Christie's

Christie's is one of the world's best known art auction houses, founded in London in 1766 by James Christie, whose first recorded sale took place on 5 December 1766. FundingUniverse describes a firm that began by selling wine and miscellaneous goods and grew into a handler of Old Master paintings, country estates, jewels and collections sold from Walpole's art holdings to Russian crown jewels. It moved to 8 King Street, St James's, in 1823, took the name Christie, Manson and Woods in 1859, was reorganized as Christie, Manson and Woods Ltd in 1958, made a public offering of stock in 1973, and was acquired and taken private by Francois Pinault in 1998. Its principal selling centers are London and New York, and its long rivalry with Sotheby's, which was founded 22 years earlier, shaped the modern auction trade. The source lists it as a private company.