. Prior to joining Skinner, Chris was a member of the American Paintings and Sculpture Department at Christie’s auction house in New York.
Chris earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in the History of Art and Architecture from Harvard University. He currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
DAVID A. BONSEY
Director of Fine Musical Instruments
As Director of Skinner's Fine Musical Instruments department, David Bonsey is responsible for overseeing the growing demand for Skinner's auction and appraisal services within the professional musician community. Skinner is one of the few major auction houses in the world, and one of only a handful in the world, to specialize in fine musical instruments. Skinner's auctions of rare stringed and fretted instruments and bows draw serious collectors, dealers and professional musicians from around the globe. Under David's direction, Skinner has brought to auction some of the rarest examples of fine stringed instruments ever sold.
David came to Skinner in 1999 bringing a varied background of experience and two decades in the musical instrument market with him. As a violinmaker and musician, he is well versed in every aspect of this market and is widely known among professional musicians. He began his professional career in 1980, working as a violinmaker and restorer at W.J. Fleischer, Violin Makers in Boston. In 1987, he joined Johnson String Instrument in Newton, MA, where he specialized in new and antique instruments, founding and managing The Violin Workshop, which buys, sells and appraises professional quality stringed instruments and bows.
His education includes a bachelor's degree in guitar from the Berklee College of Music, and private study in violin making in Cremona, Italy. He is a member of the Violin Society of America, an associate member of the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers and a committed participant in the annual Professional Violin Maker's Workshop at Oberlin College. David is a frequent contributor to articles on the care, handling and restoration of fine musical instruments.
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VICTORIA BRATBERG
Director of Fine Jewelry
Victoria Bratberg is the Director of Skinner’s Fine Jewelry Department. A respected jewelry and gem expert, she appraises and brings to auction all categories of fine jewelry from early nineteenth century to modern designs by contemporary artists. Victoria joined Skinner after serving as a buyer of fine jewelry, watches, and luxury goods for Circa Jewelry in New York.
Prior to Circa, Victoria led the Arcade Jewelry Department at Sotheby’s in New York. Promoted to head of the department after only one year, she used her sharp business acumen and deep understanding of this market to achieve record results, including the department’s first sale of more than $1 million.
Passionate about classic 1940s jewelry, Victoria started designing her own pieces inspired by the timeless, feminine styles of this period. She eventually left Sotheby’s to found Victoria Bratberg Jewelry, successfully developing and marketing her own line of jewelry.
Victoria holds a bachelor of arts degree in the history of art from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. She is also a Graduate Gemologist, having received her training from the Gemological Institute of America in New York. She currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
ROBERT C. CHENEY
Director of Science, Technology & Clocks
Robert Cheney is Skinner's Director of Science, Technology & Clocks, overseeing two sales annually. Skinner is one of only a few auction houses in the world to offer specialty auctions in Science, Technology & Clocks, and it is Robert's unique background that has enabled the company to establish itself as a leader in this rare collecting category. As the company's resident clock expert, Robert also oversees the appraisal and auction of clocks and timepieces sold in a variety of other Skinner specialty auctions including American Furniture & Decorative Arts, European Furniture & Decorative Arts, and Discovery. He joined the company in 2006 and since then has overseen the sale of several clocks that achieved world record prices.
A third generation clockmaker, restorer, dealer and consultant in antique clocks, Robert has provided services to over thirty-five museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The American Antiquarian Society, Historic Deerfield, Peabody-Essex Museum, The Concord Museum and Old Sturbridge Village where he served as consulting Conservator of Clocks since 1977.
Since 2007, Robert has been a familiar face appraising clocks on the PBS-TV series The Antiques Roadshow. He has lectured on the history of American clocks at forums throughout the United States, Canada and the UK. Robert has sponsored forums on New England clock connoisseurship, conservation and co-chaired the Longitude Symposium at Harvard University in 1993 that celebrated the life of John Harrison and his marine chronometers. Probably the most important clocks in the world, Harrison's chronometers enabled sea captains to determine longitude and navigate the world's oceans. Over 500 people from thirty-four states and seventeen countries attended the symposium.
The author of numerous articles and book reviews, Robert co-authored with Philip Zea Clock Making in New England, 1725-1825. As Scholar in Residence at the Concord Museum, Robert presented a dramatic re-interpretation of Willard clocks and published his findings in The Magazine Antiques, April 2000.
He has served multiple terms as a member of the Board of Directors at the American Clock and Watch Museum, Bristol, Connecticut and as Secretary and member of the Board of Trustees at the National Watch and Clock Museum, Columbia, Pennsylvania. For his many contributions to the field of horology, Robert was appointed a Fellow in the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors.
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DOUGLAS DEIHL
Director of American Indian & Ethnographic Art
As Director Of Skinner's American Indian & Ethnographic Art department, Douglas Deihl is a leading authority on the Native American art market and a scholarly contributor to the understanding and preservation of American Indian cultural artifacts. Doug joined Skinner in 1996 as a specialist and consultant, bringing with him a vast knowledge and 25 years experience in Native American and Ethnographic art. In his key role, Doug oversees the consignment, appraisal, preparation and auction of all manner of Native American Art including paintings, artifacts, pottery, rugs, textiles, dolls, jewelry, and American West photography. Doug also brings a wide array of Eskimo, Spanish Colonial, African, and Tribal art to auction each year.
