Auction Results: Fine Photographs & Photobooks, April 18, 2013 @Swann

Last Thursday was seemingly a good day for 19th century Chinese photography, given the results at Swann's various owner photographs and photobooks sale that day. While the rest of the sale muddled along, the Chinese lots (both by known photographers and vernacular) performed exceedingly well, with many doubling their high estimates. Overall, the Buy-in rate hovered over 33% and the Total Sale Proceeds fell under the aggregate pre-sale low estimate.

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

Total Lots: 301
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $1272700
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $1884050
Total Lots Sold: 199
Total Lots Bought In: 102
Buy In %: 33.89%
Total Sale Proceeds: $1191594

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

Low Total Lots: 269
Low Sold: 178
Low Bought In: 91
Buy In %: 33.83%
Total Low Estimate: $1260050
Total Low Sold: $823554

Mid Total Lots: 32
Mid Sold: 21
Mid Bought In: 11
Buy In %: 34.38%
Total Mid Estimate: $624000
Total Mid Sold: $368040

High Total Lots: 0
High Sold: NA
High Bought In: NA
Buy In %: NA
Total High Estimate: $0
Total High Sold: NA

The top lot by High estimate was tied between two lots: lot 24, Southworth & Hawes, Daguerreotype of blue-eyed woman, c1850, estimated at $30000-45000, and lot 79, Edward Weston, Charis (nude), 1935, estimated at $35000-45000. The Southworth & Hawes did not sell and the Weston was the top outcome of the sale at $50400.

Only 66.33% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range, but there were a total of 12 surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 6, Felice Beato, folio of 7 photographs, 1860, estimated at $5000-7500, sold at $19200
Lot 8, Felice Beato, 4 part panorama of Odin Bay, 1862, estimated at $4000-6000, sold at $18000 (image at right, bottom, via Swann)
Lot 9, (Canton, China), suite of 9 photographs, 1870s, estimated at $1500-2500, sold at $6720
Lot 15, (China), 45 small formal photographs, 1867-1870s, estimated at $1000-1500, sold at $6960
Lot 16, (China), album containing 39 photographs, 1881, estimated at $2500-3500, sold at $24000
Lot 18, (China and Japan), portfolio of 50 photographs, 1890s, estimated at $3000-4500, sold at $18000
Lot 20, (Asia and the Americas), 180 carte-de-viste portraits, 1870s, estimated at $2500-3500, sold at $16800
Lot 21, (Asia), album containing 44 photographs, 1880s, estimated at $4000-6000, sold at $20400
Lot 38, Eadweard Muybridge, 2 plates from Animal Locomotion, 1887, estimated at $1800-2200, sold at $5520
Lot 110, W. Eugene Smith, Saipan, 1945, estimated at $9000-12000, sold at $26400 (image at right, top, via Swann)
Lot 224, George Platt Lynes, 100 photographs from the New York City Ballet, 1938-1951, estimated at $2500-3500, sold at $36000
Lot 277, Eliot Porter, Maple and Birch Trunks, New Hampshire, 1956/1980s, estimated at $1800-2200, sold at $4560

Complete lot by lot results can be found linked from here.

Swann Galleries
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010

Auction: Fine Photographs & Photobooks, April 18, 2013 @Swann

Later this week, Swann brings to market a combo photographs and photobooks auction, with the books mixed into the flow of the sale rather than pulled out at the end. The material is heavily weighted toward the lower end of the price range, with Swann's usual mix of vernacular, vintage, and modern prints. Overall, there are 301 lots available, with a total High estimate of $1884050.

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000): 269
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): $1260050

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000): 32
Total Mid Estimate: $624000

Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000): 0
Total High Estimate: NA

The top lot by High estimate is tied between two lots: lot 24, Southworth & Hawes, Daguerreotype of blue-eyed woman, c1850 (image at right, middle), estimated at $30000-45000, and lot 79, Edward Weston, Charis (nude), 1935 (image at right, top), estimated at $35000-45000.

The following is the list of photographers with 5 or more lots in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

Ansel Adams (14 )
Andre Kertesz (10)
Henri Cartier-Bresson (7)
Walker Evans (7)
Manuel Alvarez Bravo (5)
Harry Callahan (5)
Alfred Eisenstaedt (5)
O. Winston Link (5)
Minor White (5)

Other works of interest include lot 104, Aubrey Bodine, Curving Steps, 1943, estimated at $4000-6000 (image at right, bottom; all images via Swann).

The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here.

