1010ParkPlace’s Nick Dawes; Vice President, Special Collections at Heritage Auctions in New York; expert appraiser since season one on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow and expert on Lalique, art glass and decorative arts, is conducting a “Glassworks and La Belle Époque” tour to Paris, October 5-11, 2016, in association with Gayle Tilles and Connoisseur Arts.

I love Nick’s modesty… What he won’t tell you is that he’s the world’s foremost authority on… “

“Last year’s inaugural Belle Époque trip was like a dream,” Nick told me. “A week of good old-fashioned luxury in France, filled with the finest food, wine and companionship. On top of this we had first-class presentations and unique access to people and places only Gayle Tilles can find. We had dinner with Pierre Cardin at Maxim’s; a private tour of René Lalique’s former residence; watching hot work at the Lalique factory—which has never opened to the public—and a private tour of the Nancy Museum and Musée D’Orsay to name a few.”

I love Nick’s modesty… What he won’t tell you is that he’s the world’s foremost authority on Lalique and the stunning glasswork of the Belle Époque period which also includes Galle and the glass of Daum Nancy, among others. If you like Lalique, you should buy a copy of Nick’s 1986, luxurious coffee table book. It’s the definitive word on Lalique.

This year, Nick and Gayle Tilles’ “Glassworks and La Belle Époque” tour includes:

• A private visit to the Lalique Factory in Wingen-sur-Moder, a small village in the Vosges Mountains near Strasbourg. You’ll enjoy a private visit to this historic factory and observe the glass-making process firsthand, followed by lunch at Villa René Lalique, the original Lalique family home, newly reopened as a luxury hotel and Michelin star restaurant. Following lunch, you will be welcomed for a private tour by Veronique Brumm, director of the The Lalique Museum, which includes the finest collection of Lalique perfume bottles in the world.
• Visit Musée du Cristal Saint Louis and the Baccarat Museum and Factory in Alsace.
• Accommodations at the charming Chateau Hochberg in Wingen and 5-star left bank boutique Hotel Montalembert in Paris.
• Special visit to Musée de l’Ecole de Nancy and the work of Galle and Daum in Nancy.
• Exclusive private visit to the decorative arts and paintings collections of the Belle Époque at Musée d’Orsay in Paris on its “Closed Day.” You will have it all to yourselves!
• Private Art Nouveau Jewelry Workshop at l’Ecole Van Clef & Arpels in Paris, featuring pieces by René Lalique.
• Private reception at Lalique Paris.
• Customer visit to a renowned perfume house.
• Gastronomic cuisine at charming auberges and legendary brasseries of the period.

When we think of Paris, we think of the architecture, the ornamental, black iron balustrades and railings, the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Bon Marché department store, even the entries to the Paris Metro stations, all examples of the Belle Époque period which was between 1871 and the beginning of World War I in 1914.

To have my friend, Nick Dawes, and Gayle Tilles as your tour guide is a trip of a lifetime. If you’re interested in going, you must signup before July 31, 2016. Double occupancy is $7,250 per person; single occupancy $7,950 per person, all inclusive except international air travel to Paris and Paris airport transfers. To reserve your place, contact Gayle Tilles at info@connoisseur-arts.com or call (310) 286-0180.