John Sotheby (1740 – 1 November 1807) was an English auctioneer, who is the eponym of the famous auction house

Sotheby's Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...

Background

Auction house Baker and Leigh, was founded in London on 11 March 1744, He was the nephew of Samuel Baker, who was the founder of the book auctioneering firm which later became Sotheby's. After his uncle's death in 1778, John became a partner in his book auctioneering firm along with George Leigh. He expanded the scope of business of the firm to include the sale of prints,

medals A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

coins A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to ...

, and rare antiquities apart from book

He died on 1 November 1807 in

Chigwell Chigwell is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex, England. It is part of the urban and metropolitan area of London, and is adjacent to the northern boundary of Greater London. It is on the Central line of the London U ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sotheby, John English businesspeople 1740 births 1807 deaths English auctioneers

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...