Auction house Bonhams & Butterfields sets up shop in D.C.

The great thing about Washington, Martin Gammon says, is that there may be a Himalayan art collector or a rare manuscipt aficionado living next door to you.

“Washington is really one of the cultural capitals of North America,” said Gammon, managing director of auction house Bonhams & Butterfields’ new office in Georgetown. “There are such diverse collecting groups, ranging from rare maps to Greek, Pakistani and Native American art.”

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Bonhams, the largest auction house after Christie’s and Sotheby’s, opened in the District last month to cater to the area’s collectors, diplomats and museums. It is the only major auctioneer with an office in the area.

“There are certain discoveries made only when you have an expert in the room,” said Gammon, who regularly appears on the PBS show “Antiques Roadshow.” “I’ve seen enormously rich collections here that have never been appraised or examined.”

At a time when major auction houses are closing regional offices and jumping out of niche markets, Bonhams is doing the opposite. The auction house, which has offices in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, is expanding to accomodate specialty areas like modern Greek art, contemporary sub-Saharan art, martime art and vintage motorcars.

“You generally hear only about the big-ticket items in contemporary art,” Gammon said. “But the reality is that a very, very small group of people buy those. Pieces under $1 million or even under $50,000, that’s more where the market is.”

Gammon, 44, dressed in a crisp pinstriped navy suit, rattles off a list of hidden treasures: A framed gunpowder painting that sold for $700,000; a red-glazed bowl from China worth $7.8 million.

For now, Gammon runs a one-man operation. The Bonhams outpost in the District serves mainly as a center for consultations, appraisals and small exhibitions, although Gammon says he may hold auctions in the area on a case-by-case basis.

A couple of weeks ago, the office held an inaugural event for 60 local collectors. A newly-found painting by Diego Velazquez, slated to be auctioned on Dec. 7 in London, was on display.

“It’s a rare opportunity to just walk into an auction house and see a wonderful masterpiece,” said Eric Motley, who collects 18th century books. “And on top of that, auction houses are great meeting places where you have conversations with people who share your interests and pasttimes.

Last week, Motley, 38, worked with Gammon to bid on a copy of Leigh Hunt’s “Abou Ben Adhem” that was handwritten by the poet. Motley faxed in an offer, but was outbid by about $1,550.

“Putting together a collection is like constructing a puzzle,” Motley said. “There are certain volumes you have to acquire, and it’s great to develop relationships with auction houses because they’ll help you find what you need.”

Gammon used to teach philosophy at Stanford and Yale. Then he received a tenure-track job in a city where his wife didn’t want to move.

“It was really as simple as that,” he says of his transition to the auction world about 10 years ago. Gammon, who is a collector of 18th century books, made a few calls and landed at Bonhams & Butterfields as an appraiser in San Francisco. The range of collections he encounters on a daily basis keeps his job interesting, Gammon said.

“If you go to Middleburg, you land in horse country, so you’ll find collections of sports books and art,” Gammon said. “Down in Richmond, you have a lot of Civil War collectors. Every category has a different character.”

Judah Best, who collects 19th and early 20th century American art and is on the board of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, says he welcomes the company’s new office.

“It’s always nice to press the flesh, to have someone who really knows you and your collection,” he said.