The new business will be known as Ewbank Clarke Gammon Wellers and will be based at Ewbank’s purpose-designed premises at its Burnt Common Auction Rooms in London Road, Send, north of Guildford.
“This is an exciting development in the history of our two firms,” said senior partner Chris Ewbank. “We are pooling our combined resources and expertise and will be able to deliver more frequent sales supported by state-of-the-art computer-based technology and real time online bidding capabilities.”
Tony Jamieson, senior partner of Clarke Gammon Wellers – a firm with more than 75 years of sales in the region and offices in Guildford, Godalming, Shere, Haslemere, Liphook and Mayfair – said: “Chris and I have known each other for many years. Working together will maximise both our strengths.
“As a firm of chartered surveyors, we have always prided ourselves on being able to offer a complete range of property services and see auctions of chattels as an important part of this service.“
Chris Ewbank has specialised in the auction of antiques since 1977 and moved to Guildford in 1982 to head the former Cubitt & West auction rooms in Millmead. He founded Ewbank Fine Art Auctioneers in 1990 and selected the prominent position on the A3 at Send as the location for his saleroom.
Ewbanks have had some of their most successful auctions in the past two years, including the £1m sale of discarded works from the studio of Francis Bacon.
Mr Ewbank has been a member of the Fine Arts Advisory Panel of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and is currently chairman of its Art and Antiques Professional Group. He is also an elected member to its International Governing Council, the highest decision making body in the Institution. He was chairman of the Society of Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers (SOFAA) from 2000 to 2006 and the firm is still a member.
In addition to its managing partners, Chris Ewbank and Tony Jamieson, Ewbank Clarke Gammon Wellers will have five associate partners, including Ewbank’s auctioneers and valuers, John Snape and Andrew Delve. There will be no redundancies.
The merger will lead to bigger sales held twice monthly. The first under the Ewbank Clarke Gammon Wellers banner will take place on Wednesday, April 8 at 10.30am. There will also be four fine art sales a year.
