THE PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTOR INFORMATION, OPINION, AND ADVICE FOR COLLECTORS, CURATORS, AND DEALERS N E W S L T R Volume XLI, Nos. 7 & 8 Summer 2020 AUCTION REPORTS AND PREVIEWS IN THE AGE OF COVID-19 by Stephen Perloff Edward Burtynsky: Colorado River Delta #2, Near San Felipe, Baja, Mexico, 2011 ($15,000–$25,000) sold well above estimate for $52,500 at Christie’s, New York City. SPRING AUCTION REPORT continued Peter Beard: But past who can recall or done undo (Paradise Lost), 1977 ($70,000–$100,000) found a buyer at $118,750 at Christie’s, New York City. Christie’s online Photographs sale ending June 3 totaled $2,422,125 with a 50% buy-in rate. There were a few good results, but overall this must have been a disappointment to both Chris- tie’s and its consignors. In these unprecedented times this is not a reflection of just Christie’s, but a sober reflection on the state of the photography market. Clearly safe bets like Irving Penn and Peter Beard were at the top of the heap, but at prices well below the highs of just a year or two ago. Still, it is heartening to see that Penn’s Small Trades series is getting the recognition that his other series have had. The top ten were: • Peter Beard: But past who can recall or done undo (Paradise Lost), 1977 ($70,000– $100,000) at $118,750 • Irving Penn: Rag and Bone Man, London, 1951 ($40,000–$60,000) at $106,250 Irving Penn: Rag and Bone Man, London, 1951 IN THIS ISSUE ($40,000–$60,000) collected a bid of $106,250 at Christie’s, New York City. Spring Auction Report ...............................................1 • Irving Penn: Butcher, London, 1951 Auction Preview..........................................................5 ($40,000–$60,000) at $87,500 Auction Report ..........................................................11 • Irving Penn: Dandelion/Taraxacum Gallery Row ...............................................................11 officinale, New York, c. 1973 ($70,000– Museum and Nonprofit Row ....................................13 $100,000) at $75,000 Auction House Row ..................................................14 • Irving Penn: Black and White Fashion (with Unlimited Editions ....................................................16 Handbag) (Jean Patchett), New York, 1950 Limited Editions ........................................................17 ($50,000–$70,000) at $62,500 Fairs and Festivals / Publications ...........................17 • Peter Beard: Tsavo North on the Athi Tiva, circa 150 lbs. – 160 lbs. side Bull Elephant, Auction Schedule .....................................................19 February, 1965 ($40,000–$60,000) at Courses, Lectures, and Seminars...........................19 $62,500 Trade Shows, Fairs, and Festivals ..........................20 Exhibitions of Note ...................................................21 2 SPRING AUCTION REPORT continued • Edward Burtynsky: Colorado River Delta (in 4 sales) for a hammer + premium to- #2, Near San Felipe, Baja, Mexico, 2011 tal of $3,147,750 at 73% by lot; Sotheby’s ($15,000–$25,000) at $52,500 has sold 122 lots (in 1 sale) for $2,994,875 • Alec Soth: Peter’s Houseboat, Winona, Min- at 54% by lot; and Phillips has yet to hold nesota, 2002 ($30,000–$50,000) at $52,500 their Spring sale. • Ahmet Ertuğ: The Library of Trinity Col- The biggest news of this season, how- lege, “The Long Room,” Dublin, 2008 ever, is how many new clients purchased ($40,000–$60,000) at $50,000 photographs from our sales. We had ac- • Peter Beard: Untitled (Greetings Richard), tive participants in our sales from over 100 countries (!) with over 100 completely new July 30–31, 1988 ($10,000–$15,000) at buyers and bidders to Christie’s. We at- $50,000. tribute this not only to the strength of the Christie’s brand and Photographs depart- Christie’s Ansel Adams auction on June 4 ment, as well as to forced home, and there- totaled $327,625. The top lot was Winter Sun- fore online, browsing and buying. rise, Sierra Nevada, from Lone Pine, California, Our belief is that there truly is a new 1944 ($40,000–$60,000), which dawned well over generation and pool of buyers of photo- estimate at $93,750. graphs out there. The more we experiment and adjust our offerings to a changing mar- In response to my questions about the auction ketplace, the more we attract them. This results, Darius Himes, International Head of Pho- is good for the overall health of the mar- tographs, Christie’s wrote the following: ket and photography community. In many In the time since Christie’s closed on senses, we’ve won the war: Photography IS March 13th, the Photographs department Art, without question. The issue for every- has held a total of four online auctions, two one to solve is simply how to place great of which were our postponed Spring