Sotheby’s second auction of the week is its hefty various owner Photographs sale, headlined by a significant and diverse group of Robert Frank prints from the collection of Charles and Barbara Reiher. While many of Frank’s famous images are of course present in this bunch, it’s the lesser known ones that are worth seeking out. Overall, there are a total of 239 lots of photography on offer, with a total High estimate of $6946000.
Here’s the statistical breakdown:
| Preview Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000) | 97 |
| Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of low lots) | $705000 |
| Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000) | 117 |
| Total Mid Estimate | $2871000 |
| Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000) | 25 |
| Total High Estimate | $3370000 |
The top lot by High estimate is lot 165, Man Ray, Calla Lilies, 1931, estimated at $300000-500000 (image at right, top, via Sotheby’s).
Here’s the list of photographers represented by five or more lots in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):
Robert Frank (21)
Ansel Adams (14)
Henri Cartier-Bresson (12)
Berenice Abbott (11)
Minor White (7)
Harry Callahan (6)
Horst P. Horst (6)
Yousuf Karsh (6)
Peter Beard (5)
Ruth Bernhard (5)
Lee Friedlander (5)
Alfred Stieglitz (5)
Other photographs of interest include lot 171, Laszlo Mohloy-Nagy, In the Sand, c1925, estimated at $100000-150000 (image at right, middle, via Sotheby’s) and lot 124, Robert Frank, Untitled (rooftop), estimated at $10000-15000 (image at right, bottom, via Sotheby’s.)
The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here.
