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> Home > 160 Years

  1. 1864
  2. 1870's
  3. 1886
  4. 1909
  5. 1914
  6. 1922
  7. 1930
  8. 1945
  9. 1950
  10. 1961
  11. 1970's
  12. 1985
  13. 1990's
  14. 2000's
  15. 2010's
  16. 2024


160 YEARS OF SHARED REAL ESTATE STORIES

Since 1864, we have been proud to open the doors of homes that stand as symbols of the enduring bonds we nurture across generations.

Here are a few of our House's most memorable stories.

AN ENGLISH GARDENER ON THE RIVIERA

Born in Suffolk, United Kingdom, John Taylor is just 30 when he opens his first real estate agency in Cannes. He discovered the Riviera ten years before, when hired as a gardener by Sir Thomas R. Woolfield, a wealthy English businessman who asked him to enhance his Cannes estate. By creating gardens of rare beauty and of a very British originality for the high society of his country of origin, he established enduring bonds with these families. As their right-hand man and confidant, he was soon asked to find them the most beautiful villas to rent or buy on the Coast… to the point of soon making it its profession.

1864

SEASON OF THE CROWN

In the second half of the 19th century, all of European aristocracy seems to gather on the French Riviera during “the season”, which extends, at the time, from November to May. Inspired by their sovereigns, Russian and English aristocrats are amongst the region’s most fervent devotees. John Taylor’s client list reads like a Who’s Who of high society – the bonds forged with the British royal family, in particular, will endure through the years. But the Agency doesn’t just offer this prestige clientele dream properties to rent or buy. It also provides them with the services of a luxury concierge: wine and spirits trading, luxury teas and exotic spices, luggage handling, banking services…

1870's

AN INCREDIBLE FAMILY SAGA

In 1886, Walter Taylor, John’s son, is just 23 years old when he officially partners with his father. He is mainly responsible for managing the properties, as well as personnel matters. Excelling in these areas, he owes much of his success to his status as a "local boy", having spoken Provençal and the dialect of the region's workers and artisans since childhood. Several years later, it will be his son, Jack, and then his granddaughter, Jacqueline, who will continue the adventure initiated by his father. This story of succession echoes those of the many families the Agency has accompanied across generations.

1886

ROYAL HOMAGE

John Taylor has always maintained a strong connection with his native United Kingdom. As a leading figure in the British community of the Riviera, he has served as Vice-Consul of Her Majesty’s British Consulate since 1884, managing local consular affairs in addition to his real estate activities. In 1909, as he turns 75 years-old, his country of origin pays him a rare tribute: King Edward II bestows upon him the distinction of Member of the Royal Order of Queen Victoria. Through this recognition of the key role he has played in Franco-British relations, the King offers the young gardener turned real-estate entrepreneur an ending worthy of the finest English novels.

1909

OPEN THE DOORS TO WAR HEROES

During the First World War, all the employees of the Cannes agency are called to serve in the army. At 80 and 50, John Taylor and his son Walter stand alone at the helm, determined to protect the interests of their clients in these dark times. As hospitals and convalescent care homes open along the coast, many villa owners make their properties available to wounded soldiers back from the trenches. Forever loyal, the Taylors take care of all the formalities. Then, when Walter passes away from illness in 1918, his son Jack takes up the mantle. At the dawn of the Roaring Twenties, it is he who will steer the family business through this new era.

1914

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT AT VILLA VALETTA

When the grand Peace Conference is organised in Cannes in 1922, Jack Taylor is tasked with finding accommodation for British political dignitaries by Sir Albert Stern, the event organiser. For the very demanding Prime Minister Lloyd George, Sir Albert Stern demands no less than the exquisite Villa Valetta… despite it being absolutely unavailable for rent. But Jack knows this villa very well, having sold it a few years previously to the Orr Lewis family, its current owners. He then accomplishes the impossible: using all his sense of diplomacy, he convinces Lady Orr Lewis to relinquish the property for a few days. In doing so, he unwittingly demonstrates a talent for matchmaking: Sir Albert Stern and Lady Orr Lewis fall madly in love, and will marry some time later – in Cannes, of course.

1922

IN THE DISCREET SERVICE OF THEIR MAJESTIES

In 1930, two British Princes, Edward and George, disembark from an elegant launch in the port of Cannes. On their agenda, no receptions or official ceremonies: their Majesties are travelling for pleasure, completely incognito. To welcome them on the pier, alongside the Mayor of Cannes stands Jack Taylor, who has taken over the role of Vice-Consul held by his grandfather John before him. Throughout the Princes’ stay, Jack demonstrates the sense of discretion that the Agency has cultivated since its creation, striving to maintain the incognito status of these illustrious personalities. He displays his legendary sense of service until the very end, and the Princes will express their gratitude for everything… including his squash game.

1930

A NEW ERA ON THE RIVIERA

During the Second World War, the Agency once again strove to protect the interests of its clients. It made sure the properties of British and American citizens remained in good condition and that their staff were paid. But some estates also became the stage of major historical events, like the Villa Sous le Vent, in Cap d’Antibes, which hosted Generals Patton and Eisenhower. For a long time, visitors could still see the bed that was sawed then extended with wooden pieces to accommodate the tall stature of another General – de Gaulle this time. But at the end of the war, the Agency is ready to start a new chapter: a fresh breeze of youth sweeps through its leadership with the arrival of Jacqueline Montagu, daughter of Jack and great-grand-daughter of John, returning from London.

