abstract:James Christie (1730–1803) was the founder of auction house Christie's. Born in Perth in 1730, Christie went on to found Christie's auctioneers in 5 December 1766.
But the bulk of the business that made JamesChristie immensely rich came from the businessmen who were amassing the wealth thrown off by the Industrial Revolution.
When JamesChristie organized his first auctions almost 250 years ago in London's tony Pall Mall, attendance was by invitation only, (see " In the House ").