Swann’s upcoming photography sale covers a lot of ground – fine photographs, vernacular imagery, and photobooks, all swirled into one hefty, thematically organized sale. The auction is led by a complete set of Edward Curtis’ The North American Indian (signed by both the photographer and President Teddy Roosevelt). Having recently read Timothy Egan’s rousing biography of Curtis (here), I have a much deeper appreciation for the massive scope of the project and the extreme dedication required to bring it to fruition; it’s clearly one of the great photobook projects of all time. The rest of the sale wanders widely, with plenty of unexpected material to explore. Overall, there are a total of 385 lots available in the auction, with a Total High Estimate of $2549400.
Here’s the statistical breakdown:
| Preview Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000) | 349 |
| Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of low lots) | $1374400 |
| Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000) | 33 |
| Total Mid Estimate | $710000 |
| Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000) | 3 |
| Total High Estimate | $465000 |
The top lot by High estimate is lot 36, Edward Curtis, The North American Indian (Volumes 1-20), 1907-1930, estimated at $250000-350000 (image above via Swann).
Here’s the complete list of photographers with five or more lots in the sale, along with the number of lots on offer:
| Multiple Lots For Sale | |
|---|---|
| Ansel Adams | 11 |
| Irving Penn | 8 |
| Brett Weston | 8 |
| Berenice Abbott | 7 |
| Edward Curtis | 7 |
| Henri Cartier-Bresson | 6 |
| Andre Kertesz | 6 |
| W. Eugene Smith | 6 |
| Ruth Bernhard | 5 |
| Edward Weston | 5 |
Other lots of interest include (images above, via Swann):
Lot 65, Margaret Bourke-White, Industrial Abstraction, 1935, estimated at $7000-10000
Lot 81, Sherril Schell, Light and Shadow in New York City, 1930, estimated at $6000-9000
Lot 226, W. Eugene Smith, Alert Soldier, Saipan, 1944, estimated at $5000-7500
Lot 238, Southworth & Hawes, Two Sisters Posing with a Chair, c1850, estimated at $30000-45000
The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here.
