I’ve become obsessed. Irrevocably, wholly obsessed. But let me start from the beginning…..
Like most, I’m occasionally thrown an unusual task at work. At times some of these tasks are more enjoyable than others. Planning a Christmas Party with the budget of a red-collar wedding – Fun. Mixing cocktails at work for guests – Educational (I can make a mean Gin Fizz and Gin Ramos). Finding and ordering vintage furniture from New York – Nerve-racking, yet entertaining. Purchasing items at an auction with someone else’s AMEX – My kinda day. And yet each quirky task has taught me more than I can imagine.
I attended and bid at my first auction last August. Holding my white card up as the auctioneer shouted sums of vast wealth was a blast, especially since I wasn’t having to pay a dime for any of it. With an outcome I’d like to think of as pretty successful (Lalique glass produced in the 1920’s), I was moved to online auctions. My employer receives Christie’s and Heritage brochures in the mail as often as Lisa receives Dillard’s promotionals….Just saying, Mom. He circles art, china, silver, and pieces of furniture he’s interested in, vaguely mentions a price range, and sets me free to the online auction world.
My first online auction was in October. The Christie’s Auction mostly contained fine art and glass. Of the art up for sale, about 20 pieces came from William F. Buckley’s home. All of the paintings were by Raymond de Botton, a Spanish artist Buckley liked.
SIDENOTE: I had no idea who Buckley was until this auction. (Imagine, me, the political guru that I am not knowing.) Buckley was a pretty influential man of the 20th century. He started National Review, was heavily involved in politics, an editor, a veteran, a painter (although a poor one as stated by Marc Chagall who visited his house once), and a wealthy man with great connections. He died in 2008 at the age of eighty-two. My employer is very fond of Mr. Buckley, so he naturally took at liking to the artwork from his home.
Let’s just say I went all out at that auction…..maybe a bit overboard, but I liked the artwork and hey, I was in control of the bid button. It’s now a joke that I don’t play around when given someone else’s credit card. We ended up with 7 pieces by Raymond, and a few other paintings by artists I fail to remember. My main objective was obviously Buckley’s art. As with most purchases I have made in the past, my employer seeks to know everything about the maker. I was put on research patrol. To begin with I found very little on Raymond de Botton. Other than his works of art listed on auction websites, the only mention of him I could find was in a memoir written by Christopher Buckley, “Losing Mum and Pop: A Memoir.” In the memoir, Christopher talks about a house fire at his European vacation home and mentions Raymond de Botton as a guest.
“One night, as they were getting ready for dinner, a chimney fire broke out and swiftly consumed the entire château. The Rougemont fire department arrived late, and drunk, and unable to cope. Mum lost everything, including her recently deceased mother’s jewels. Pup organized a sort of bucket brigade to rescue his book-in-progress and office library. David and Hjordis Niven, driving to dinner there from the town where they lived, noticed an orange glow as they approached and wondered, What could that be? Another guest, the painter Raymond de Botton, driving from the other direction, also noticed a glow above Rougemont. I still have the painting that he did of it. It’s called Château Brûlé.”
SIDENOTE: Let me just say that Google is a beautiful invention. Whomever invented this search engine deserves every bit of fortune they’ve acquired.
Google Search: Raymond de Botton, artist. I continued my search and days later came upon a random website devoted entirely to early photographs taken by a woman’s father who had passed away. Nearly all black and white, most of the photographs were taken between 1930 and 1950. The photographer, Roland Castro, was actually quite talented. So what did any of this have to do with Raymond de Botton? He was there, smack dab in the middle of all the photographs, elegantly poised in his art studio. A friend? A relative? I wasn’t sure, but at that moment I had to know more. I really think it was fate for me to know this man. The website actually contained the creator’s email. Chances were slim, but I emailed Miranda Castro. Fate came calling again…..less than an hour later this woman phoned me. Actually picked up the phone to call me. Her words “Raymond is my uncle. My great uncle.” Speechless.
Raymond de Botton
Miranda provided me with some information and other family contacts I should get in touch with. Really a sweet woman. She was born in the UK to Roland Castro and is now living in Florida and working as a professor. Her father, Roland Castro, was born from Charles Victor Castro and Marguerite de Botton. Marguerite was one of 11 children, including Raymond de Botton. According to Miranda, the last known residence of Raymond was Switzerland. (Hmmm… Interesting. Buckley’s vacation home was in Switzerland. Perhaps?)