1945

SEARCHING FOR HIDDEN GEMS

In the 1950s Nubar Gulbenkian, a famous business magnate and Armenian-British socialite, knocks on the Agency’s door. Tired of the hotel life – he stays at the Hôtel du Cap in the summer and at the Carlton in the winter – he wants to invest in a villa. For two years, John Taylor’s team works tirelessly to find him a hidden gem: he will view no fewer than seventy-five villas in total, without being able to make a decision. Finally, his wife Marie sets her heart on a “simple” Provençal domain, nestled in the backcountry of Cannes: the magnificent Domaine des Colles. In a letter full of self-depreciating humour and gratitude, Nubar Gulbenkian thanks the Agency for its patience and understanding towards such “difficult and indecisive” clients.

1950

OPENING THE DOORS TO A MYTH

In the early 1960s, a swinging buzz takes hold of a small fishing harbour a few miles from Cannes. It is with Brigitte Bardot, filmed by Roger Vadim, that Saint-Tropez enters the spotlight, becoming both an icon of the Nouvelle Vague and a highly desired holiday destination. Always by the side of its clients in their Riviera travels, John Taylor opens its local agency in 1961 across the street from the Town Hall, just steps from the port. Since then, it has been selling and renting properties that have become, through glamourous photo features in the press, as famous as their occupants – from the Villa Petite Ourse or the Villa Eden Cubique to the iconic Château Saint-Tropez.

1961

A VILLA, A PLATE OF SPAGHETTI, AND CHAPLIN…

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Vanessa Redgrave, Brigitte Bardot, Martine Carol, David Niven, Peter Ustinov, Jack Warner, Johnny Hallyday, Charles Aznavour… In the 1970s, the John Taylor agencies welcomed many celebrities. Some stars became loyal clients. This was the case with Henry Fonda and his famous daughter Jane, who regularly rented a villa on the coast, or Gregory Peck, for whom the Agency carried out several sales and resales. Others never went further than viewings, but still left behind an indelible memory. For instance, Charlie Chaplin once visited a stunning property with a private beach in Ramatuelle in the company of Jacqueline Montagu, the head of the Agency. At lunchtime, he spontaneously recreated the unforgettable spaghetti scene from his latest film, A King in New York, leaving Jacqueline forever starry-eyed.

1970

VILLA LEOPOLDA, LIKE IN THE MOVIES

In 1985, for the fourth times, John Taylor manages the sale of the Villa Léopolda, a legendary palace designed by American architect Ogden Codman, with a Florentine-style garden and a breathtaking view on the bay of Villefranche. In 1949, it had been acquired by a very young Gianni Agnelli, future head of the Fiat empire. He sold it again ten years later. The signing was organised in another villa, in Cap Ferrat. But when the time came, everybody was kept waiting: the billionaire was nowhere to be found. Until suddenly, in the distance, a figure dove from a yacht and swam towards the shore. Climbing onto the rocks, the silhouette rushed up the marble steps of the villa… Soaking wet, in a fashionable swimsuit: Gianni Agnelli had arrived. Pretending things were absolutely normal, he grabbed a pen and signed the papers. A scene from a movie.

1985

125 YEARS OF SUCCESS ON THE RIVIERA

At the dawn of the 1990s, the John Taylor House celebrates its 125th anniversary in style. As a renewed sense of optimism swept the world while the Iron Curtain falls, sales have intensified more than ever for the five agencies on the Côte d’Azur: Cannes, La Colle-Sur-Loup, Saint-Tropez, Monte-Carlo and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Over 300 guests celebrate this growing success and a 125 years of history at the Hôtel Carlton in Cannes. John Taylor’s grand-granddaughter Jacqueline Montagu and her husband George are joined by more than clients, a true family.

1990

AT HOME IN THE WORLD

At the beginning of the new millennium, in a real estate market deeply transformed by globalisation and the emergence of new technologies, John Taylor senses that it’s time to explore new horizons. With its strong local presence on the Riviera and its enduring relationships with an increasingly cosmopolitan clientele, the House embarks on a journey to conquer the world, ready to settle in its clients’ new places of residence and leisure, across all latitudes. As early as 2007, the first agencies open in Paris, Milan, Geneva, Moscow, Doha, Megève and Gstaad, marking the beginning of many new chapters in a now international story.

2000's

A NEW HOME FOR JOHN TAYLOR

In 2017, under the leadership of Nicolas Orlowski, founder of Artcurial, John Taylor joins the Artcurial Group, whose reference shareholder is the Dassault family. It naturally finds its place alongside prestigious auction houses Artcurial and Arqana, both specialised in the sale of exceptional goods, including artworks from all periods, fine jewellery, designer furniture, vintage cars, fine wines and racehorses. Thanks to this collaboration, John Taylor’s cosmopolitan and demanding clientele now benefits from a comprehensive service, in line with what John Taylor himself wanted to achieve at the end of the 19th century.

2010's

160 YEARS OF SHARED REAL ESTATE STORIES

Since 1864, we have been proud to open the doors of homes that stand as symbols of the enduring bonds we nurture across generations. For 160 years, we have brought our unique sense of service from the French Riviera to the world, keeping the same values at heart. Beyond real estate transactions, we have stood alongside your families while you closed doors on past chapters and opened new ones, onto new possibilities. These stories have become our history, so much so that the celebration of our 160th anniversary could only be a celebration of you.

2024