PARIS, Aug 31, 2001/ --- Phillips, de Pury & Luxembourg, the auction house controlled by the world's biggest luxury conglomerate LVMH, has named Joshua Holdeman as director of its new photography department.

The move marks Phillips' latest step in its aggressive drive to become a major play in international auctioneering. Phillips plans to introduce sales of photography twice yearly starting in spring 2002.

Holdeman joins Phillips after eight years at the Robert Miller Gallery, a pioneer in promoting photography, where he rose to become director of the gallery's photography department. During that time he was involved with the Estate of Diane Arbus and The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, and worked with artists like William Eggleston and fashion favorite Bruce Weber.

"We are looking forward with great excitement to participating in the fascinating photography market established in the last 20 years in America... We are planning to have some very interesting sales and we are pleased to have a talented and dynamic personality like Joshua Holdeman on board," said Phillips chairman Simon de Pury in a statement.

Phillips, which merged with de Pury & Luxembourg this spring, is a pet project for LVMH chairman and main shareholder Bernard Arnault. His interest in Phillips is, in part, the extension of his bitter struggle with Francois Pinault, a rival French billionaire, who snatched control of Gucci from under Arnault's nose.

Pinault also controls Christie's that together with Sotheby's has dominated the post-war international auction business.