Peter M. Fairbanks, President

President and owner of Montgomery Gallery, Peter M. Fairbanks received his Bachelor’s degree in Classical Studies from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. He completed the Sotheby’s executive training program in London in 1974 and upon his return to the United States became founder of the painting department at the William Doyle Galleries in New York. When Phillips, the London-based auctioneers, opened their first American operation, Mr. Fairbanks was hired as the Senior Vice President in charge of the Fine Arts Departments and Business Development. In 1980, he joined Butterfield & Butterfield Auctioneers, now Bonhams & Butterfield, as the Senior Vice President and Director of the Painting Department during which time he oversaw the rapid transformation of the company into the third largest auction house in the United States.

Mr. Fairbanks established Montgomery Gallery in 1984 which he has since built into the most respected international gallery in the western United States, specializing in nineteenth and twentieth century American and European painting with a focus on the art of California. With over thirty-five years of experience in the art trade Mr. Fairbanks has served on the boards of the European Fine Arts Foundation (organizers of TEFAF) and the Hearst Castle Preservation Foundation, among many others. He is a presently a member of the Art Dealers Association of America, the American Appraisers Association of America (for which he is the Western Regional Representative), the San Francisco Art Dealers Association of America (of which he is President Emeritus), and the Antique Dealers Association of California. He exhibits annually at the European Fine Art Fair, Maastricht and the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show and has also been a participant at the ADAA’s Art Show in New York and Grosvenor House in London. Mr. Fairbanks has written numerous catalogues and articles for various publications and is co-author of the monograph, Henri Lebasque 1865 – 1937, published by University of Washington Press and Bedford Arts Publishers. For his considerable contribution to the arts community he was awarded an honorary Bachelor of Arts degree from Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vermont.

A native of Cambridge Massachusetts, and now residing in San Francisco, Mr. Fairbanks has participated in the Antiques Road Show since its inception twelve years ago.

Lindsay Nivens-Frosini, Associate Director & Registrar

Lindsay Nivens-Frosini was co-proprietor for many years of the well-known framing and print gallery, Dow and Frosini in Berkeley, California, where she ran sales and research. After it was sold, she moved to Florence, Italy where, fluent in Italian, she worked as a translator and history/art history teacher. She has a degree in History from the University of San Francisco and a degree in Art History/Museology from the University of Florence in Italy, and has been with Montgomery Gallery since 2007.

Christine C. Miller, Gallery Manager, American Paintings Department

Chrissy is a native of San Francisco and joined Montgomery Gallery in late 2007 after receiving her masters in Modern Art, Connoisseurship and the History of the Art Market from Christie’s Education, New York. She also holds a B.A. in Art History from the University of Virginia. Chrissy currently serves as the Gallery Manager with a special focus on American Paintings.

Ellen S. Hoover, Consultant, European Art Department

Ellen is a native Californian and has lived for a number of years in France and Germany. She received a B.A. in Art History from Dominican College and in 1981 joined the painting department at Butterfield & Butterfield Auctioneers. In 1984, she was a co-founder of Montgomery Gallery and has been responsible for organizing many of its exhibitions and publications.

Elisabeth Peters, Consultant, American Art Department

Elisabeth is a native of San Francisco after graduating from Stanford University, she joined the firm of Butterfield & Butterfield Auctioneers in San Francisco as a member of the American and European Painting Department. A fifth generation Californian, she developed an interest in California art and inaugurated the first California painting department and auctions at Butterfields which today are a staple of the auction house. In 1984, she, Peter Fairbanks and Ellen Storck founded Montgomery Gallery where she served as head of the American Department with a special focus on the art of California. She has authored a number of exhibition catalogues on 19th century California art, and has done extensive study on the artist, Theodore Wores.