LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. – Rago/Wright announces that Chicago auction house Toomey & Co. will join the brand, building on the company’s continued momentum and growth in the industry. As with Rago/Wright’s 2021 partnership with LA Modern Auctions (LAMA), Toomey & Co. will maintain its name while all four houses work together to share technology, expertise and marketing efforts. Based in the suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, the Toomey & Co. office and galleries will relocate to Wright’s Chicago headquarters at 1440 W. Hubbard St. in the fall.
“The business I began 40 years ago has evolved significantly in the last four decades, and we’re proud to be embarking on an exciting new chapter, which we are confident will benefit our brand as well as the industry and its clients,” said President of Toomey & Co., John Toomey. “Joining forces with Rago/Wright expands our ability to serve our clients, extends our competitive advantage and positions us for future growth.”
Founded in 1987, Toomey & Co. is a leading and trusted presence in the art and design markets. Now under the leadership of Lucy Toomey and John Walcher, Toomey & Co. offers several auctions per year with departments including early 20th-century and modern design, fine art, jewelry, silver and timepieces.
A renowned specialist in objects of the Arts & Crafts Movement, John Toomey will join David Rago, who is a preeminent authority in 20th-century decorative ceramics and design, in a formidable merging of knowledge and talents. Bolstering Rago/Wright’s capacity in this field, this new partnership perfectly complements Wright’s focus on Modern design, strengthening the combined brand’s ability to offer strategic opportunities for buying and selling works from a wide range of eras and movements.
Toomey & Co. specialist Riley Humler will contribute to the reputation that company Partner David Rago has built for Rago/Wright as a leading auction house for early 20th-century American ceramics and art pottery. With more than 30 years of auction experience, Humler is president of the American Art Pottery Association, has appeared regularly on the PBS series Antiques Roadshow, and, in 1991, curated and sold the Glover collection, considered the most important sale of Rookwood pottery to date.
“Joining forces with John Toomey and Riley Humler is a decades-long dream,” said David Rago. “With this merger, we are launching an American Arts & Crafts team unlike any other in the industry.”
Rago/Wright Partner Suzanne Perrault echoed the sentiment: “It is incredibly exciting to grow our expertise and expand our repertoire. We are delighted to finally come together with Toomey & Co. and to collaborate in 20th-century design.”
Richard Wright will remain in his role as CEO of the combined company, which will continue to offer curated auctions of art, design, ceramics, glass, jewelry and watches with bespoke digital presentations and state-of-the-art bidding technology. The knowledge and experience of Toomey & Co.’s team will broaden the combined brand’s service to buyers and sellers on an expanded national and international scale, and will consolidate reputable sources for an even stronger voice in the art and design market.
“Through the merger with Toomey & Co., we are delivering on our vision to combine the strongest independent auction houses with a shared database and web platform,” said Wright. “Our combined expertise, client service and technology is unrivaled.”
So far in 2022, with a team of 95 across Chicago, Lambertville, New York and Los Angeles, Rago, Wright and LAMA have presented 44 auctions with sales totaling more than $60 million, setting world records in multiple categories. Rago/Wright has an exciting fall schedule, including their first auction with Toomey & Co. in October.