About Sotheby's Auction House

Samuel Baker, founder of Sotheby's, offered his first public sale – the library of a certain Rt. Hon. Sir John Stanley, Bart. which contained “several Hundred scarce and valuable books in all branches of Polite Literature.” The collection sold for a few hundred pounds. Over two centuries later, on December 6, 1983, Sotheby's sold a single book, The Gospels of Henry the Lion, for more than 8 million pounds. Since those early days, it is not just prices that have grown considerably; so have the scope and scale of Sotheby's accelerated to lead today's international market in rare art, historically important furniture, rare books and valuable collections in the decorative arts.

Modest though Samuel Baker's first sale might seem today, he was not without connections – or ambitions. Indeed, he and his successors were to handle, with great panache and showmanship, many of the great libraries sold at auction. On Napoleon's death, the books the French Emperor had taken with him into exile on St. Helena were sent to Sotheby's for sale. Additionally, libraries from Prince Talleyrand, John Willkes, Benjamin Heywood Bright, the Marquis of Lansdowne, and the Dukes of Devonshire and Buckingham were all sold through Samuel Baker's auctions.

Today there are more than 100 Sotheby's offices around the world; and, in l998, auction sales produced a turnover of just under $2 billion. Whether expanding our infrastructure or exploring sales through cyberspace, Sotheby's continues to demonstrate innovation and responsiveness to the needs of our ever-expanding international clientele. As our clients' needs and buying tastes evolve, Sotheby's flexibility and unwavering focus on expertise and client service will remain our hallmarks into the 21 st Century.