Established at Skinner over 20 years ago, the department has grown significantly under Doug's direction, establishing Skinner as a growing force in the Native American art market, and a catalyst in the creation of a viable Tribal Arts market in the East. Doug is a regular consultant to museums, non-profit organizations, and Native American interest groups nationwide.
Doug graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit, with a degree in cultural anthropology. His interest in the subject led him to collect over 150 ethnic wind instruments over several years, which are now housed in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Over time, his collecting passion turned toward Native American art and more recently cowboy artifacts. Doug is a member of The Bit, Spur and Saddle Collectors of America, and belongs to ATADA (Antique Tribal Art Dealers of America).
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CARA ELMSLIE
Director of Discovery Auctions
Cara Elmslie joined Skinner as the head of Discovery Auctions in 2011. Prior to Skinner, Cara was the owner of Rummage, a boutique in Tiverton, Rhode Island that presented locally made crafts and a carefully selected assortment of high-quality consignment material including furniture, decorative arts, textiles, prints, and clothing. Rummage reflected Cara’s keen eye, eclectic aesthetic, and appreciation for quality handmade and vintage material.
Earlier in her career, Cara worked as an independent filmmaker. She is the director of “Barrel Children,” a documentary film about a family from Trinidad split by migration. She worked in film production in New York and also for Somerville, Massachusetts local television, producing community arts programming. Cara received her Bachelor of Arts degree in art history and graphic design from Northeastern University, and holds a master of fine arts in documentary film from City College of New York.
MARIE KEEP
Vice President
Director, Fine Wines
Managing Director, Skinner Galleries
Marie Keep is the founder and Director of the Fine Wines department at Skinner. In spearheading this strategic business effort, Marie was instrumental in establishing Skinner as the only major auction house in New England to offer fines wines at auction. Her personal knowledge and passionate appreciation for the finest producers and vintages have quickly made Skinner a viable venue for the consignment and purchase of fine wines.
Actively involved in Boston's growing food and wine community, and a long time wine connoisseur, Marie launched Skinner's Fine Wines Department at the close of 2006. She also established Skinner's collaboration with its retail partner, Lower Falls Wine Company, a third generation wine seller based just west of Boston.
Marie also plays a key role operationally at Skinner as Managing Director of its two galleries. In this capacity she manages day to day operations at Skinner, oversees 60 auctions and events annually, and manages over a dozen staff members. Marie joined Skinner in 1998 as the Boston Gallery Director, a position she held until 2007.
Prior to joining Skinner, Marie worked in New York at Christies auction house. She has also worked as a teacher for children at risk. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Vassar College.
GLORIA LIEBERMAN
Vice President
Gloria Lieberman is one of the world's renowned experts on antique jewelry. She founded Skinner's Fine Jewelry Department in 1980 and served as director for 31 years. Her skillful marketing and management of the department resulted in the achievement of international world record prices for estate and heirloom jewelry, gaining valuable recognition for Skinner. Gloria is also a leading auctioneer and appraiser at Skinner and responsible for a wide range of marketing activities throughout the country.
A frequent lecturer, Gloria has participated in many educational seminars including the University of Maine's Antique Jewelry Seminar and New York University's Jewelry Appraisers Conference in Tucson, Arizona, and has been invited to speak on behalf of the Society of Jewelry Historians at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. In addition, she has discussed artist-designed jewelry before the New York University Jewelry Studies Program and the New York State Appraisers Association. Locally, Gloria has lectured for the Boston Center for Adult Education, the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Harvard University's Extension Program, Brandeis University and the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. Gloria is also a teacher and lecturer at Rhode Island School of Design's (RISD) Decorative Arts program.
Her television appearances include the BBC's The Great Antiques Hunt, the PBS series The Antiques Roadshow, and the Boston-based series "Chronicle". Gloria has interviewed with The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, Yankee Magazine, Maine Antique Digest, and other art and antique publications.
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JANE PRENTISS
Director of 20th Century Design
Director of Antique Motor Vehicles
Jane Prentiss is Director of Skinner's 20th Century Design department and Director of Antique Motor Vehicles. She began her association with Skinner in 1973, as a collector with a particular focus on objects from the Arts and Crafts Movement and other material from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Jane joined Skinner professionally in 1986, as director of Arts and Crafts and the Modern Movement, a position she held until 1991, when she left for a hiatus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She returned to Skinner in 1997 in her present capacity, and is now oversees the appraisal and auction of 20th century material including art glass, lamps, art pottery, metalwork, and other decorative arts, as well as furniture and fine arts from the Art Nouveau, Arts & Crafts, Art Deco and Modern movements.
As Skinner's Director of Antique Motor Vehicles, Jane brings more 30 years of experience to appraise and auction these 20th century marvels of form and function. Her personal passion and appreciation for these machines, and her ability to garner high prices, has quickly made Skinner a viable player in the antique car marketplace.
