The move reflects the company’s attempt to position themselves as the premier art and antiques auction brand in Australia, with Deutscher-Menzies as the premium art brand, Lawson-Menzies the premium decorative arts, wine and jewellery brand and Lawson’s weekly Annandale auctions leading the market in general household goods.
Lawson-Menzies key art specialists, Joanna Strumpf (Sydney) and Tim Abdullah (Melbourne) will join Deutscher-Menzies. Hellen Perko will become Head of Lawson-Menzies art department, which will develop niche market art sales and will also develop new areas in the market.
Group chairman Rod Menzies has formed a joint management team with the heads of the two branches, Chris Deutscher and Paul Sumner, the latter formerly managing director Sotheby’s Olympia.
Merger heats up art competition Down Under
AUSTRALIAN auction group Menzies have merged the art departments at their two leading rooms. With a combined art auction turnover for 2003 expected to exceed $35m, Deutscher-Menzies of Melbourne will now conduct all art sales previously split between them and the Sydney-based Lawson-Menzies.
