Auction Results: Vernacular Imagery, Photobooks, & Fine Photographs, December 11, 2014 @Swann

While there were a few unexpected positive surprises in the vernacular portion of Swann’s recent sale (particularly lot 147, selection of images of Texaco gas stations that sold for $25000 against an estimate of $2500-3500), the main section of fine photographs muddled through. With an overall Buy-In rate near 45% and no positive surprises beyond a trio of low priced Muybridge collotypes, the Total Sale Proceeds (for the fine photographs) fell far below the pre-sale estimate range.

The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):

Summary Statistics
Total Lots 243
Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate $851800
Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate $1255750
Total Lots Sold 135
Total Lots Bought In 108
Buy In % 44.44%
Total Sale Proceeds $522990

Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post):

Detailed Breakdown
Low Total Lots 230
Total Low Lots Sold 129
Total Low Lots Bought In 101
Low Buy In % 43.91%
Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots $995750
Total Proceeds from Low Lots $445665
Mid Total Lots 13
Total Mid Lots Sold 6
Total Mid Lots Bought In 7
Mid Buy In % 53.85%
Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots $260000
Total Proceeds from Mid Lots $77325
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 NA

The top lot by High estimate is lot 384, Berenice Abbott, Images from Retrospective Portfolio, 1930-1960/1982, estimated at $30000-45000; it did not sell. The top outcome of the photographs portion of the sale was lot 361, Roman Vishniac, The Vanished World (portfolio), 1936-1938/1977, estimated at $25000-35000, sold at $25000 (image in preview post).

73.33% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range and there were a total of 3 positive surprises in the sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 293, Eadweard Muybridge, Nude woman spinning with hands on hips, plate 531 from Animal Locomotion, 1887, estimated at $700-1000, sold at $2750 (image above, right, via Swann)

Lot 294, Eadweard Muybridge, Nude men swinging hammers, plate 377 from Animal Locomotion, 1887, estimated at $800-1200, sold at $2750 (image above, middle, via Swann)

Lot 296, Eadweard Muybridge, Nude woman walking, plate 133 from Animal Locomotion, 1887, estimated at $700-1000, sold at $3500 (image above, left, via Swann)

Complete lot by lot results can be found here.

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Read more about: Eadweard Muybridge, Swann Auction Galleries

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