Fine Photographs & Photobooks
April 18th

Swann Auction Galleries
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010

Auction Results: Fine Photographs, February 26, 2013 @Swann

The results of Swann's various owner photographs sale earlier this week were quietly respectable, with the Total Sale Proceeds falling in the middle of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range. With an overall Buy-In rate under 25% and a handful of positive surprises, it was a solid outcome for an early season sale.

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

Total Lots: 138
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $926500
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $1360000
Total Lots Sold: 104
Total Lots Bought In: 34
Buy In %: 24.64%
Total Sale Proceeds: $1006365

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

Low Total Lots: 104
Low Sold: 81
Low Bought In: 23
Buy In %: 22.12%
Total Low Estimate: $650000
Total Low Sold: $575340

Mid Total Lots: 32
Mid Sold: 22
Mid Bought In: 10
Buy In %: 31.25%
Total Mid Estimate: $535000
Total Mid Sold: $353025

High Total Lots: 2
High Sold: 1
High Bought In: 1
Buy In %: 50.00%
Total High Estimate: $175000
Total High Sold: $78000

The top lot by High estimate was lot 22, Edward Curtis, The North American Indian, Portfolio #1, 1907, at $70000-100000; it was also the top outcome of the sale at $78000.

78.85% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range, and there were a total of 6 surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 8, (China), Collection of carte-de-viste portraits, 1860s-1870s, estimated at $6000-9000, sold at $60000 (image at right, top, via Swann)
Lot 9, (China), Group of 14 prints, 1875-1876, estimated at $7000-10000, sold at $28800
Lot 11, (Korea), Album, 1899, estimated at $4000-6000, sold at $20400 (image at right, middle, via Swann)
Lot 29, (Crime), Warden's Book, 1917, estimated at $4000-6000, sold at $13200
Lot 77, Eugene Smith, Walk to Paradise Garden, 1946/1972, estimated at $4000-6000, sold at $16800
Lot 124, Elliot Erwitt, Versailles, 1975/1990s, estimated at $2500-3500, sold at $7200

Complete lot by lot results can be found linked from here.

Swann Galleries
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010

Auction: Fine Photographs, February 26, 2013 @Swann

The first focused Photography sale of the year takes place at Swann next week, with the auction house's customary eclectic mix of material up for bid. As always, the tilt is toward lower priced 20th century black and white work, both vintage and modern prints. An Edward Curtis portfolio is the headliner. Overall, there are 138 lots available, with a total High estimate of $1360000.

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000): 104
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): $650000

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000): 32
Total Mid Estimate: $535000

Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000): 2
Total High Estimate: $175000

The top lot by High estimate is lot 22, Edward Curtis, The North American Indian, Portfolio #1, 1907, at $70000-100000.

The following is the list of photographers with 3 or more lots in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

Alfred Eisenstaedt (7)
Ansel Adams (6)
Berenice Abbott (5)
Edward Curtis (5)
Brassaï (4)
Henri Cartier-Bresson (3)
André Kertész (3)
Gordon Parks (3)
Aaron Siskind (3)
Edward Weston (3)
Minor White (3)

Other works of interest include lot 33, André Kertész, Distortion #128, 1931-1933, at $30000-45000 (image at right, top), lot 46, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Trafalgar Square on the day of the Coronation of King George VI, London, 1937/1950s, at $20000-30000 (image at right, middle), and lot 58, Minor White, Mendocino #3, 1948, at $4000-6000 (image at right, bottom). All images via Swann.

The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here. The 3D version is located here.

Fine Photographs
February 26th

Swann Auction Galleries
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010

Auction Results: Important Photobooks & Photographs, May 19, 2011 @Swann

The results of Swann's recent combination sale of photographic books and photographs were generally consistent with previous incarnations of this type of sale at the auction house. In both sections of the sale, the buy-in rate was over 35% and the Total Sale Proceeds fell below the estimate range.
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The summary statistics across the two portions of the sale are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):

Total of Both

Total Lots: 391
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $1169650
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $1704150
Total Lots Sold: 243
Total Lots Bought In: 148
Buy In %: 37.85%
Total Sale Proceeds: $964281

Important Photobooks Only

Total Lots: 128
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $208050
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $312050
Total Lots Sold: 80
Total Lots Bought In: 48
Buy In %: 37.50%
Total Sale Proceeds: $160772

Photographs Only

Total Lots: 263
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $961600
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $1392100
Total Lots Sold: 163
Total Lots Bought In: 100
Buy In %: 38.02%
Total Sale Proceeds: $803509

