Of Ancestry, Antiques & Art

Over a Century of Auctions in London, Ontario

George Gardner held his first auction in London, Ontario in 1922. One of his early sales was selling horses for the City of London when they switched from horse-drawn to gas-powered trucks. Some of his major auctions include Tecumseh House, at one time the largest hotel in Canada, as well the contents of many of London's finest homes throughout the 1930's and 40's. Shortly after serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II, George's son, Jason, became his partner in the business. When George passed away unexpectedly in 1952, Jason carried on as an auctioneer and appraiser.  He purchased his first permanent auction house at 2 Langarth Street West in London, 1960. He also sold for Fyfe's of Edinburgh throughout Canada and made international headlines, including Time Magazine, when he was hired by a Toronto business conglomerate to auction antiques from Castro's Cuba in the mid 1960's.

Grant Gardner, Jason's son, joined in 1975 and changed the direction of the business from a general auction company to one specializing in estate furnishings, namely antiques and fine art. Some of Grant's major sales include the contents of Castle Kilbride in Baden, Ontario and the Dr. Alan Law estate of Toronto whose antique furniture collection realized over a million dollars. The antique market was so strong throughout the 1980's and 1990's that by 1999, a second building at 407 Hamilton Road in London was purchased to host weekly live auctions. These auctions quickly became a regular attraction to dealers, collectors and the general public from across Ontario, with several hundred people in attendance every Tuesday evening. 

The fourth generation, James and Mark Gardner, learned the business from the ground up and could often be seen in their early teenage years working at the live auctions and setting up sales during summers, evenings and weekends. The Gardner brothers attended the world's leading auction school, Reppert School of Auctioneering located in Auburn, Indiana in 2002 and eventually took on managing roles. In 2011, James pioneered monthly online art auctions in London, as well handles collections of high-value for estates and private individuals. Mark managed the Tuesday evening live auctions for many years and now runs monthly online estate, furniture and rug auctions which attract a worldwide audience. Today, after working in the auction industry for over 20 years and being accredited appraisers with The Canadian Association of Personal Property Appraisers, the Gardner brothers are proud of their great success story and have introduced their own children, Zoey, Isabel and Zara to the fascinating world of auctions.

Auctioneering is considered one of the oldest professions dating back to over 2500 years ago in Ancient Greece and Rome, a long-standing and respected tradition rooted in establishing market value for goods in a fair and transparent manner. While the auction business has changed significantly over the course of several millennia, the purpose of an auction has stayed the same and Gardner's is proud to be the longest running auction house in London and the oldest auction firm in Canada under continuous family ownership.

Why Online?

After taking notice of market trends and the steady shift in demand from live to online in the early part of the 21st century, Gardner's introduced online auctions in the summer of 2011 and within one year, thousands of new clients had registered to bid online. After the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the demand for online auctions surged and auction companies globally made the switch to "all online" while live auctions began to disappear. From a buyers perspective it is pure convenience, as you can sit on your sofa or lounge by the pool while scrolling through auctions and placing bids, day or night. For sellers, your items are being viewed by a much larger audience which entails higher prices. In it's heyday, a well-advertised live auction may have drawn a crowd of 300 people, whereas today online auctions are viewed by thousands of clients everyday worldwide through this website, social media and web directories such as Google. The live auctions are missed but the fun and excitement of an auction still carry on today.

All online auctions are available for in-person viewing at our beautifully renovated art deco building located at 407 Hamilton Road in London. Along with 20,000 square feet of floor space, clients enjoy the location with easy access to the 401 highway, the large parking lot with free parking and loading area, everything located on one level, new LED lighting and three designated showrooms to exhibit items for sale. With a new and improved website in 2025, Gardner Galleries now conduct over 150 auctions per year with 50,000 lots sold annually.

Some Major Highlights Through The Years

The Gardner family have conducted thousands of successful auctions for over a century, with many achievements and world record prices. A few noted highlights include an oil on canvas by British artist Arthur Elsley entitled "Blind Man's Bluff" which sold for $350,000, a rare Simon Willard American tall case clock for $64,000, a 1970 Jaguar E-Type 2+2 coupe for $110,800, and a vintage Steinway player piano for $25,000. Gardner Galleries have also broken several Canadian art sales records including a Florence Carlyle painting titled "Spring Song" for $115,000, an 8 1/2 x 10 1/2in A.Y. Jackson oil on panel depicting a winter sleigh ride scene in Quebec for $160,000, a Brian Jones acrylic on canvas "Baby View" for $38,000 and a major abstract oil on canvas by York Wilson for $12,000. These records still stand today.

In the spring of 2011, Grant Gardner found an early hardcover book in the back of a clothes cupboard in a Thamesford, Ontario farmhouse, which turned out to be a lost treasure of Australian history. The Captain James Wallis Album of hand-coloured Australian engravings and watercolours (see image) was the personal book belonging to Wallis circa 1816-1818, while he was setting up the first British penal colony in Australia. After months of research, a full colour catalogue was dedicated to this important item, and was put up for auction in the fall of 2011 receiving bids from across Australia, New Zealand and Europe, which in turn sold for an outstanding 2.2 million dollars. This extraordinary book reached worldwide attention and news agencies including CNN, and a special ceremony was eventually held in New South Wales, Australia for the unveiling of the Wallis Album. Much more about this historical discovery can be found online.

Partners in the Firm:

James Gardner

Director of Canadian & International Fine Art, Indigenous Art, Antiquarian Books & Unique Collections

Fourth Generation Auctioneer, Certified Appraiser and Website Development

Mark Gardner

Specialist in Furniture, Decorative Arts, Persian Rugs, Sports Memorabilia, Electronics & Vintage Toys

Fourth Generation Auctioneer and Certified Appraiser

Grant Gardner

Expert in Jewellery, Fine Timepieces, Coins & Stamps

Patriarch of Gardner Galleries with a career spanning over 50 years as an Auctioneer & Appraiser

All Three Auctioneers are Accredited Appraisers with the Canadian Association of Personal Property Appraisers

Our Team:

Elizabeth Gardner

Accounting & Administration

Craig Snively

General Manager

Hilda Sass-Kortsak

Reception and Client Services

Ava Kelly

Reception and Client Services

Denise Krogman

Shipping & Receiving

Visit our showrooms at 407 Hamilton Road, London: