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BLOOMSBURY AUCTIONS LAUNCHES PHOTOGRAPHS DEPARTMENT IN NYC

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NEW YORK CITY — Bloomsbury Auctions has announced the launch of its photographs department here with the appointment of John Cowey as department head and Hannah Hayden as junior specialist. The department is guided by renowned photography specialist Rick Wester, of Rick Wester Fine Art, Inc, as international consultant.

Bloomsbury Auctions opened its New York salesroom just eight months ago at 6 West 48th Street near Rockefeller Plaza, and it has already announced significant plans for expansion with the development of new departments in modern and contemporary prints and photography.

Cowey is a respected expert in the field of fine art photography and has worked within the photographic art market for 15 years. Most recently, he worked as gallery manager at Edwynn Houk Gallery, a leading private photography gallery. Hayden comes from Phillips de Pury & Company where she managed client development for contemporary art and photographs, in addition to working with catalogs, research, and promotion.

Wester brings almost 30 years of knowledge and experience in the selling, exhibiting, promoting and appraising of photographs in both the private and public sectors to his new role at Bloomsbury Auctions. His experience includes nine years as the international director of photographs at Christie’s, Inc. Most recently, he was the first worldwide head of photographs at Phillips de Pury & Company, and since September 2007 he has been the president and director of his own art services company, Rick Wester Fine Art, Inc. Wester will assist the firm by developing the photographs departments in New York, London and Rome.

Wester says of the new department, “There is an incredible potential for growth within the photography market and I am truly excited by the prospect of facilitating the development of the photographs departments at Bloomsbury Auctions. I fully expect this to be a successful, competitive venture.”

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with such distinguished authorities in the field of fine art photography. It is with great pleasure that we welcome the new staff to Bloomsbury Auctions,” says Tommaso Zanzotto, president of Bloomsbury Auctions, Inc. “Our well-known expertise and customer service will now extend to collectors, vendors and artists in the photography world,” added Zanzotto, who serves as a trustee of Aperture Foundation and other fine art organizations.

Bloomsbury Auctions will host its inaugural photography sale in New York October 16–17. Cowey and Hayden are available for valuations and may be contacted at photographs@bloomsburyauctions.com or 212-719-1000.