There were plenty of Polaroids available at the ULTIMATE Photographs Evening and Day sales at Phillips in London last week, and most performed admirably. While a panoramic Helmut Newton nude was the top lot, with an overall Buy-In rate under 15% and more than a dozen positive surprises, the Total Sale Proceeds came in near the top of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.
The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
| Summary Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Lots | 170 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | £2489300 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | £3801700 |
| Total Lots Sold | 147 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 23 |
| Buy In % | 13.53% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | £3552595 |
Here is the breakdown (using our typical Low, Mid, and High definitions):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 39 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 36 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 3 |
| Low Buy In % | 7.69% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | £126700 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | £145970 |
| Mid Total Lots | 99 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | 87 |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | 12 |
| Mid Buy In % | 12.12% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | £1047000 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | £1095625 |
| Total High Lots | 32 |
| Total High Lots Sold | 24 |
| Total High Lots Bought In | 8 |
| High Buy In % | 25.00% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of High Lots | £2628000 |
| Total Proceeds from High Lots | £2311000 |
The top lot by High estimate was lot 16, Helmut Newton, Panoramic Nude with Gun, Villa d’Este, Como, 1989, estimated at £250000-350000. It was also the top outcome of the sale at £729000 (image above, via Phillips).
89.80% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range (with nearly 60% selling above their estimates) and there were a total of 14 positive surprises in the sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate) (images above via Phillips):
Lot 6, Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, Jerry Hall, Grace Jones, Diane von Fürstenberg, 1974-1984, estimated at £20000-30000, sold at £62500
Lot 11, Helmut Newton, Bergström over Paris, 1976, estimated at £8000-12000, sold at £25000
Lot 16, Helmut Newton, Panoramic Nude with Gun, Villa d’Este, Como, 1989, estimated at £250000-350000, sold at £729000
Lot 32, Elger Esser, Loire et Cher, Frankreich, 2000, estimated at £10000-15000, sold at £43750
Lot 38, Wim Wenders, The Road to Emmaus, near Jerusalem, 2000, estimated at £10000-15000, sold at £32500
Lot 58, Veronica Bailey, Selected Works, 2003-2007, estimated at £2000-3000, sold at £10625
Lot 77, Chip Hooper, Cape Foulwind Beach, Tasman Sea, New Zealand, 2003, estimated at £500-700, sold at £1750
Lot 102, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Frida Kahlo, 1930/later, estimated at £4000-6000, sold at £13750
Lot 110, Malick Sidibé, Regardez-moi, 1962/2007, estimated at £4000-6000, sold at £16250
Lot 153, Helmut Newton, Untitled (Saint Tropez), 1975, estimated at £6000-8000, sold at £18750
Lot 164, Peter Beard, Magritte Rammé and World Record Cow Elephant Tusk, 1976/later, estimated at £5000-7000, sold at £21250
Lot 167, Peter Beard, Andy Warhol at Home in Montauk, 1972/later, estimated at £5000-7000, sold at £16250
Lot 171, Sarah Moon, Yohji Yamamoto, 1996, estimated at £3000-5000, sold at £16250
Lot 172, Carlo Mollino, Untitled, 1960s, estimated at £3000-5000, sold at £17500
The complete lot by lot results can be found here.
