The design world is certainly diminished with the loss of Albert Hadley last week. In the manner of things, this begs my own reminiscence.
We met Mr. Hadley in his own Nashville in January, 2003, at the Nashville Antiques and Garden Show he long supported. Unassuming, he walked into our stand, directly to a particular piece and inquired about it. As is our wont, I tried to show him some other pieces, but his focus was on the one and, finding out what he needed to, he left. It was not until sometime later that one of the ladies organizing the show told us that it was Mr. Hadley.
A short time later, Mr. Hadley purchased the piece and, when he was in San Francisco a few months later, visited our gallery. Again, he went to a particular piece, asked specifics, but did not browse. As it happened, this piece was purchased, too. While my venal soul always is disappointed when I’m not able to cross sell a purchaser, it was not until some time later it dawned on me that Mr. Hadley had an efficient, focused way of working that, while modestly frustrating to me, doubtless endeared him to his clients.
Interestingly, although his body of work had a modern edge to it somewhat distinct from that of his long time business partner Sister Parrish, the material acquired from us was rather traditional in appearance. Sadly, we were never able to see either piece placed in situ. I would safely imagine, though, that their ultimate use was in the manner of all other pieces acquired by Mr. Hadley, to achieve a lasting resonance that spoke not only to him, but loudly to his clients. Certainly this was a successful approach, as Mr. Hadley’s client base only swelled over the years. Presumably the focused, professional method we experienced in our limited dealings with him was also manifest in his dealings with clients, most of whom used him again and again.
As my readers have surmised, the enduring memory that I have of Mr. Hadley was of his professionalism. I imagine all who dealt with him- clients, suppliers, and colleagues would agree. He was direct, decisive, and, implicitly efficient. Whether these qualities were inborn or acquired, they were nevertheless pervasive and influential. Witness those designers we’ve dealt with who were protégés of Mr. Hadley: all have been virtually identical to their mentor in their manner of doing business. With luck, then, those of us in the trade, while missing the man, will appreciate Mr. Hadley’s legacy for many years to come.