Bonhams, the global auction house, based in London, has acquired U.S. auction house Skinner. The company will be known as Bonhams Skinner. Based in Boston, Mass., Skinner holds around 80 sales a year in 20 collecting categories including Americana, Fine Art and Collectibles, and Wine, and ranging from fine violins to contemporary paintings. Important sales have included a Qing Dynasty vase sold for $24.7 million in 2014, a record price at the time for Chinese art in the U.S., and the record-setting sale of Manchester Harbor by American artist Fitz Henry Lane that achieved $5.5 million in 2004, which remains the highest price for a work of art ever realised at a New England auction. Among other hihglights was and a bottle of whisky believed to be the oldest known, ca. 1860s, which achieved $137,500 in 2021. Skinner was founded in 1962 by Robert W. Skinner Jr., who hired Stephen Fletcher as his first employee. Fletcher is now executive vice president and chief auctioneer and owns the company with Karen Keane, its chief executive officer. Joining forces with Bonhams provides Skinner with opportunities for growth and audience expansion, while also maintaining connections with consignors and buyers in the auction houses community. The acquisition will enhance Skinners strengths and will allow for further global reach. The acquisition of this auction house will give Bonhams greater access to the North American market through Skinners salerooms in Boston and Marlborough, Mass., and its digital platform for online sales. The purchase of Skinner will also build on Bonhams global business strategy, following the addition of Bukowskis, the leading auction house in the Nordics (based in Stockholm, Sweden) that was announced in January 2022. Founded in London in 1793, Bonhams, was acquired by the UK-based private equity firm, Epiris, in September 2018. Since that date, there has been substantial investment, specifically in digital technology, marketing, and new hires. The business operates globally from flagship salerooms in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and Hong Kong, with additional sales in Edinburgh and Sydney. This year the auction house will hold more than 400 specialist sales across 53 different categories. Bonhams and Skinner are a great match. With its international reach, Bonhams brings the world to New England and gives our world-class specialists global access. We are all really excited at the potential created by bringing these businesses together, stated Karen Keane. Skinner is such an iconic presence in New England and much-loved and celebrated for the rich treasures it offers. It also has a well-established digital footprint throughout North America that complements Bonhams presence, which will allow both companies to reach more consignors and buyers. The acquisition will enhance the local to global strategy that underpins Bonhams strength in the core market, so I am delighted to welcome Skinner to the Bonhams family, said Bruno Vinciguerra, chief executive officer of Bonhams.