Dr. Elin Lake Ewald

Dr. Ewald was born on July 7, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York, to John Marshall Lake and Serena Jane (Parmer) Lake. She attended Goucher College and earned a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Maryland. She went on to study at the Art Institute of Chicago and later earned her master’s degree and her Ph.D. in Art History and Art Education at New York University. Before entering the appraisal field, she worked as a writer and editor for magazines in New York City from 1969 to 1974.

In 1974 she joined O’Toole Art Associates. The firm was founded in 1932 by James St. Lawrence O’Toole, one of the founders of the American Society of Appraisers. Under the renamed O’Toole-Ewald Art Associates, she became Vice President in 1979 and President in 1982, a position she would hold for more than four decades. During her tenure, she helped shape the firm into a premier fine and decorative arts appraisal and valuation practice, with offices in Manhattan and Venice, Italy.

Under her leadership, O’Toole-Ewald earned a reputation as one of the most respected appraisal firms in the nation. The firm has prepared valuations for the estates of some of the most important artists of the twentieth century, including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Louise Nevelson, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Arman, C.C. Wang and Clement Meadmore.

In the 1980s, the firm developed one of the first comprehensive methodologies for damage and loss appraisals, a framework still used throughout the industry today. Dr. Ewald led many of the firm’s most challenging and complex damage and loss assignments, including the valuation of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s photograph collections destroyed on September 11, 2001; the valuation and damage assessment of Tullio Lombardo’s Adam (Metropolitan Museum of Art) after it broke into hundreds of pieces; and the valuation of a pair of the famed Ruby Slippers stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota. In recognition of her expert assistance in the latter matter, she was awarded a medal by the Minnesota Division of the FBI, reflecting the respect her expertise commanded well beyond the appraisal profession.

During the 1990s, Dr. Ewald brought together an international association of art experts under the firm’s umbrella and pioneered a valuation department dedicated to Asian art.

Throughout her career, she remained committed to advancing appraisal theory and practice. Under her guidance, O’Toole-Ewald invested substantial time and resources in developing innovative methodologies to address complex valuation issues and meet the evolving needs of collectors, advisers, and institutions. This work culminated in the development of the Fair Rental Value of Art and Fractional Discounting of Art methodologies. She hoped these innovations would provide meaningful solutions for clients while advancing the professional standards of the art and personal property appraisal profession.

Dr. Ewald served as a review appraiser, expert witness, certified mediator, and trusted advisor to collectors, institutions, and attorneys. She also provided pro bono appraisal services in matters where she believed justice would be served. A prolific writer, she published extensively on her profession, most notably in the ASA Personal Property Journal, on subjects ranging from damage and loss appraisals to price fixing in the art market. The firm’s records from approximately 1970 to 2007 are preserved in the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art, reflecting her enduring place in the history of American art valuation.

Dr. Ewald was an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) with the American Society of Appraisers and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS). She served as President of the ASA’s New York chapter, edited its newsletter, and received its Outstanding Contribution Award. She served as a panelist for the American Arbitration Association and a mediation-training coach for Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Dr. Ewald was known for her keen intellect, steadfast integrity, and fearless spirit. Through her mentorship, guidance, and unwavering commitment to excellence, she helped shape generations of appraisers, leaving an enduring mark on the profession and those fortunate enough to have known and worked alongside her.

She was preceded in death by her sister, Laura Lake Mathias.

She is survived by her son, Patrick Ewald, of Los Angeles, California, and his wife, Sarah Gilliland; her daughter, Elin Augusta Garrett, of Lexington, Kentucky, and her husband, R. Lain Garrett; her five grandchildren, Augusta Clay Garrett, Declan Garrett, Olivia Ewald, Alexandra Ewald and Ella Ewald.