Sunday, October 6, 2013

BONHAMS APPOINTS JON KING DIRECTOR OF FLORIDA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

PALM BEACH, FL (October 6, 2013) – Bonhams is pleased to announce the appointment of Jon King as the Director of Florida Business Development. King, a Bonhams Vice President and former Director of Business Development for the eastern half of the United States, will oversee all aspects of the Florida operation, including exhibitions of highlights from Bonhams international auctions, lectures from esteemed scholars, appraisals for consideration in auctions worldwide and comprehensive estate planning.
King earned degrees in Art History and in European History at the University of California at Santa Barbara, and joined an international auction house in 1976, working in both Los Angeles and New York. In 1983, he joined Butterfield & Butterfield in San Francisco, rising to the position of Executive Vice President and Director of Museum Services. In 1989, he was named Director of Butterfield & Butterfield, Los Angeles, overseeing a staff of 60 and sales exceeding $35 million.
After the merger of Bonhams and Butterfield's, King rejoined the company in 2003, establishing Bonhams New York office. He has been responsible for the continuing development of the brand throughout the eastern half of the US. Florida has always been a key aspect of his expansion goals. Earlier this year he oversaw Bonhams first ever Florida auction, the Boca Raton Concours d'Elegance auction of Collectors' Motor Cars & Automobilia. The auction was sold at an impressive 85% by lot, netting close to $4 million and setting several records.

A native of Los Angeles, King has lived part-time in Florida for over 10 years. He first visited the state in 1997, overseeing a Butterfield's group preparing the collection of Barbara Deering Danielson in Coral Gables for auction. King's team discovered a John Singer Sargent painting in the collection that would go on to sell for over $350,000, although another auction house had valued the same picture for a mere $100. Since that time, King has been steadily increasing Bonhams presence throughout Florida, bringing collections to auction from Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, St. Petersburg, Tamps, Orlando, Sarasota, Naples, and everywhere in-between.

“I am always impressed with the knowledge and passion of Florida collectors, and nothing makes me happier than bringing those collections to the attention of the global marketplace,” said King. “Florida has always been important to Bonhams, and now, as a full-time resident, I am even more dedicated to developing business and building lasting relationships throughout the state. We value anything from from automobiles to Impressionist paintings- the diversity of what we present at auction is frequently a surprise to many seeking appraisal and auction services. We represent clients with items valued from $2,000 to $20,000,000 and above, yet it’s our custom to treat all of our clients equally.”

On July 12, Bonhams celebrated the success of selling the German and Swiss Grand Prix Winning 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Formula 1 Racing Single-Seater for $30,535,970.The result means Bonhams now holds the world records for the following marques at auction: Aston Martin, Austin-Healey, Bentley, Jaguar, Lagonda, Lotus, Maserati, Rolls-Royce and Talbot-Lago. The sale took place before a packed audience of more than 1,000 people in the marquee, with bidders from 32 countries around the world taking part.

On November 19, Bonhams will auction the breathtaking “Montana Dueling Dinosaurs” with an estimate of $7,000,000-9,000,000 live from New York. The two virtually complete dinosaur skeletons, a carnivore and a herbivore, were found fossilized together in Hell Creek, Montana in 2006. Dubbed the “Dueling Dinos,” the specimens are preserved in a sensational pre-historic death match between predator and prey.

Days later, on November 25, the iconic statuette of The Maltese Falcon used in John Huston's classic film noir The Maltese Falcon (1941) is set to headline Bonhams special auction, "What Dreams Are Made Of: A Century of Movie Magic at Auction as Curated by Turner Classic Movies" in conjunction with Turner Classic Movies (TCM). As the film's namesake and a pivotal character in its own right, the statuette is arguably the most important movie prop ever, and no other prop can be considered as central to the history of cinema. This example, which has been in the possession of the same private owner for decades, is the only version known to have appeared in the celebrated film. The statuette has the proper Warner Bros. inventory number and an impressive exhibition history, including appearances at the Pompidou Center in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Warner Bros. Studio Museum in Los Angeles. It has never been to auction before.

To contact Jon King regarding appraisals or auction possibilities, please call (561) 651 7876 in Palm Beach, (954) 566 1630 in Fort Lauderdale, and (305) 228 6600 in Miami or email: jon.king@bonhams.com.
If you would like more information on this topic or to schedule an interview, please call Linda Soper at (612) 308.4159 or email: linda@lindalanemarketing.com.
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More About Bonhams:
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, Carmel, New York and Boston in the USA; Toronto in Canada; and in Switzerland, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com.

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