Lyon & Turnbull
Encyclopedia
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Founded in 1826, it is Scotland’s oldest auction house; the largest independent auction house in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
outside of London and one of the fastest growing auction houses in the UK.
The firm has its salerooms in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and offices in London Pall Mall
Pall Mall, London
Pall Mall is a street in the City of Westminster, London, and parallel to The Mall, from St. James's Street across Waterloo Place to the Haymarket; while Pall Mall East continues into Trafalgar Square. The street is a major thoroughfare in the St James's area of London, and a section of the...
, and Glasgow.
History
In 1999 Lyon & Turnbull was acquired by a group of auctioneers who had left PhillipsPhillips de Pury & Company
Phillips de Pury & Company is an auction house and art dealership, with offices in London, New York, Geneva, Berlin, Brussels, Los Angeles, Milan, Munich and Paris. Phillips conducts auctions in New York, London and Geneva in the areas of Contemporary Art, Photography, 20-21st Century Design, Art...
, an auction house that was the third largest in the world during the 1990s. They were joined in the enterprise by Sir Angus Grossart, who is Chairman of Noble Grossart, one of Scotland’s leading Merchant Banks and a past Chairman of The Trustees of the National Galleries of Scotland
National Galleries of Scotland
The National Galleries of Scotland are the five national galleries of Scotland and two partner galleries. It is one of the country's National Collections.-List of national galleries:* The National Gallery of Scotland* The Royal Scottish Academy Building...
. The company's stated aim on regeneration was: "To rescue a national institution for Scotland and to establish a high quality auction house with an international footprint from a base in Edinburgh."
The firm has a transatlantic alliance with the United States' oldest auction house, Freeman’s of Philadelphia.
Notable sales have included L. S. Lowry
L. S. Lowry
Laurence Stephen Lowry was an English artist born in Barrett Street, Stretford, Lancashire. Many of his drawings and paintings depict nearby Salford and surrounding areas, including Pendlebury, where he lived and worked for over 40 years at 117 Station Road , opposite St...
’s Glasgow Docks 1947 painting and the sale of the Drambuie
Drambuie
Drambuie is a sweet, golden colored 80-proof liqueur made from malt whisky, honey, herbs, and spices.Produced in Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland, it is served straight, on the rocks, or added to mixed drinks such as the Rusty Nail....
Art Collection, which realised over £4 million ($7,836,606 USD).
The building
Lyon & Turnbull is based in Broughton Place in Edinburgh, in a neoclassical building designed by Archibald ElliotArchibald Elliot
Archibald Elliot was a Scottish architect.Archibald Elliot ran an architecture practice in London and Edinburgh with his brother James Elliot. Following James' death in 1810, Archibald ran the company on his own...
which was built in 1821.