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Celebrating its 25th Anniversary Bloomsbury Auctions Becomes the World’s Biggest Book Auctioneers
Celebrating its 25th Anniversary Bloomsbury Auctions Becomes the World’s Biggest Book Auctioneers
Bloomsbury Auctions (née Bloomsbury Book Auctions), has been growing steadily since its inception in 1983 when it became the first specialist book and manuscript auctioneers to open in central London in over a century. Twenty five years on, it sells more books than any other auction house in the world, becoming the place to buy and sell books and works on paper.
The twenty-first century has seen a metamorphosis at Bloomsbury. Bloomsbury Book Auctions has evolved into Bloomsbury Auctions and has moved from offices in north London to Bloomsbury House, a handsome five storey building in the heart of London, within walking distance of the capital’s major art and antiques shops, galleries and auction houses. Shortly after in 2006 Bloomsbury opened magnificent rooms in Rome, traditionally a European centre for antiquarian books and paintings; within a few months the 19th Century Art department had broken several world record prices. Naturally the next step was to open in New York and last autumn Bloomsbury Auctions bit into the Big Apple and flung open its doors in a prime location in mid-town Manhattan, a stone’s throw from Rockefeller Plaza; it quickly established itself as a major player in the city with a comparable turnover to that of the other major auction houses over the same 4 month period.
2007 was the most successful year in the company’s history; it included Bloomsbury’s highest hammer total ever achieved in a single sale ($2.3m), the highest hammer total achieved in a London sale (£730,000) and two ‘white-glove’ sales (this means every lot is sold and, according to 19th century tradition, to honour the occasion the auctioneer is awarded a pair of white gloves) on consecutive days in May. Overall turnover increased from £8.2m in 2006 to £15.6m, an increase of 90%. This leap reflected a 35% increase in the London saleroom’s turnover (from £7.8m to £10.6m), a full year of sales in the Rome saleroom, and an impressive opening series of sales in New York which totalled $6.15m (£3.05m). ‘Last year was an amazing year for Bloomsbury,’ said Rupert Powell, Bloomsbury’s Managing Director. ‘We are now firmly established as the leading auction house for rare books and works on paper. Not only can we process consignments promptly but we can also offer multiple locations for selling, thus giving an unrivalled service to our customers.’
Bloomsbury prides itself in its fast and efficient service. The staff is helpful, enthusiastic, friendly, approachable and on hand to advise and discuss any aspect of buying and selling at auction. The experts combine scholarship and knowledge with finely tuned commercial acumen and an appreciation of the market, each is always happy to give advice on any aspect of buying and selling at auction, truly believing that the auction experience should be fun and exhilarating. Bloomsbury Auctions is known for helping and nurturing novice private collectors as well as sourcing items for established connoisseurs. It sells single items as well as whole collections, nothing is too large, too small or too obscure. Bloomsbury’s experts travel all over the world for valuations and advice on probate as well as insurance.
It is not simply the quantity of what Bloomsbury Auctions handles that is so extraordinary, it is the sheer breadth of subject matter. In terms of Books, Manuscripts and Prints, it covers areas as diverse as English Literature, Modern First Editions, Ultra Moderns and Old Master Prints to Contemporary Prints. It embraces an eclectic span of specialist subjects from Children’s Books, Private Press, Angling, Heraldry, Mountaineering, Polar Exploration, Bee Keeping and Gastronomy to Hebraica, Science, Erotica, Economics, the Occult, Incunabula and Travel. However the biggest growth area of collecting and dealing in the last decade has been Modern First Editions. Prices have rocketed and as a leading British daily newspaper succinctly remarked, ‘Bloomsbury obtained dizzying rewards for First Editions.’ Bloomsbury has become the main stop to buy and sell authors such as Ian Fleming and JK Rowling and each year Bloomsbury breaks its previous world record.
While books comprise about two-thirds of the total turnover, Bloomsbury is fast developing a strong reputation in other areas of the art market. In London the highly successful Modern and Contemporary Prints/Art department has become a force to contend with, almost doubling its turnover to reach just over £2.5m. Complementing books and prints, Bloomsbury’s revitalised vintage, modern and contemporary Photograph department offers two major sales per year and has already attracted a growing young and active following. Its other branches are following suit.
May this year sees the 25th anniversary of Bloomsbury, not only will there be a major sale to mark the event but London is having a birthday party. Rupert Powell, the MD encapsulated his attitude to Bloomsbury Auctions, ‘Right from day one under Frank Herrmann, John Kerr and David Stagg, I have enjoyed going to work. I still get a kick out of it and none of that has changed. Not many people can say that their work is fun, don’t you agree?’
For further information please contact:
Vanessa Clewes Salmon 020 8458 3288 Email: Vanessa@wildwood13.fsnet.co.uk
