Editing Christie's (section)

=== Founding ===
[[File:Thomas Gainsborough (English - Portrait of James Christie (1730 - 1803) - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|''[[Portrait of James Christie]]'' by [[Thomas Gainsborough]], 1778]]
The official company literature states that founder [[James Christie (auctioneer)|James Christie]] (1730–1803) conducted the first sale in London on 5 December 1766,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christies.com/features/welcome/|title=Christies.com – About Us|quote=James Christie conducted the first sale in London on 5 December 1766.|access-date=3 December 2008|archive-date=1 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201223718/http://www.christies.com/features/welcome/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766. However, other sources note that James Christie rented auction rooms from 1762, and newspaper advertisements for Christie's sales dating from 1759 have also been traced.<ref>[[Daily Gazetteer|Gazetteer and London Daily Advertiser]] (London, England), 25 September 1762; Issue 10460</ref> After his death, Christie's son, [[James Christie the Younger]] (1773–1831) took over the business.<ref>M.A. Michael (2019). "[https://www.academia.edu/40805885/_Not_exactly_a_connoisseur_A_new_portrait_of_James_Christie_by_Benjamin_Vandergucht_1752_1794_and_the_auctioneer_s_family_history Not Exactly a Connoisseur A New Portrait of James Christie]". ''The British Art Journal'' (London: Robin Simon).''' 19''':76.</ref>