From 1999-2005, Jane traveled across the country with the popular PBS television series The Antiques Roadshow. She has been a popular guest lecturer with RISDs continuing education program, and frequently lectures and conducts benefit appraisal events for non-profit organizations nationwide. Jane is also an active appraiser for insurance and estate purposes.
KERRY SHRIVES
Vice President
Director of Information & Technology
Director of Judaica
Interim Director of Books & Manuscripts
Kerry Shrives has more than 20 years experience as an appraiser and auctioneer of fine arts & antiques, having joined Skinner as a cataloguer in the European Furniture and Decorative Arts department in 1989.
From 1993 until 2011, Kerry was the director of the Discovery department, overseeing monthly auctions of eclectic, affordable estate furnishings and decorative arts from the last three centuries. Under her stewardship, the Discovery department sold, on average, twenty thousand lots annually in its monthly auctions and won the Best of Boston award for the "Antiques: West of Boston" category in her final year. In 1994, she established the Judaica department, giving Skinner the distinction of being one of the few auction houses specializing in antique Judaica.
Kerry is a regular commentator and contributor to a variety of publications and broadcast media outlets, including The Boston Globe, Yankee Magazine, Maine Antiques Digest, and National Public Radio. She regularly conducts benefit events for non-profit and commercial organizations nationwide. Since 1996, Kerry has been a regular participant in the Public Television series, The Antiques Roadshow.
Kerry has also played a key role in operations at Skinner. Her deep knowledge of the auction business and entrepreneurial nature have helped to grow Skinner's presence internationally. Kerry led the introduction of online initiatives, introducing the company's first interactive website and real-time internet bidding for all Skinner auctions. As the Director of Information and Technology, she manages the IT infrastructure for Skinner and is continually evaluating how to use technology to improve the customer experience and maintain competitive advantage.
Kerry is a member of the Furniture History Society, the Decorative Arts Society, the Victorian Society, and the Friedman Society. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Smith College, and earned a Master's degree in the History of Art from the University of London. Kerry is also an alumna of the Attingham Study Programme.
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STUART SLAVID
Vice President
Director of Fine Ceramics
Director of Fine Silver
Director of European Furniture & Decorative Arts
Interim Director, Asian Works of Art
Stuart Slavid joined Skinner in 1989 as director of the Fine Ceramics department, specializing in English and Continental ceramics of the 18th through 20th centuries. Stuart is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities on Wedgwood pottery, and his life-long passion for English pottery and ceramics characterizes the strength of Skinner's fine ceramics department.
In addition, Stuart is a recognized expert in Asian material, particularly silver, porcelains and ivories. A former partner in his family’s antiques business, which specialized in European and Asian antiques, Stuart dealt in Chinese and Japanese furniture, paintings, porcelain, and silver starting in the early 1970s, and exhibited at major antique shows across the United States. In recent years, Stuart brought the Sataloff collection of Chinese export silver to auction. The sale of this exceptional collection, which Stuart built as a dealer earlier in his career, was a milestone for Skinner.
In 1993, Stuart was appointed director of Skinner's European Furniture & Decorative Arts department. For the first four years of his tenure, this department also included Asian Works of Art. Under his stewardship, Asian art grew until it was spun off into its own department in 1997. Stuart currently serves as interim director of Skinner’s department of Asian Works of Art, bringing more than 40 years experience with Asian art to this role.
As a leading auctioneer and general appraiser at Skinner, Stuart often lectures, conducts benefit auctions, and can be seen regularly on the PBS series The Antiques Roadshow. He belongs to a number of professional organizations, including the China Students' Club of Boston, the Wedgwood Societies of New York and Boston, and the American Ceramics Circle.
Stuart's vast knowledge and experience have helped position Skinner as a major world force in the sale of fine European and Asian material to national and international clients alike.
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Vice President
Director of American & European Works of Art
As Director of American & European Works of Art, Robin Starr heads one of Skinner’s most important specialty departments. In this key role she oversees a staff of specialists who appraise and catalog prints, paintings, sculpture, and works on paper for a wide variety of Skinner clients, including arts and cultural institutions, estates, major collectors, and private individuals. She is also widely regarded as one of Skinner’s most vibrant and animated auctioneers, bringing an enthusiastic spirit to the podium at Skinner’s American & European Paintings & Prints auctions, held three times annually. Starr’s area of specialization is in American paintings and prints from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Outside her role at Skinner, Starr is a major contributor to the success of Boston’s thriving arts and culture community. She conducts numerous benefit appraisal days, lectures, and benefit auctions throughout the year. Starr has lectured in art history at various colleges throughout New England, including as a Lecturer in Art History at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
Starr joined Skinner in September of 1987 as a research and cataloguing assistant in the American & European Paintings & Prints Department. She received her M.A. in the History of Art, specializing in early medieval art, from Williams College. As an undergraduate, Starr combined an unusual double major in Art History and Physics through research in neutron activation autoradiography and its application in art historical research at Bates College.
