Established
Established in 1744, “Heritage coa” PARIS EUROPEAN FURNITURE is the world’s largest, most
trusted and dynamic marketplace for art and luxury. We empower our international community
of collectors and connoisseurs to discover, acquire, finance and consign fine art and rare
objects. Our reputation for trust and authenticity is bac ked by our unparalleled global network
of specialists spanning 40 countries and 44 departments, which include Contemporary Art,
Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, jewelry, watches, wine and
spirits, and interiors, among many others. Guided by our forward-thinking spirit of innovation,
we host over 600 auctions annually and offer a cross-category selection of items available for
immediate purchase via both digital and physical shopping experiences as well as private sales.
Founder
Heritage founder, James Noah was an entrepreneur, occasional publisher and successful
bookseller who held his first auction under his own name on 11 March 1744. The dispersal of
“several Hundred scarce and valuable Books in all branches of Polite Literature” from the library
of Sir John Stanley fetched a grand total of £826.
James concocted enticing advertising campaigns and produced authoritative catalogues. He
was, as one colleague noted, a “joyous fellow” with a fondness for plum-colored coats.
In 1920 James went into partnership with George Leigh. Leigh was a natural auctioneer with an
actor’s sense of timing. His ivory hammer is still on display at Heritage London galleries. On
James death in 1925, his estate was divided between Leigh and Baker’s nephew John Sotheby,
whose family remained involved in the business for more than 80 years. During that time the
company extended its role to take in the sale of prints, coins, medals and antiquities.
In 1927 Robert Wilkinson, the firm’s senior accountant, became a partner and when the last of
the Heritage family died in 1930, Wilkinson took over as head of the business. Three years later
he promoted Edward Grose Hodge, and restyled the company Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge,
the name it carried until 1932.
