Keil's Antiques

About

A family-owned business since 1899.

Story

About Us:

The story of Keil’s Antiques is one reaching back four generations. Originally from Alsace-Lorraine and coming to Louisiana as a girl, Hermina Keil spent time in St. Francisville before opening her antique store in New Orleans’ French Quarter in 1899. At the time, only two other antique stores existed in the Vieux Carré which was not the tourist destination it is today. Hermina Keil became a renowned expert on American furniture and silver and counted presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson among her clientele. Her son Morris Keil who was involved in the family business developed a love of French and English antiques, a new direction for the store which his mother encouraged. When he took over Keil’s Antiques in the 1920s, Morris Keil began to import eighteenth and nineteenth century pieces – including Louis XV, Louis XVI, Chippendale, and Georgian styles – and Keil’s Antiques established itself as an acclaimed authority in these areas as well.

In the twenty-first century, Keil’s Antiques continues its family-business traditions of providing attentive, knowledgeable service; the staff guides customers through a three-story collection of beautiful and high-quality pieces sold at fair prices. Keil family members have grown up around antiques, formally studied art history, and served lengthy apprenticeships before advancing to senior positions. In sum, they’ve lived antiques all the years of their lives and have worked passionately to acquire expertise and experience. Present family members Andrée, Keil and Peter Moss, who are direct descendents of Hermina Keil, personally select every piece sold at Keil’s Antiques.

The store’s current inventory reflects their discerning judgment and personal tastes, and its daily operations draw on deeply rooted ties with valued customers and prominent dealers. Many of these relationships go back generations as well. The sterling reputation of Keil’s Antiques is one that has been cultivated for more than one hundred years, and it serves as the foundation of the store’s business.

Today, Royal Street is an important center of the international antiques market and attracts collectors from far and wide. Two other distinguished Royal Street antique stores, Moss Antiques and Royal Antiques, are also operated by members of the Keil family. For many who know New Orleans, the antique stores of Royal are as essential to the city’s culture as the flavorful cuisine, traditional music, and unique architecture are. The glinting elegance of these beautiful stores captivates visitors and residents alike, and Keil’s Antiques is proud to be a beloved keystone of the French Quarter’s historical charm.