Bangs Auction was formed as Cooley & Bangs in 1837 at 196 Broadway in New York, a partnership between former publisher Lemuel Bangs and bookseller James Cooley. Within a year, Cooley was bought out, replaced by Josiah Richards and Luke Platt as Bangs, Richards & Platt. That was good until 1848 when it became, Bangs, Platt & Co., then from 1852-1858 Bangs Bros. & Co. (with Lemuel's brother Nathan Bangs). After Lemuel's retirement, from 1858-1876 it was Bangs, Merwin & Co (with Andrew Merwin) and finally, after Merwin died, 1877-1903 Bangs & Co. Throughout the run, there was always at least one Bangs present, six along the way. During that time, Bangs, in some form or other, became the biggest book auction house in America. Over their lifetime, they held at least 2,800 auctions, mostly of old books, a few of coins, and some of “trade books” (new books sold for publishers). By the turn of the century, it was hosting over an auction a week, but in 1903, the firm quickly ceased to exist, taken over by John Anderson, soon to be absorbed by Anderson Galleries. Two veterans of Bangs, Andrew Merwin's son, also named Andrew, and George Clayton, split off to form their own auction house, Merwin-Clayton Sales Co.