Here is the breakdown, separated into two sections (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post, here):

Important Photobooks Only

Low Total Lots: 122
Low Sold: 76
Low Bought In: 46
Buy In %: 37.70%
Total Low Estimate: $208050
Total Low Sold: $99812

Mid Total Lots: 5
Mid Sold: 4
Mid Bought In: 1
Buy In %: 20.00%
Total Mid Estimate: $104000
Total Mid Sold: $60960

High Total Lots: 1
High Sold: 0
High Bought In: 1
Buy In %: 100.00%
Total High Estimate: "Refer to Department"
Total High Sold: $0

The top lot by High estimate in the book section was lot 99, 21ST Editions, Collection, 1998-2010, at "Refer to Department"; it did not sell. The top book outcome was lot 13, Alfred Stieglitz, 291, Numbers 1-12, 1915-1916, at $31200. (Image at right, middle, via Swann.)

Only 62.50% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range in this portion of the sale. There were two surprises in this section (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 76, Eugene Smith, Minamata: Life - Sacred and Profane, 1973, at $960
Lot 119, Richard Avedon, An Autobiography, 1993, at $3840

Photographs Only

Low Total Lots: 242
Low Sold: 151
Low Bought In: 91
Buy In %: 37.60%
Total Low Estimate: $1003100
Total Low Sold: $576709

Mid Total Lots: 21
Mid Sold: 12
Mid Bought In: 9
Buy In %: 42.86%
Total Mid Estimate: $389000
Total Mid Sold: $226800

High Total Lots: 0
High Sold: NA
High Bought In: NA
Buy In %: NA
Total High Estimate: $0
Total High Sold: NA

The top lot by High estimate in the photographs section was tied between two lots: lot 161, Ansel Adams, Clearing Storm, Mount Williamson, From Manzanar, Sierra Nevada, California, 1944/1970s, and lot 212, Walker Evans, 5 photographs from the portfolio Walker Evans, 1935-36/1971, both at $20000-30000; the Adams did not sell and the Evans sold for $21600.The top outcome of this section of the sale was lot 289, Andre Kertesz, A Hungarian Memory portfolio, 1914-1923/1980, at $48000.

66.26% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range. There were a total of 11 surprises in this section (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 131, Japanese Imperial Family, Stacked wooden box with photographs, 1912, at $2400
Lot 142, Frederick Gutekunst, Group of 50 photographs, 1878, at $15600
Lot 153, Edward Curtis, An Oasis in the Badlands, 1905, at $9600
Lot 216, Press Photography, 350 topical news photographs, 1930-1940s, at $3600
Lot 220, Roman Vishniac, Studying Cabala in a Basement in Kazimierz, the Old Ghetto of Cracow, 1936/1970s, at $6240 (image at right, middle, via Swann)
Lot 250, David Vestal, Group of 3 photographs, 1959-1960, at $6000
Lot 278, Julius Shulman, Case Study House #22, Pierre Koenig, Los Angeles, 1950/1980s, at $6240 (image at right, top, via Swann)
Lot 289, Andre Kertesz, A Hungarian Memory portfolio, 1914-1923/1980, at $48000
Lot 298, Hollywood, Group of 68 photographs, 1930s, at $19200
Lot 307, Garry Winogrand, Untitled from Women are Beautiful, 1968/1981, at $10800
Lot 372, Marry Ellen Mark, Untitled (prostitute of Bombay), 1978, at $5040

Complete lot by lot results for both sections can be found here.

Swann Galleries
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010

Auction: Important Photobooks & Photographs, May 19, 2011 @Swann

Swann has its Spring combo sale of photobooks and photographs in New York later this week, mixed right in the middle of the London season for maximum confusion. The photobooks section is littered with signed first editions and other rarities, highlighted by a massive single lot collection of monographs, portfolios, bound prints, loose photographs, and other volumes from 21ST Editions. The photographs section sticks more closely to the lower end/later print material Swann is best known for. Across the two sales, there are 391 lots on offer, with a total High estimate of $1704150. Since the two genres are so different, I've separated the analysis of the sale into two parts below.

Important Photobooks
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Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000): 122
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): $208050
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Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000): 5
Total Mid Estimate: $104000

Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000): 1
Total High Estimate: "Refer to Department"
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The top lot by High estimate in the book section is lot 99, 21ST Editions, Collection, 1998-2010, at "Refer to Department".

