European Furniture of the 19th Century

Christopher Payne is the son of a Leicestershire antique dealer, brought up on traditional English furniture of the 18th and 19th centuries. The family business started by his grandfather in 1901, made and restored furniture and Christopher spent as much time as be could in the workshops. After University, he joined Sotheby's as a porter, subsequently becoming the director responsible for furniture from 1830 to 1930. His 25-year career at Sotheby's gave him an unprecedented grounding in what was, at the time, the largely uncharted territory of later European furniture and he has become one of the world's leading experts in his field. A freelance consultant to private clients since 1994, he also contributes regularly to BBC's Antiques Roadshow.