What is Interiors?

Nic McElhatton

Chairman
London, South Kensington

Nic joined Christie’s South Kensington in 1984 as a porter, rising to Specialist Head of the European Objects Department before leaving in 1989 to set up his own successful antiques business. He returned to Christie’s South Ken' in 1993 as a Director and auctioneer for Christie's London. Over the years since his return Nic has overseen numerous collection sales, both in London and on the continent. He helped pioneer the Interiors and magalogue concepts, and was instrumental in opening the saleroom for seven-day-week operation. Nic is Head of the Interiors Department in London, and is an integral member of the South Kensington management team. Nic was appointed Deputy Chairman of Christie’s South Kensington in November 2007.

Toby Woolley

Director, Specialist Head - Furniture and Works of Art
London, South Kensington

With a family background in auctioneering, Toby's introduction to the antique world was with the revered silver dealer, the late Mrs. G.E.P. How in St. James's, followed by a year's Study Centre course at the Victoria & Albert studying fine and decorative arts. Toby has been at Christie's since 1990, starting with two years picture portering followed by a Specialist role in the Automobilia and Maritime departments, before joining the Works of Art department in 1995. During this time Toby has overseen and been involved in numerous collections and house sales including the single owner sales of Nigel Bartlett, Axel Vervoordt, Christopher Wray, Dean Gipson and two for Michael Roberts. He specialises particularly in garden statuary and architectural elements including chimneypieces and lighting. Toby is also Head of Sale for the four annual 'Style & Spirit' selected Interiors sales at South Kensington.

Simon Green

Director - Oak and Country Furniture
London, South Kensington

Simon joined Christie’s in 1992 as a furniture specialist after seven years at auctioneers Phillips. He became a director of Christie’s in 2005. Simon has a particular interest in early furniture (pre-1700) and has seen the three annual sales of Early Oak and Country Furniture grow and develop since the category was introduced in 1993. The sale category is now known as ‘Master and Makers’ and is part of the successful Interiors range of sale. Highlights over the years have included The John Fardon Collection (1994 and 1996), The Parry Collection (1997), The Boughton Monchelsea chest of circa 1380 (1999), Grimshaw Hall (2000), Bramcote Manor (2001) and most recently The Roger Warner Collection (2009).

Simon is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) (Art and Antiques professional group) and also on the vetting committees of The Olympia and The Battersea fairs in London.

Anna Evans

Specialist - Objects
London, South Kensington

Anna Evans joined Christie's in 2002 as a bids clerk in the South Kensington Bids Office shortly after qualifying with a First Class degree in History of Art & Architecture from the University of East Anglia (UEA). Instantly hooked by the excitement of the auction world, a year later, Anna moved into the Furniture & Works of Art Department, becoming a Junior Specialist in 2004 and Specialist in 2008.

Anna has been involved in several highly successful single owner collection sales including the Michael Roberts Collection of Architectural and Garden Ornaments and Gipson's Grand Tour. She became an auctioneer in 2007 and currently co-leads the Style & Spirit Interior sales at Christie's South Kensington.

Nick Sims

Specialist - Furniture
London, South Kensington

Nick started at Christie's South Kensington in 1998 as an intern, and joined the Furniture department in 2003 after spending four years as a furniture porter in the saleroom.

In his current role as specialist, Nick focuses mainly on sourcing furniture for both the Interior sales and the Style and Spirit sale for which he is responsible for the furniture section. Aware of ever changing tastes, Nick is constantly on the look out for pieces with a history and interesting provenance which sit comfortably in the modern home.

Nick graduated from Camberwell School of Art, with a BA (Hons) in History of Art.

Patricia Frost

Specialist - Textiles
London, South Kensington

Patricia Frost, Director, joined Christie’s in 1986, after living in Paris for two years following the completion of her BA in English Literature (Cantab). After working in the Chairman’s office for two years, she moved to the Textiles Department as an administrator and cataloguer.

Her area of expertise is European as well as Asian & Islamic costume, textiles and lace. In 1995 she became an Associate Director and introduced the popular 20th Century Fashion auctions before setting up the Oriental and Islamic Textile Department in 1997, also taking charge of the French Initiative for Christie's South Kensington. Continuing to head the Oriental Textile Department, Pat also became head of the European and Oriental Ceramics Department in November 1999.

Between 2000 and 2005, Pat was Business Manager for Asian Art in Europe, coordinating sales, marketing and strategy for Chinese, Japanese, Islamic Art and Antiquities. She returned to the Textile Department as Senior Specialist and Head of Department in 2005. She has contributed to several books on textiles and is the author of the Millers Guide to Collecting Textiles.

Alastair Chandler

Specialist - Clocks
London, South Kensington

Alastair Chandler joined Christie's Clock department in 2007, bringing 18 years of experience to his role.