Below is the list of photographers represented by 3 or more lots in the book portion of the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

Ed Ruscha (9)
Richard Avedon (5)
Walker Evans 5
Robert Frank (5)
Lee Friedlander (4)
Camera Work (3)
Henri Cartier-Bresson (3)
Eikoh Hosoe (3)
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(Lot 45, Ed Ruscha, Twentysix Gasoline Stations, 1963, at $8000-12000, image at right, top, via Swann.)

Photographs

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000): 242
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): $1003100
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Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000): 21
Total Mid Estimate: $389000

Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000): 0
Total High Estimate: NA

The top lot by High estimate in the photographs section is tied between two lots: lot 161, Ansel Adams, Clearing Storm, Mount Williamson, From Manzanar, Sierra Nevada, California, 1944/1970s, and lot 212, Walker Evans, 5 photographs from the portfolio Walker Evans, 1935-36/1971, both at $20000-30000.

Below is the list of photographers represented by 4 or more lots in the photographs portion of the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

Andre Kertesz (9)
Edward Curtis (7)
Berenice Abbott (6)
Ansel Adams (6)
Edward Weston (5)
Ilse Bing (4)
Walker Evans (4)
Milton Greene (4)
Lewis Hine (4)
Horst P. Horst (4)
Alfred Cheney Johnston (4)
Minor White (4)

(Lot 268, Margaret Bourke-White, Hi-Level Bridge, 1928, at $3000-4500, image at right, middle, and lot 293, Toshio Shibata, Yugawara Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, 1993, at $2000-3000, image at right, bottom, both via Swann.)
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The complete lot by lot catalog (for both parts of the sale) can be found here. The 3D version is located here.

Important Photobooks & Photographs
May 19th

Swann Galleries
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010

Auction Results: Fine Photographs, March 24, 2011 @Swann

The results of Swann's various owner photographs sale last week were refreshingly solid, with an overall Buy-In rate just over 20% and Total Sale Proceeds that fell near the top end of the estimate range. The top six lots all found buyers above their high estimates.

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

Total Lots: 162
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $794600
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $1137300
Total Lots Sold: 127
Total Lots Bought In: 35
Buy In %: 21.60%
Total Sale Proceeds: $1024774

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

Low Total Lots: 143

Low Sold: 110
Low Bought In: 33
Buy In %: 23.08%
Total Low Estimate: $742300
Total Low Sold: $563974

Mid Total Lots: 19
Mid Sold: 17
Mid Bought In: 2
Buy In %: 10.53%
Total Mid Estimate: $395000
Total Mid Sold: $460800

High Total Lots: 0
High Sold: NA
High Bought In: NA
Buy In %: NA
Total High Estimate: $0
Total High Sold: NA

The top lot by High estimate was lot 9, Linnaeus Tripe, Photographs of the Elliot Marbles; and Other Subjects; in the Central Museum Madras, 1858-1859, at $35000-45000; it sold for $57600. The top outcome of the sale was lot 38, Adam Clark Vroman, Arizona and New Mexico, Volume II, 1897, at $62400.

73.23% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range, and there were a total of 4 surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):
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Lot 103, Margaret Bourke-White, Untitled (TWA plane in flight), 1934-35, at $31200 (image at right, middle, via Swann)

Lot 105, O. Winston Link, Mr. and Mrs. Pope Watching the Last Steam Powered Passenger Train, Max Meadows, Virginia, 1957/1987, at $9600
Lot 128, Robert Silvers, Anne Frank, 2002, at $13200 (image at right, bottom, via Swann)

Lot 146, Susan Derges, The Observer and the Observed #6, 1992, at $28800 (image at right, top, via Swann)

Complete lot by lot results can be found linked from here.

Swann Galleries

104 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010

Auction: Fine Photographs, March 24, 2011 @Swann

Swann kicks off the New York Photographs spring auction season with a modest various owner sale next week. As usual, it contains a broad mix of lower end black and white material, mostly from the 20th century, with a selection of both vintage and later prints. Overall, there are 162 lots available, with a total High estimate of $1137300.

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000): 143
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): $742300

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000): 19
Total Mid Estimate: $395000

Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000): 0
Total High Estimate: NA

The top lot by High estimate is lot 9, Linnaeus Tripe, Photographs of the Elliot Marbles; and Other Subjects; in the Central Museum Madras, 1858-1859, at $35000-45000.

