: - Ron Bourgeault, president, founder and principal auctioneer of
Northeast Auctions, has announced that Chris Jussel is joining
Northeast Auctions effective October 1. Jussel will be
headquartered in Portsmouth at 93 Pleasant Street, but will spend
a great deal of time assisting clients in the New York
metropolitan area as well as other parts of the country.
In 1972 Jussel joined his family's firm, Vernay & Jussel, in
New York City. Established in 1906, Vernay & Jussel dealt in
fine English furniture and was one of the oldest established
antiques businesses in America. In 1994, Jussel closed the
business and became a private consultant to clients in England as
well as America. In 1996 he was tapped as the original host of
Antiques Roadshow, which quickly became PBS's most watched
television show. He joined Sotheby's in 1999, were he was a
senior vice president in the Trusts and Estates division. He left
Sotheby's earlier this year.
"Chris and I have known each other for many years," said
Bourgeault. "We go back to the early 1970s when we were both
young dealers exhibiting at antiques shows. We paid our dues
exhibiting at Lake Forest, Grosse Pointe, Houston and the Winter
Antiques Show. Neither rain nor snow kept us from loading trucks
until midnight, driving those trucks for days on end, unpacking,
setting up booths and then jumping into a business suit for an
early evening preview party."
Jussel echoes Bourgeault's sentiments; "Working with Ron and his
wonderful organization of people is an exciting new chapter in my
career which I look forward to with great enthusiasm. It provides
me with an opportunity to work very closely with my many friends
in the antiques world: collectors, dealers, designers and museum
curators. Additionally, I look forward to helping to contribute
to the great success Ron has achieved at Northeast Auctions."
Everyone at Northeast Auctions is looking forward to having Chris
Jussel join the team. In recent years Northeast Auctions has
grown, grossing more than $25 million dollars per year. One of
Northeast Auctions' main goals is to provide personal service to
clients selling fine and decorative arts; Jussell will assist on
many levels in that area.
Jussel will be joining a team well-known to the antiques market.
Albert Sack, the dean of American antique furniture and author of
Good, Better, Best, is a full-time consultant in American
furniture. Another member of the team is Carl Crossman, an author
and expert in the field of the China Trade, as well as an
authority on paintings and prints as a former owner of Child's
Gallery of Boston. Through archeology Crossman is a student of
English and Continental ceramics for the American market.
Merrilee Possner, with a degree in American folk art, has been
with Northeast Auctions for more than ten years producing catalog
entries with in-depth research. Scott Cousins, the director of
operations, "can make anything happen" according to the
auctioneer -- from moving crystal chandeliers out of the attic of
the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to driving a collection of
historical Staffordshire across the country from the Los Angeles
County Museum to arrive in time for inclusion in the upcoming
October 31-November 2 auction in Manchester, N.H.
"Ron has built over the past several decades an incomparable team
and a stellar reputation in the auction world," said Jussel. "It
is a great honor to be asked to be a part of his team. I take
particular interest, of course, in expanding Northeast's sales of
English and European furniture and decorations."
For information call 603-433-8400, or email
cjussel@northeastauctions.com.
