Cataloguing an Estate: From Attic to Auction

From attic to auction

We start by recording the house as we find it, room by room, before a single object moves. That record protects the family, establishes provenance, and often reveals groupings that make stronger, more saleable lots.

Each object is then researched, measured, photographed, and condition-checked. The aim is not simply to describe a piece but to place it — to know what it is, where it sat in the market, and which buyers will want it most.

Only then does pricing begin. By the time a lot reaches the catalogue, the work that decides its result is already done.

Behind every clean catalogue entry is an untidy beginning — a house full of objects, papers, and decisions. Cataloguing an estate is equal parts scholarship and logistics.

From attic to auction

We start by recording the house as we find it, room by room, before a single object moves. That record protects the family, establishes provenance, and often reveals groupings that make stronger, more saleable lots.

Each object is then researched, measured, photographed, and condition-checked. The aim is not simply to describe a piece but to place it — to know what it is, where it sat in the market, and which buyers will want it most.

Only then does pricing begin. By the time a lot reaches the catalogue, the work that decides its result is already done.