Swann’s photography sale later this week spans its usual three categories – fine photographs, vernacular photographs, and photobooks. The auction is led by a 19th century arctic exploration album by William Bradford and supported by a broad selection of lower priced material. The sale includes an unusual number of portfolios, featuring Brassaï, Kertész, Doisneau, Boubat, Hurrell, Benson, Caponigro, Tice, Erwitt, Lyon, and Porter, plus several more consisting of the work of multiple photographers. Overall, there are a total of 347 lots available in the sale, with a Total High Estimate of $2240900.
Here’s the statistical breakdown:
| Preview Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000) | 310 |
| Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of low lots) | $1172900 |
| Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000) | 34 |
| Total Mid Estimate | $768000 |
| Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000) | 3 |
| Total High Estimate | $300000 |
The top lot by High estimate is lot 17, William Bradford, The Arctic Regions, Illustrated with Photographs Taken on an Art Expedition to Greenland, 1873, estimated at $100000-150000 (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 | 12 |
| Edward Curtis | 12 |
| Berenice Abbott | 10 |
| Lewis Hine | 7 |
| Harry Callahan | 6 |
| Henri Cartier-Bresson | 6 |
| George Tice | 6 |
| Weegee | 6 |
| Eadweard Muybridge | 5 |
| Jerry Uelsmann | 5 |
Other lots of interest include (images above, via Swann):
Lot 6, Alexander Gardner, Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter, Gettysburg, 1863, estimated at $3000-4500
Lot 48, Arthur Rothstein, Dust Storm, Cimarron County, Oklahoma, 1936, estimated at $7000-10000
Lot 76, Lewis Hine, Sadie Pfeifer, a Cotton Mill Spinner, Lancaster, South Carolina, 1908/1920s, estimated at $25000-35000
Lot 96, Irving Penn, Pablo Picasso, Cannes, 1957/1962, estimated at $60000-90000
The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here.
