20 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10020
Tel.: +1 212 636 2000
Fax: +1 212 636 2399

www.christies.com


History
Christie's exceptional contribution to the history of auction houses began on the 5th of December 1766 when James Christie conducted his first sale. A level-headed entrepreneur, renowned for his eloquence and humour, he developed the business of auctioneering into a fine art.
Significant amounts of Britain's national heritage passed through his auction house, with members of aristocracy and even the Royal Family contributing various works.
Christie conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th and 19th centuries. He negotiated with Catharine the Great, Empress of Russia, over the sale of Sir Robert Walpole's collection of paintings, which then went on to form the basis of the Hermitage collection in St. Petersburg.
Christie's auctions became one of the greatest social events on the London calendar.
In 1999 the New York auction house moved from Park Avenue to the Rockefeller Center.