Developing a fascination for horology at an early age Alastair trained as a watchmaker at the British Horological Institute and, following graduation, went on to study clock restoration at West Dean College. Since then his career has ranged from repairing fine watches to the restoration of turret clocks, but mostly he has worked as a buyer and restorer for specialist clock dealers in London and New York.

Alastair is a graduate member of the British Horological Institute, a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers and belongs to the Antiquarian Horological Society.

Gemma Sudlow

Specialist - Sunday Sales
London, South Kensington

Gemma Sudlow holds a first class MA Honours degree in History of Art and English Literature from the University of Edinburgh. Starting at Christie's as an Intern in Estates and Appraisals in the January of 2005, Gemma was a founding member of the successful Sunday Sale team in 2006. Sunday Sales have a proven record of offering small Private and Single Owner Collections at Christie's South Kensington.

With a specialist knowledge focussing on Fine Art, Gemma is responsible for the cataloguing and research of all pictures offered in these sales. In addition, Gemma holds a broad knowledge of the Decorative Arts and actively participates in the search for Collections to be offered as Sunday Sales. Recent highlights of Gemma's career include working on The Robert Harling Collection of Modern British Prints and Pictures, sold at Christie's South Kensington in September 2009.

Jane Turner

Specialist Head - Watercolours
London, South Kensington

With over twenty-two years of experience as a specialist at Christie’s, Jane Turner, as head of Maritime Pictures, has been instrumental in achieving many world records, including John Wilson Carmichael’s British Opium Schooner and other shipping off Hong Kong (£172,000) and Pieter van Soest’s The Dutch attack on the English Fleet in the Medway, June 1667 (£108,250). She has worked closely on a number of landmark sales including the Montague Dawson Studio sale (2004), the Trafalgar Sale (2005) and the inaugural sale of Maritime Paintings at King Street (2007).

As head of the Drawings and Watercolour Department at Christie’s South Kensington, Jane has been involved in selling many single owner collections including The Grand Tour Sale (2005), The Vanity Fair Sale (2005) and The Lyndon Goodwin Harris Collection of Watercolours by Albert Goodwin and Joseph Edward Southall (2007). She is also in charge of the Original Book Illustration sales.

More recently Jane has been working in the Sporting Art Department in New York. Prior to working at Christie’s, Jane Turner, worked on private yachts in the Caribbean and the United States.

Michael Prevezer

Specialist Head - Silver
London, South Kensington

Michael Prevezer is senior silver specialist within the Interiors Department and is responsible for overseeing silver in both the Interiors and House sales held in South Kensington. He joined Christie’s in August 2005 as head of the silver department at South Kensington. Initially inspired to enter the business by watching the television programme "Talking about Antiques" with Arthur Negus, forerunner of today's "The Antiques Roadshow", Michael has brought a wealth of experience with him, having started as a saleroom porter straight from school at Phillips Auctioneers. There he spent 30 years, working his way up to Head of Department and gaining a wide knowledge of Continental silver & silver collectibles. One of his first notable jobs at Christie’s was to secure and catalogue the 497 lot James Walker collection in July 2006, which attracted world-wide interest.

Pippa Green

Specialist - Furniture
London, South Kensington

Pippa Green began her career at Christie’s in 1996, after completing the Christie's Post Graduate diploma course and an internship at the Guggenheim Museum, Venice. After being a porter in the silver department and an administrator in the works of art department, Pippa was promoted to specialist in the Interiors department at South Kensington, cataloguing furniture and works of art.

Since 2000, Pippa has catalogued works of art for combined and single owner collection sales such as the Alfred Dunhill Collection Part I (2004) & II (2006), the chess collections from the Allen Hoffrichter Collection (2000), and the Cholet Collection (2007). She has also been involved in various walking stick collection sales, most recently the Walking Sticks from the Collection formed by 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton (2008). In 2007 Pippa became a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

Adrian Hume-Sayer

Specialist – Furniture
London, South Kensington

Adrian Hume-Sayer joined Christie’s Interiors department in January 2009 as a furniture specialist. Adrian has maintained a lifelong interest in antiques particularly furniture and the way these relate to the social and architectural history of the era from which they come. He has worked in auction houses for over twelve years. He began his career with Tennants in North Yorkshire, where he quickly established himself and began training as a general valuer. Adrian moved to Bonham’s Chester in September 2003 where at the age of 21 he trained as an auctioneer whilst working as a general valuer specialising in furniture. In 2005 he took over the running of the Fine furniture department at Chester whilst continuing as an auctioneer and general valuer leaving in January 2009 to join Christie’s interiors department as a furniture specialist.

