Biography

Cathy Marsden is our Head of Department for Rare Books, Manuscripts & Maps. She also specialises in 19th and 20th century photography. Cathy looks after all aspects of our regular specialist Rare Books, Maps & Manuscripts auctions and is the main point of contact for any queries either about buying and selling at auction.

Recently, Cathy's expertise and experience led her to the discovery of a rare copy of the US Declaration of Independence amongst the contents of a Scottish country house.  After extensive research Cathy confirmed the paper to be the long-lost copy of signer Charles Carroll's copy of the famous 1823 William Stone printing.  She then worked together with our friends at Freeman's in Philadelphia, including specialist Darren Winston, to successfully bring the work to auction, eventually achieving a record price of $4,420,000. Read more in the News section below.  

Cathy joined Lyon & Turnbull in 2012 as a book specialist, following the completion of a postgraduate diploma in Museum Studies and an undergraduate degree in Art History and German from the University of St Andrews. In the past, she has worked with several heritage organisations and museums, including Osterley Park and the Geffrye Museum in London.