Rare prints by Ansel Adams continued their strong momentum at a single artist sale at Sotheby’s last week drawn from the collection of David H. Arrington. This sale was a follow up to similarly successful 2020 sale at Sotheby’s from the same collection (results here), and can also be compared with three Christie’s sales of Adams prints drawn from the collection of the CCP in 2019, 2020, and 2021 (2021 results here).
What all this decently fresh data tells us is that the demand for superlative Adams prints remains broad and robust. With the top lot Moonrise finding a buyer in its range, an overall Buy-In rate of just 2%, and 22 positive surprises sprinkled throughout the sale, when the dust settled, the Total Sale Proceeds (of roughly $3.8M) came in well above the top end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.
The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
| Summary Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Lots | 100 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | $2045000 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | $2997000 |
| Total Lots Sold | 98 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 2 |
| Buy In % | 2.00% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | $3807846 |
Here is the breakdown (using our typical Low, Mid, and High definitions):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 32 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 31 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 1 |
| Low Buy In % | 3.13% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | $251000 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | $336042 |
| Mid Total Lots | 58 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | 57 |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | 1 |
| Mid Buy In % | 1.72% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | $1126000 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | $1869084 |
| Total High Lots | 10 |
| Total High Lots Sold | 10 |
| Total High Lots Bought In | 0 |
| High Buy In % | 0.00% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of High Lots | $1620000 |
| Total Proceeds from High Lots | $1602720 |
The top lot by High estimate was lot 26, Ansel Adams, Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941/c1943, estimated at $500000-700000; it was also the top outcome of the sale at $504000 (image above via Sotheby’s).
74.49% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range and there were a total of 22 positive surprises in the sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate) (images above via Sotheby’s):
Lot 1, Ansel Adams, Yosemite Valley, Thunderstorm, Yosemite National Park, California, 1945/1973-1977, estimated at $15000-25000, sold at $56700
Lot 4, Ansel Adams, Mt. Williamson, Sierra Nevada from Owens Valley, California, 1944/1978, estimated at $15000-25000, sold at $56700
Lot 6, Ansel Adams, ‘Mount Moran’ (Autumn, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming), 1948/1973-1977, estimated at $5000-7000, sold at $23940
Lot 7, Ansel Adams, Aspens, Dawn, Dolores River Canyon, Colorado, 1937/1981, estimated at $15000-25000, sold at $56700
Lot 8, Ansel Adams, Redwoods, c1964, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $69300
Lot 9, Ansel Adams, Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Point, 1932/1962-1963, estimated at $8000-12000, sold at $37800
Lot 11, Ansel Adams, Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park, c1937/1970s, estimated at $30000-50000, sold at $226800
Lot 22, Ansel Adams, Antelope House Ruin, Canyon De Chelly National Monument, Arizona, 1942/1974, estimated at $5000-7000, sold at $27720
Lot 29, Ansel Adams, Rail Fence, Tetons, 1965, estimated at $15000-25000, sold at $75600
Lot 30, Ansel Adams, Winter Sunrise, Sierra Nevada, from Lone Pine, California, 1944/1973-1977, estimated at $25000-35000, sold at $176400
Lot 36, Ansel Adams, Ascent of the “Lost Arrow,” Yosemite Valley, 1947, estimated at $8000-12000, sold at $27720
Lot 37, Ansel Adams, Ski Tracks, Yosemite, c1940, estimated at $15000-25000, sold at $50400
Lot 38, Ansel Adams, ‘Winter, Yosemite Valley’ (Half Dome, Apple Orchard, Winter, Yosemite), c1935, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $32760
Lot 40, Ansel Adams, Deer, Yosemite Valley, Winter, c1939, estimated at $8000-12000, sold at $25200
Lot 48, Ansel Adams, ‘The Teton Range & the Snake River’ (The Grand Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming), 1942/1963-1970, estimated at $50000-70000, sold at $201600
Lot 59, Ansel Adams, Early Morning, Merced River Canyon, Yosemite National Park, Ca., c1950/1973-1977, estimated at $7000-10000, sold at $23940
Lot 72, Ansel Adams, ‘Aspens, Northern New Mexico’ (Vertical), 1958/1973-1977, estimated at $15000-25000, sold at $50400
Lot 73, Ansel Adams, Forest Floor, Yosemite Valley, California, c1950/1979, estimated at $5000-7000, sold at $27720
Lot 77, Ansel Adams, River, Cliffs, Autumn, Yosemite Valley, California, 1939/1963-1973, estimated at $15000-25000, sold at $56700
Lot 86, Ansel Adams, San Francisco from T. V. Hill (San Bruno Mountain), 1952/1962-1963, estimated at $15000-25000, sold at $75600
Lot 87, Ansel Adams, Golden Gate Before the Bridge, San Francisco, c1932/1963-1970, estimated at $20000-30000, sold at $60480
Lot 95, Ansel Adams, Paul Masson Vineyards, Saratoga, 1959/later, estimated at $5000-7000, sold at $16380
The complete lot by lot results can be found here.