Mark Henry Lampe

Specialist Head - Oriental Rugs and Carpets
London, South Kensington

Mark Henry Lampe joined Christie's in 1990 as an Oriental Carpets and Rugs Specialist, having accumulated market experience working for a well known London dealer while studying Economics. Mark’s work in the carpet trade allowed him to expand his knowledge of carpets and to hone his ability to match the carpet to the buyer. Keeping a close eye on market trends, Mark’s knowledge of fashions and his overriding understanding of the importance of colour, design and size to the buyer allow him to ably inform his clients’ decisions. Over the years, Mark has worked hard to increase the home and international reach of his department.

Mark Stephen

Specialist - Objects
London, South Kensington

Mark Stephen joined Christie’s in 1980 after having graduated from St. Andrews University with a degree in History, working as a porter and at the valuations counter before joining the Works of Art department as a junior specialist. He then left to work for a country auction room where he passed the qualifications to join the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors before returning in 2004 as a senior specialist in the Furniture and Works of Art department.

Mark oversees the European Works of Art in the Interiors sales with a particular role to source and catalogue the early Metalwork and Works of Art in the Oak theme sales called ‘Masters and Makers'. Some highlights in this category include the David Little Collection of Important Early English Pewter in May 2007 and the collection of Roger Warner in January 2009.

Nicolas Martineau

Associate Director - Prints
London, South Kensington

Nicolas Martineau joined Christie's South Kensington having graduated from Camberwell School of Art in paper conservation and print making. Having worked in various departments, Nicolas eventually joined the Prints department, where was promoted to run the antiquarian print section and developed his breadth of knowledge of 18th and 19th century decorative prints.

From his dealing with prints Nicolas derived a particular passion for Topographical art that led to the establishment of the Topographical Pictures department at South Kensington. With a desire to expand the sale category, Nicolas formed the Travel, Science and Natural History department which now holds bi-annual sales offering travel related art and important scientific instruments encapsulating of the golden age of exploration and the Age of the Enlightenment.

In addition to managing this department, Nicolas continues to be instrumental in sourcing fine decorative prints for notable single owner sales and also for the popular Style and Spirit and monthly Interiors sales. Nicolas has also become a keen and enthusiastic auctioneer and hosts a wide range of sales.

Emma Rainbird

Specialist – European Ceramics and Glass
London, South Kensington

Emma Rainbird began her career at Christie’s in 2006 as a junior specialist in the European Ceramics department before being promoted to specialist in 2008. Currently Emma is working with the Interiors team and is responsible for European ceramics and glass sold at South Kensington, including a growing Russian section.

Her love of porcelain in particular brought her to specialize at Christie’s where she has been involved in the sale of Meissen Porcelain from the Royal House of Saxony, Property from the Collection of H.R.H. The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, cataloguing of the contents of Dumfries House, and numerous other private collections.

Emma graduated from Southampton with a B.A. Hons degree in Fine Art Valuation in 2001, and spent the following four years in a regional auction room cataloguing decorative arts.

Gemma Thorpe

Specialist - Asian and Oriental Art
London, South Kensington

Gemma Thorpe joined the Asian Art department as an intern in 2005 and has since become a Specialist. Currently she manages the Asian Art section of the highly successful Interiors sales, where she has watched the interest in Asian arts in the home gain new enthusiastic advocates. She is also a deeply involved member of the Chinese Art department, which has dedicated three specialised sales a year in the South Kensington auction calendar.

Having a fascination with the East and the arts of the Orient, Gemma followed her passion to the University of London’s SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) where she received a B.A. in Asian Arts and Archaeology, and subsequently gained a Masters in Cultural Heritage from UCL.

Gus Granlund

Specialist Head of Sale – British and Continental Pictures
London, South Kensington

Gus Granlund joined the British & Irish Art department at Christie's South Kensington in January 2005, becoming Head of Sale for British & Continental Pictures in October 2007. Selling decorative paintings and sculptures, these sales offer affordable art dating from the 16th century to the present day. Under his leadership this category has enjoyed its most successful period. Gus has been instrumental in developing the market for artists new to auction, such as Michael Quanne, Charles Williams and a number of contemporary Russian artists. In addition he has used these sales to create a successful platform in which to offer artist’s studio sales.

Gus is a graduate of Bristol University with a B.A. Hons in Art History, with a wide ranging knowledge spanning the past two centuries, and a particular interest in 20th Century British Art.

Amparo Martinez-Russotto

Specialist - British and Continental Pictures
London, South Kensington

Amparo Martinez-Russotto began her career at Christie’s in 2006, eventually joining the 19th Century European Art department. In 2009 she joined the British & Irish Art department where, having a broad knowledge of Old Masters and 19th Century European Pictures, she has played an integral role in the increasing success of the Interiors sales.

Specializing in Renaissance and Baroque Art, Amparo has a Masters Degree in Art History from the University of Massachusetts and an M.A. from Christie’s Education. Amparo is fluent in 4 languages, including Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.