The results from the single collection sale of Dorothea Lange photographs at Philips last week were generally uneventful. With mostly later prints on offer (but with a terrific family provenance), the action tended to cluster near the estimate ranges, with an overall Buy-In rate of nearly 50%. After the tally, the Total Sale Proceeds (of roughly $230K) came in just under the low end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.
The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
| Summary Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Lots | 50 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | $252500 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | $363500 |
| Total Lots Sold | 26 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 24 |
| Buy In % | 48% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | $231210 |
Here is the breakdown (using our typical Low, Mid, and High definitions):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 47 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 23 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 24 |
| Low Buy In % | 51.06% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | $299500 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | $168210 |
| Mid Total Lots | 3 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | 3 |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | 0 |
| Mid Buy In % | 0.00% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | $64000 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | $63000 |
| Total High Lots | 0 |
| Total High Lots Sold | NA |
| Total High Lots Bought In | NA |
| High Buy In % | NA |
| Aggregate High Estimate of High Lots | $0 |
| Total Proceeds from High Lots | $0 |
The top lot by High estimate was lot 3, Dorothea Lange, White Angel Breadline, San Francisco, 1933/later, estimated at $20000-30000; it was also the top outcome of the sale at $25200 (image above via Phillips).
100.00% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range and there was just 1 positive surprise in the sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate) (image above via Phillips):
Lot 17, Dorothea Lange, Queenie, North Carolina, 1938/no later than 1964, estimated at $4000-6000, sold at $16380
The complete lot by lot results can be found here.
