Was 007 an Auctioneer?

By Robert A. Doyle, CAI, ISA, CES, CAGA

If so, this auctioneer would have to have been from royalty, an English gentleman, well-bred and educated, savvy and street smart, able to play on an International level. What other qualities would we need to qualify this auctioneer as a real life James Bond? Perhaps we would want him to be strong, confident, loyal, dedicated, quick thinking, daring, imaginative, intellectual, innovative, fearless and also somewhat unorthodox and unpredictable. Did Ian Fleming have an English auctioneer in mind when he developed the character of James Bond?

The answer is “yes”! But, who could qualify? Who could measure up to the high standards? One of the earliest well-known auctioneers in England was “James” Christie. But, James Christie was an 18th Century auctioneer having his first auction on December 5th 1766. Obviously, he was not Internationally known.

The auctioneer that we are seeking would have to have had military training, been involved with espionage, flown on the Concord, had several homes including one in the South of France, been involved with smuggling, international secrets, tax shelters, spies, million dollar paintings and much more.

He was, and his name was Peter Cecil Wilson born March 8, 1913 to English parents of impressive pedigree. At birth he had links to both Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street, which was the official address of the Prime Minister. His father, Sir Mathew Wilson, Baronet, was from Eshton Hall, Gargrave in Craven, Yorkshire. His mother being the Honorable Barbara Lister, daughter of the fourth Baron Ribblesdale, Master of the Royal Buckhounds of Gisburn Park, Gisburn (An important personage of Queen Victoria’s household). Although later Wilson would be credited with being the one person who was responsible for creating the modern Sotheby’s, his early years were best defined as unstable and uncertain. Books could be written about his life. This article will provide the abbreviated version.

Sir Mathew Wilson had the nickname of “Scatters” which defined what happened to money in his possession and care. Yes, Peter’s father gambled and invested poorly. In 1916 Scatters sold the family library to keep creditors at bay. When Peter was ten the family had to move out of Eshton Hall entirely. The family took up a rootless existence, camping with relatives and renting accommodations. (In reflecting back on his childhood Peter was quoted saying “I think a very happy childhood is not conducive to success in later life”)

The facts reveal that Peter attended Eton, Britain’s premier public school and then went on to Oxford. In reality, Peter, tall, gangling and hating athletic pursuits, often cut school to visit the antique shops in search of old books and curios to study. He was known as an “alternative Etonian”. He failed History and dropped out of Oxford. His parents then sent him to Europe to “polish his languages”. He was home within a year, at age 20, with his new wife,Helen.

Helen Ranken was middle class which was a great disappointment to Peter’s parents. Sir Mathew and Lady Wilson promptly revoked the small allowance that Peter had been receiving forcing him to find employment. He worked at many odd jobs from a clerk in a coin and medals dealer’s shop next to Christies on King Street, to selling advertising for various newspapers. His break came in 1936 while at a party. Peter met Vere Pilkington, a ten year employee of Sotheby’s. Wilson offered to work for free if he could get a position at Sotheby’s. He landed a job for little more than he asked for in the furniture department as a porter.

Peter worked hard and showed promise. As luck would have it, A Director was retiring at about the same time Peter’s wife came into some inheritance money. In December of 1938 he was able to purchase, for $5,000, shares of a retiring Director to become a Director and junior partner at Sotheby’s.

In the Fall of 1939, less than a year after stepping up to Director, Peter Wilson abruptly vanished from the auction house. He was not alone. Almost every male of fighting age was called to action with Hitler’s invasion of Poland. It is at this point that we can first see the development of a James Bond type character. Peter and four others were recruited as “bright spirits” to do serious secret service in search of spies. He would spend six years serving his country in the Censorship Department. He was sent to Gibraltar to the “Special Examiners” department to go through other countries diplomatic bags and correspondence. Next, he was sent to Bermuda, where the Hamilton Princess Hotel was setup with hundreds of women who scrutinized the contents of the transatlantic mails. Peter was to oversee this operation. Letters were steamed open, then heated or dampened for evidence of secret inks. According to statistics published after the war, Peter’s department was responsible for identifying and exposing foreign agents operating in America during World War II.

Toward the end of the war Wilson was promoted to full time espionage. He joined the ranks of M16 (the equivalent of our FBI) and was transferred to Washington, where he was invited to stay on and make spying his life. His M16 code number was 007. One of his friends and colleagues was Ian Fleming. Later, Wilson liked to boast that he was the inspiration for Fleming’s creation of James Bond.

According to Robert Lacey, author of Sotheby’s – Bidding for Class, “It was not an impossible stretch. Peter Wilson was charm and intrigue personified. The themes of his career at Sotheby’s were to be the seduction of clients and the stealing of sales from the enemy. There are even those who believe that Peter Wilson never fully left the world of espionage, and that all the famous things he did for Sotheby’s were just a front”.

The fact was, Wilson returned to Sotheby’s located on New “Bond” Street and in 1947 he was promoted to head the “”Picture Department”. This was a fantastic career move to the most important sales department in the company. It was also the year of his divorce with Helen. The explanation for the divorce is revealed in the book: Sotheby’s Bidding for Class “Growing up under a law which made homosexual practices crime, he was not open about his orientation as a youth, and his early marriage to Helen Ranken channeled him firmly in a conventional direction. The couple had two sons, born in 1937 and 1940. But the marriage was dissolved in 1947, and thereafter he followed his inclinations.” Helen remarried and Peter had a good relationship with the new family unit. But, from this point forward the only marriage Peter would have would be to Sotheby’s.

Peter Wilson’s years of dealing for the British Intelligence in Washington D.C. after the war would open his eyes to the opportunities of exploiting wealth in America as well as the rest of the world. By heading up the most important department, “Pictures”, Sotheby’s leadership strategically placed Wilson in the position to challenge Christies dominance. However, to be a super auctioneer, he would have to aim much higher, and he did. He developed a vision of Sotheby’s becoming more than just a British auction house. He also was eager to challenge the dealer monopoly on “high ticket” art sales. Dealers were the principal customers of the auction galleries as well as the primary competitors.

His opportunity came in 1952 when the playboy king of Egypt, King Farouk was deposed. As author Robert Lacey put it, “Wilson sniffed plunder immediately”. He knew that the former king had a reputation for being the world’s biggest collector. The art world had been depressed since post war 1945 and Sotheby’s needed a boost.

Wilson was on the first available flight to Cairo to propose his services to the military junta. He found gold – including over 2,000 gold watches and varied collections of coins, stamps, glassware, porcelain and furniture. But back home the Board was nervous. What if Farouk or heirs contested the sale? What about possible lawsuits? Costs could be prohibitive; so much could go wrong. Peter Wilson’s response to the nervous directors was “In life one goes forward or back, I wanted to go forward.” Indeed he did. Sixteen months later, after battling competition, tireless cataloging and promotion, the auction took place in Cairo in March of 1954. From an immediate financial perspective the Farouk auction was a disaster.

To be continued...
Look for the rest of this article in the April 3rd issue of Strictly Auctions.