"Christie's Auction Room", by Thomas Rowlandson & Augustus Charles Pugin from The Microcosm of London, Volume 1 (London: R. Ackerman, 1810).
Located on the south side of Pall Mall, Christie's has been auctioning high end commodities, ancient artifacts, art, jewelry, furniture, and other personal properties since 1762. The sales rooms are large, light, and airy, simply furnished, and tastefully appointed. Pre-auction viewings are conducted and bidding by proxy is allowed. Owned and managed by John Christie.
Going once: A packed Christies sale room looks on as telephone bidders vie for the most important (and the largest) of Monet's Waterlilies, sold at Christie's, London for an astonishing £40.1 million on June 24, 2008, setting a record price for the artist and a record for any Impressionist painting.
Damien Hirst: Rich Artist Gets Richer http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,1774353335_1839008,00.html
...