Marguerite de Botton (sister of Raymond)
Charles Victor Castro (Marguerites husband & Roland's father)
The De Bottons, formerly Boton, were a Jewish family originally located on the Spanish island of Boton. Research says “Boton” no longer exists. During the Spanish Inquisition in the mid-1400’s all Jewish families were banished and forced to leave Spain. The De Botton family, a Sephardic family (those Jewish people forced to relocate because of their religious beliefs), settled in Alexandria, Egypt. It was in Alexandria that Raymond, Marguerite, their siblings, and even Marguerite’s children were born and resided. This was no ordinary family though; wealth, prestige, and notoriety followed them. And of course, they lived in a mansion.
Alexandria Mansion of Charles Victor Castro
Roland Castro and his mother, Marguerite
Mansion
In 1956 the Suez War, or Suez Crisis, broke out in Egypt. Once again Jewish families were forced to relocate out of fear of persecution. The De Bottons lost their beautiful mansion and moved back to Europe. Anwar Sadat, President in 1970, actually took over their home.
"Its owner between the late 1930s until 1961 was Charles Victor Castro whose business it was to sell agricultural pumps and Dodge cars. When at home, Castro and his wife Marguerite de Botton liked to entertain and when summering they did like most of their Giza neighbors, alternating between Alexandria and Europe's best resorts often traveling with car, driver and European governess or nanny, although in the case of Charles Castro, he preferred to do the driving himself. The Castros left Egypt in installments starting with Roland and Yolanda (children to Marguerite de Botton) in the late 1940s. Guido (son of Marguerite de Botton) followed in the late 1950s eventually settling in England in 1959. The Castro seniors joined their children in 1960/61 never to return. Yolanda would eventually become Lady Joseph; her husband, Sir Keith was Margaret Thatcher's trusted minister for industry and later, for education."
Yolanda (Daughter of Marguerite, Neice of Raymond) and Mrs. Saddat
Just when the story gets good, my information becomes thin. Through research I was able to create a pretty large family tree. This family, as I stated, was very affluent despite all the hardships they faced. Miranda’s father went on to start TimeOff, a highly profitable UK travel tour industry. Other family occupations include: Secret Agent for Israel, Politicians, Writers and a Best Selling Author, Descendents of Sir Isaac Wolfson, a Painter, Art Collectors, the starter of Global Asset Management (the largest private invest fund in Europe and a company that was worth in the hundred billions), Oil representatives, French executives, Directors and Producers. The list continues...
Young Gilbert, Owner of Global Asset Management
De Botton Family
Miranda’s uncle Guido, her father’s brother, is still living in the UK. I made a little phone call to see what I could dig up. These researching skills of mine really have developed and become quite handy in the last few months. It was during my conversation with Guido that I learned Raymond was no longer living. Heartbreak ultimately ensued. Here is an email response I received from Guido Castro:
Dear Morgan
It was very interesting [sic] to get your email with copies of some of Raymond's paintings - which I have never seen before.
You asked for some information about Raymond. I have very little. I think he must have died about 40 years ago. He was born in Alexandria, Egypt - one of 11 sibblings. He went to France before the war and found himself stuck there for the duration of the war. he was remarkably lucky, as a Jew, to survive there throughout the Nazi occpation [sic] without being arrested. As I understand it, he was hidden and protected by friends. After the war, he became a successful potrait painter in Switzerland. From there he came to England. When my mother died I rather lost contact. So that's about all I can remember. If Ifind out anything more from other relatives, I will pass it on.
I hope that helps a little,
Guido
Guido Castro (Son of Marguerite, Brother of Roland, Uncle of Miranda, Nephew of Raymond)
While my search has not ceased, I doubt I will learn much more. My connections have dwindled and most remember very little. I find it disgusting that there is little known about Raymond de Botton, his life, struggles, successes. Especially since he was friends of William Buckley and his artwork was featured in his home. He virtually has as much fame as I do as painter, and yet deserves so much more.
I feel like I’ve come to know this courageous family in some ways. In a couple weeks I plan to have a phone call with Miranda to soak up as much family history as I possibly can. Raymond de Botton, friend to William F. Buckley, came from an amazing family. He lived during a time most will never understand and still made it through to become a famous painter.
After so much work I couldn’t go on not remembering this family or containing a piece of their history. A painting by Raymond de Botton, Divertissement la Colombo (Which I believe means, Dancing with Dove), now sits in my living room. My little treasure.
* Pictures & Info via Mirandas Website & other relative searches
