Experienced team to open Bloomsbury NY saleroom

The opening of new premises just off Fifth Avenue follows on from the launch of their Rome saleroom last year.

Based on 48th Street, Bloomsbury are scheduling six book auctions for the autumn of 2007 with the inaugural sale on September 26. Specialist departments for prints and photographs will then open in 2008.

The London-based book specialists have been planning this move for a number of years and have secured the first and second floors of a ten-storey building which is right next to the Rockefeller Plaza, where Christie’s are based.

They have assembled a highly qualified and experienced team for their New York office.

From July 1, Tom Lamb will join as international head of books. He was previously head of Christie’s London book department from 1995 to 2004.

Richard Austin, who ran Christie’s East book department in New York for several years will be in charge of Bloomsbury’s bibliophile and literature sales, while Jeremy Markowitz, who was head of Americana, maps and manuscripts at Swann Galleries, will now be in charge of manuscripts and Americana at Bloomsbury New York.

Adam Langlands who has worked at Christie’s for over 25 years will be a consultant cataloguer.

Bloomsbury’s managing director Rupert Powell will continue to oversee all auction matters internationally.

He told ATG that expanding into New York was a logical and important step since the US is already one of their largest markets. “Now with these prime premises and our exceptionally talented team, we are very excited about the future,” he said.