Christie’s launches global pop culture division

Christie’s has launched a new permanent global pop culture division to consolidate its business in the memorabilia market. The division will be based in New York and led by Josh Benesh, a former Heritage Auctions executive.

The move follows the successful sale of the Jim Irsay collection, which generated $105.3 million across five auctions this year. Christie’s noted this was the largest total ever achieved for a single memorabilia collection.

The new department will host multiple annual auctions covering various categories, including film, television, music, sports memorabilia, science, technology, natural history, fashion, and popular design. Chief Executive Bonnie Brennan stated that the market has reached a “point of maturity” that justifies a formal commitment to the sector.