The Frick Art Reference Library has one of the world’s richest historic collections of catalogs of art sold at auction. Awareness and use of this collection has increased as independent scholars and the staff of museums rigorously investigate issues of provenance. Another factor in the increasing recognition of auction sale catalogs is their value as economic documents that may shed light on broader trends, topics that sometimes resonate beyond the field of art historical scholarship.

The auctioneer walks into the room, glances at his auction book and picks up his gavel. In this account of the process that lies behind the familiar sales catalogues held in so many art library collections the author highlights the differences between the sales of nearly 250 years ago and those of today. And it is clear that there can be occasions when all does not go quite as smoothly as intended.

The Institut national d’histoire de l’art in Paris (INHA), whose Library will open in 2008, will have one of the best collections of sales catalogues in the world, already estimated at more than 200,000 items. In 2003, in order to improve access, INHA undertook the retrospective conversion of the records describing this material. The establishment of a committee of librarians and researchers charged with developing the Library’s acquisition policy is providing an opportunity to review the future development of the collection as well as the possibility of creating a worldwide network of information, based in France, in this subject area.

Thirty years ago new computer technology made it possible for libraries to develop co-operative solutions for technical services. It was at that time that a small group of art librarians worked together to create SCIPIO – the Sales Catalog Index Project Input Online – in an innovative effort to streamline bibliographic control over their auction sales catalog collections. Driven by advancing technological changes and the move toward standardization, the database has since evolved to become the most comprehensive source for bibliographic control and access for auction sales catalogs.

Drouot-Documentation, the library of the oldest auction house in the world, began the 21st century by putting its furniture and furnishings database onto the Internet. This has given access not only to the 12,000 objects Drouot sells and photographs for its sales catalogues each year, but also to selected data in this specialised subject field from provincial sales in France and from others overseas, notably American and English ones. And there are plans eventually to convert the remaining manual indexes, which cover many other hard-to-find topics like the art of glass, ceramics and goldsmiths’ work.

Much of the research which has been carried out in the field of art history would have been impossible without the use of art sales catalogues. Furthermore, the use of historical art sales catalogues would never have been possible without the impressive four-volume reference work, Répertoire des catalogues de ventes publiques intéressant Vart ou la curiosité, created by Frits Lugt. IDC Publishers have combined the strengths of both in their new publication.

In recent years museums and galleries have come under scrutiny following claims that artworks confiscated or looted during the Second World War, and still unaccounted for, have made their way into public collections. In response, many such institutions worldwide have been endeavouring to reaffirm the integrity of their collections. The Queensland Art Gallery has established a Provenance Research Team to complete its records for artworks of European origin which have missing provenance details during the period 1933-1945. This paper highlights the role the Gallery Library is taking in supporting the project.

Illuminated manuscripts, Islamic books, rare maps and first editions are amongst the many items registered on the Art Loss Register database of stolen art, antiques and collectibles. Once they have catalogued and recorded an object the company’s experienced art historians are able to search the database as part of the process of recovering missing goods. But to maximize the chance of recovery it is essential that each item is carefully and accurately described, and preferably accompanied by an image of the object, and to be most effective this of course needs to be done in advance of theft or other loss.