sales work in front of the eyes of the art-buying — the Various Owner sale for which we world. We are very enthusiastic about the had produced a catalogue, and the sale of future of the market. Ansel Adams material from the Center for Creative Photography — while the Walk- Certainly the number of new bidders is heart- er Evans: An American Master sale, and ening. And the total sale value is not grossly out of the Pictorialism Into Modernism sale of line with other seasons, though the per lot price is previously deaccessioned, mostly duplicate down. It is not surprising that in these times sales prints from the Museum of Modern Art are below past averages. As seen below, Swann's that occurred in 2017/2018, which were Photographs sale was under $1 million dollars for sold without reserve. Aside from the large, the first time since February 2015. various owner sale, three of these four Phillips upcoming sale will be telling — and sales were 100% sold and generated over the wild gyrations of the stock market may be the $750,000 of revenue. least of our worries. With the pandemic raging Our Various Owner sale of material that had been gathered long before the beyond the levels of the first few months and the quarantine period was upon us sold 60% by current administration abandoning the fight, with value. We set a new world record for a Gor- some states pausing their reopening or reinstitut- don Parks print at auction, and the material ing various strictures, and with an untold level of a that fared best included primarily Post-War second wave coming this fall, uncertainty will be and Contemporary artists: Irving Penn’s something we will be living with for some time. Small Trades work, Peter Beard, and Hiro- shi Sugimoto among the highlights. With- Swann’s Fine Photographs sale on June 11 out being able to view the classic and vin- was part of the $6.9 million total for their June tage material in person, that property had a sales including African American Fine Art, Graph- lower sell-through rate, not surprisingly. ic Design / Modernist Posters, and Contemporary Looking at the season as a whole thus Art. It totaled $883,216 with a 30% buy-in rate. far, Christie’s has sold 291 photographs 3 SPRING AUCTION REPORT continued Sarah Moon’s Fashion 4, Yohji Yamamo- to, 1996, digital pigment print, printed 2019, 73.5˝x58˝ ($40,000–$60,000) failed to find a buy- er. But Melvin Sokolsky‘s Bubble Seine, Paris, 1963/later, platinum palladium print ($40,000– $60,000) floated to $47,500. Cowan’s sale of American Historical Ephem- era and Photography, Including African Ameri- cana on June 26 was led by an exceptional Civil War archive of John Merritt Morse, NH 3rd In- fantry and US Army Signal Corps, consisting of numerous letters, documents, and some images. Estimated at $15,000–$25,000, it sold well over estimate at $53,125. Michael Halsband: Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat ($20,000-$30,000) punched it's way to $27,500 at Swann Galleries, New York City. The top ten were: • Michael Halsband: Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat ($20,000-$30,000) at $27,500 • Henri Cartier-Bresson: Rue Mouffetard, Paris ($15,000-$25,000) at $25,000 • Edward Weston: Eroded Rock ($12,000- $18,000) at $16,250 • William Klein: School out, Dakar ($6,000- $9,000) at $15,000 • Lucas Samaras: Photo-Transformation, 11/8/73 ($5,000-$7,500) at $15,000 • Robert Mapplethorpe: Self-Portrait with Whip, from the X Portfolio ($10,000- $15,000) at $13,750 • Edward S. Curtis: Maid of Dreams ($4,000-$6,000) at $13,750 • Diane Arbus/Neil Selkirk: Petal Pink for Little Parties ($7,000-$10,000) at $13,750 • Ansel Adams: Aspens, Northern New Mexi- co ($14,000-$18,000) at $12,500, and • Horst P. Horst: Mainbocher Corset, Paris ($12,000-$18,000) at $12,500. A Civil War archive of John Merritt Morse ($15,000– $25,000) sold well over estimate at $53,125 at Cowan’s. Tailor-Made: Fashion Photographs from the Edward S. Curtis’s signed platinum photo- Collection of Peter Fetterman at Phillips on June graph Three Chiefs, Piegan, c. 1900 ($2,000– 25 totaled $403,500, with a 34.4% buy-in rate. Or- $3,000) sold for more than five times its high mond Gigli’s Girls in the Windows, New York City, estimate at $21,250. A bidder scaled a half-plate 1960, chromogenic print, printed later, 49.5˝x49.5˝ daguerreotype of the Washington Monument, Bal- ($30,000–$50,000) was the top lot at $52,500. 4 SPRING AUCTION REPORT continued timore, Maryland, possibly by John Plumbe, Jr., c. and-white photograph, ed. 2/6 + 3 AP. 39.5˝x60˝ 1845 ($15,000–$25,000) for $18,750. ($50,000 –$70,000); and Rodney Graham’s A rare period sixth-plate tintype of Abraham Oak, Mellaar from the series Flanders Trees, Lincoln: The “Beardstown Portrait,” c.
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