Collector Richard Merkin, my Dear Friend, Has Died

[barrysloate]

Richard Merkin, a famous New York artist and teacher, and one of the most passionate collectors I have ever known, passed away a few days ago. He was 70. Richard was a very dear friend for some twenty years; as such this is a difficult note for me to post. I last spoke with him in July, and he informed me that he was gravely ill. In recent years his health and spirit began to decline, and many people who were very close to him over the years may have lately lost touch with him.

Richard was passionate about everything, and collecting baseball memorabilia was no exception. His speciality was Negro League and Latin material, but he seemed to collect practically everything. He had one of the largest collections of erotica in the world, and even wrote a book on tijuana bibles.

He was also an accomplished painter, exhibiting all over the United States, and taught at the Rhode Island School of Design for over forty years. He lived for most of that time in a wonderful apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and commuted to Rhode Island every week. When he lost that apartment about five years ago and had to move with his wife up to Croton-On-Hudson, he was never the same. The New York life that he so loved was gone.

For those who knew him, one of the things we all marveled about was that his picture is on the cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. That's Richard in the back row, wearing a derby, next to Edgar Allan Poe. Although he was really not a Beatle fan, I know he took great joy in having his picture on the most famous album cover in the world.

Those who knew Richard loved his larger than life personality, and I adored him too. Although recent years were not good to him, I will always remember the better times, and those nearly daily early morning phone calls that we had for many years. Richard, I will miss you dearly. You're in a better place, my friend.

[ethicsprof]

Barry,
I am deeply moved by your words and am so very sorry for the loss of your most remarkable friend.
My sincerest thoughts and prayers are with you in this moment.

my condolences, my friend


barry

[bh3443]

Barry,
Our prayers are with you and i added your friend to my prayer list as i attend Church almost every day.
So sad to see any of us lose close friends and family.
Take care and best regards,
Bill Hedin and family

[slidekellyslide]

My condolences and thoughts are with you Barry. Richard sounded like he was an interesting fellow.

edited to add: I found some stuff on him in Google and it looks like at least some of his artwork had a baseball theme.

http://www.gallery444.com/merkin_bio_page.htm

[barrysloate]

Thank you to all. In my haste I left out a most important fact of Richard's life: many of his paintings were about baseball. He did some amazing portraits and action shots of some of the game's greats. If someone is able to google "Richard Merkin, Haddad Gallery" there are numerous paintings of his, among them two of George and Harry Wright. Maybe someone can post them or any others here, as they are apropos to our thread about the Boston composite.

Yes, as Dan mentioned above about baseball.

[Matt]

My condolences.

[Leon]

Very sorry to hear this ....My condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends. warm regards

[Bamacollection]

Barry,
I am sorry for the loss of your friend. We we keep you and his family in our prayers.

Lance Galloway and Family

[jimthorpe]

Richard was a true renaissance man. A more a passionate collector you could not find while having an eye for the best the hobby has to offer.

A quick conversation with him could yield volumes of information along with some great stories and few jokes to boot.

He will be missed by all who knew him.

Rest in Peace Richard

[GoldenAge50s]

Barry---

Those of us here in RI & the Providence area are familiar w/ him & his work. My dentist has one of his limited prints on the wall right in front of the chair & I stare at it every time I go in for a checkup!

It's the one of a gangly pitcher in a KC Monarch's uni who resembles Satchel Paige and I have searched EBay for 3 yrs to no avail!

My condolences to you on the loss of a friend.

[barrysloate]

Thanks again to all for their good wishes. Rhode Island was Richard's second home. Amazingly, he commuted from Manhattan to Rhode Island each Monday, and returned to NY on Thursday. And he did it every week during the school year for forty years. That's a lot of mileage.

[Beatles Guy]

My condolences on your loss.

[ChiefBenderForever]

Sorry to hear this, sounds like he lived a very full life.

[deadballpaul]

My condolences Barry, & to his family & friends too.

[rc4157]

Barry - My condolences as well. As others have said, you wrote a very nice tribute to your friend from the heart.

RC

[dennis]

barry,very nice post. it is hard to lose a good friend.

[whycough]

As I am 64 and a lifetime RI native, I remember very well seeing his paintings around and about. I thought they were very cool. I wonder if he went to the Boston Card show and if I had passed him by without knowing it. I should have bought one of his paintings. Very sorry to hear he is gone. (Jazz Me Baby it said on one of his works: ah sweet memory!)

[roarfrom34]

I recall seeing him at the old Willow Grove and East Coast National shows. My condolences to his family.