Don’t let the small size of this single owner sale fool you, there are at least a dozen powerhouse vintage photographs on offer in this auction at Sotheby’s next week. Start with a handful of Moholy-Nagy and Man Ray photograms, add in a Sheeler hallway, a Weston shells, a Coburn vortograph, and a Steichen portrait of Gloria Swanson and you’ve got the makings for a pretty astounding bunch of pictures. This is a preview worth putting on your calendar. Overall, there are a total of 31 photography lots available, with a Total High Estimate of $4492000.
Here’s the statistical breakdown:
| Preview Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000) | 3 |
| Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of low lots) | $24000 |
| Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000) | 7 |
| Total Mid Estimate | $198000 |
| Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000) | 21 |
| Total High Estimate | $4270000 |
The top lot by High estimate is lot 19, Man Ray, Rayograph (with Coil, Handkerchief, and Chain), 1924, estimated at $400000-600000.
Here’s the complete list of photographers with two or more lots in the sale, along with the number of lots on offer:
| Multiple Lots For Sale | |
|---|---|
| Robert Frank | 6 |
| Man Ray | 4 |
| László Moholy-Nagy | 4 |
| Edward Weston | 4 |
| Edward Steichen | 3 |
| Alfred Stieglitz | 2 |
Other lots of interest include lot 3, Alvin Langdon Coburn, Vortograph, 1917, estimated at $250000-350000 (image above, left, via Sotheby’s), lot 15, Edward Steichen, Gloria Swanson, 1924, estimated at $300000-500000 (image above middle, via Sotheby’s), and lot 17, László Moholy-Nagy, Fotogramm, 1922, estimated at $150000-250000 (image above, right, via Sotheby’s).
The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here.
