NYC’s Sues Christie’s for Drawings

New York City officials have sued Christie’s. The $1 million lawsuit concerns a fight over ownership of architect Jacob Wrey Mould’s drawings and designs found in NYC 50 years ago. According to The Guardian:

At some point in the 1950s a craftsman called Buckley was working on a site in lower Manhattan when he came across a stash of papers dumped in a skip. They were a set of architectural drawings in watercolours of plans for city parks including details of fountains, clocks, terraces and other structures. …Recognising their innate value, he took a pile of more than 100 of the drawings home and filed them away for safe keeping.

However, seems like this lawsuit may not go far.

[NYC] has persuaded the New York court to put a preliminary restraining order that prevents Buckley or Christie’s from selling any of the drawings. In return, the city has promised to back off from its legal threats and to attempt to reach a settlement.

The legal action was brought against the late craftsman’s son, Sam Buckley, and Christie’s, who tried to sell the drawings. More here.

Tags: architecture, Art Law, auctions, drawings, found art