Whom You Know: ONE OF BRITAIN'S TOP FURNITURE SPECIALISTS, FERGUS LYONS, APPOINTED HEAD OF FURNITURE AT BONHAMS

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

ONE OF BRITAIN'S TOP FURNITURE SPECIALISTS, FERGUS LYONS, APPOINTED HEAD OF FURNITURE AT BONHAMS

This week Bonhams announced that Fergus Lyons will be joining the company in May as Head of Furniture after a distinguished 30-year career at Sotheby’s. His name is closely associated with some of the most important furniture sales in Britain.

Fergus Lyons joined Sotheby’s in 1979, working initially at their Pulborough saleroom, later moving to Summers Place, Billingshurst as a senior specialist where he developed a broad expertise in English and Continental furniture and was responsible for as many as 25 sales each year.

He transferred to Sotheby’s New Bond Street in 1995 and over the next six years was involved with a number of high profile sales including the Leverhulme Collection at Thornton Manor. He was made Head of the English Furniture Department in 2000. Since then, notable house sales featuring English furniture have included Easton Neston and more recently Chatsworth. The last sale he undertook for the company on 7th December 2010 established a record auction price for English furniture when a Chippendale commode sold for £3,350,000 (hammer)

Fergus comments: “I am delighted to be joining Bonhams in May and to be part of their exciting plans for the future. I have been increasingly impressed by their furniture sales over recent years and greatly look forward to working with the team to build on these results.”

Fergus is a member of the Furniture History Society. His late father F.J. Lyons formed a collection of modern British Art and antiques during the 1950s, which Fergus feels played a role in influencing the direction of his own career.

Outside of the professional sphere his interests include motorcycling, music, tennis and skiing.

Matthew Girling, Bonhams CEO in Europe and the Middle East says: “We are delighted to welcome Fergus to Bonhams. He brings with him an outstanding track record, impeccable contacts and a wide- ranging and deep knowledge of his field. He will be a great asset to Bonhams as we seek to be the number one player in the furniture market.”

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further four throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Boston in the USA; and Switzerland, France, Monaco, Hong Kong, Australia and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. By the end of 2009, Bonhams had become UK market leaders in ten key specialist collecting areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go towww.bonhams.com

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