Phillips got the 2023 auction year for photography going earlier this week with an early season, no reserve sale of works from the collection of former MoMA and Princeton University Art Museum curator Peter Bunnell. Filled with some unexpected prints from Minor White and others active in the 1960s and 1970s, the modest sale generally performed to expectations. A pair of works by Naomi Savage from the late 1960s took the top lot honors, and with no reserves to limit the action, every lot found a buyer. When the dust settled, the Total Sale Proceeds (of roughly $130K) fell in the middle of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.
The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
| Summary Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Lots | 42 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | $111300 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | $168700 |
| Total Lots Sold | 42 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 0 |
| Buy In % | 0.00% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | $130350 |
Here is the breakdown (using our typical Low, Mid, and High definitions):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 42 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 42 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 0 |
| Low Buy In % | 0.00% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | $168700 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | $130350 |
| Mid Total Lots | 0 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | NA |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | NA |
| Mid Buy In % | NA |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | $0 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | $0 |
| 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, Minor White, Peeled Paint, Rochester, New York, 1959, estimated at $6000-8000; it sold at $7500, but was not the top outcome of the sale. That honor went to lot 34, Naomi Savage, Selected Variants: Enmeshed Man, 1966-1968, estimated at $2000-3000, sold at $8000 (image above via Phillips).
Just 64.29% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range and there were a total of 4 positive surprises in the sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate) (images above via Phillips):
Lot 33, Jerry Uelsmann, Rock-Tree, 1969, estimated at 700-900, sold at $2200
Lot 34, Naomi Savage, Selected Variants: Enmeshed Man, 1966-1968, estimated at $2000-3000, sold at $8000
Lot 36, Bea Nettles, Pleasant Pasture II, 1969, estimated at $700-1000, sold at $4000
Lot 40, Lynton Wells, Six Wizards (Italian Bellflowers), 1976, estimated at $1000-1500, sold at $3200
The complete lot by lot results can be found here.