Below is the list of photographers with 3 or more lots in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

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Edward Weston (9)
Berenice Abbott (6)
Ruth Bernhard (5)
Harry Callahan (5)
Ansel Adams (4)
Henri Cartier-Bresson (4)
Alfred Cheney Johnston (4)
O. Winston Link (4)
Ilse Bing (3)
Wynn Bullock (3)
Edward Curtis (3)
Mario Giacomelli (3)
Stephen Shore (3)
Weegee (3)

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(Lot 101, Alma Lavenson, Union Oil Tanks, Alameda, 1931/1987, at $4000-6000, image at right, top, lot 122, Roy DeCarava, Man Coming up Subway Stairs, 1952/1996, at $10000-15000, image at right, middle, and lot 145, Jaroslav Rossler, Untitled (light study), 1947, at $3000-4500, image at right, bottom, all via Swann.)

The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here. The 3D version is located here.

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Fine Photographs

March 24th

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Swann Galleries
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010

Auction Results: Important Photographs & Photobooks, December 9, 2010 @Swann

The results of Swann's various owner photographs and photobooks sale last week were generally soft, with an overall Buy-In rate over 37% and Total Sale Proceeds that missed the estimate range by a wide margin. As has become commonplace at Swann, a high percentage of lots (in this case, just over 32%) that did sell found buyers below the low estimate. While the material at Swann is always eclectic, I think there just wasn't enough firepower of offer here to really attract buyers at the end of the season.

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

Total Lots: 364

Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $1206100
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $1744700

Total Lots Sold: 228

Total Lots Bought In: 136

Buy In %: 37.36%

Total Sale Proceeds: $854877

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

Low Total Lots: 336

Low Sold: 215
Low Bought In: 121

Buy In %: 36.01%

Total Low Estimate: $1193700

Total Low Sold: $638682

Mid Total Lots: 28

Mid Sold: 13

Mid Bought In: 15

Buy In %: 53.57%

Total Mid Estimate: $551000

Total Mid Sold: $216195

High Total Lots: 0

High Sold: NA

High Bought In: NA

Buy In %: NA

Total High Estimate: $0

Total High Sold: NA
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The top lot by High estimate was lot 145, Brett Weston, Twenty Photographs 1970-1977, 1978, at $30000-45000; it was also the top outcome of the sale at $33600.

Only 67.54% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range, and there were a total of 9 surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):
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Lot 29, W.D. Smithers, Pair of period lamps, 1950s, at $1800

Lot 31, N. Caple & Co, British Columbia Indians, 1894-1896, at $3120

Lot 41, Man Ray, Serge Lifor in Romeo and Juliet, 1926, at $16800 9image at right, bottom, via Swann)

Lot 71, Edward Steichen, Gloria Swanson, New York, for Vanity Fair, 1924/1960s-1971, at $26400 (image at right, middle, via Swann)

Lot 156, X-rays, Group of 18 photographs, 1896, at $6960

Lot 179, Yevgeny Khaldei, Raising the Soviet Flag over the Reichstag, Berlin, 1945/1990s, at $5280 (image at right, top, via Swann)

Lot 300, Walker Evans, Many Are Called, 1966, at $1200

Lot 319, Robert Capa, Death in the Making, 1938, at $3360

Lot 347, Eliot Porter, All Under Heaven: The Chinese World, 1983, at $2280

Complete lot by lot results can be found linked from here.

Swann Galleries

104 East 25th Street

New York, NY 10010

Auction: Important Photographs & Photobooks, December 9, 2010 @Swann

Swann has a late season various owner sale in New York later this week, with a broad mix of lower end photographs and photobooks on offer. Overall, there are 364 lots available, with a total High estimate of $1744700.

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000): 336

Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): $1193700

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Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000): 28

Total Mid Estimate: $551000

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Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000): 0

Total High Estimate: NA
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The top lot by High estimate is lot 145, Brett Weston, Twenty Photographs 1970-1977, 1978, at $30000-45000.

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Below is the list of photographers with 5 or more lots in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

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Berenice Abbott (10)
Ansel Adams (10)
Edward Curtis (8)
Weegee (8)
Walker Evans (6)
Brett Weston (6)
Lee Friedlander (5)
Andre Kertesz (5)
Jacques-Henri Lartigue (5)
Danny Lyon (5)
Stephen Shore (5)

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(Lot 21, Edward Curtis, Self portrait, 1899, at $6000-9000, at right, bottom, lot 81, Irving Penn, Nude #17, New York, 1949-1950/1980, at $25000-35000, at right, middle, and lot 191, David Goldblatt, Prostitute, Fordsburgh, Johannesburg, 1975, at $12000-18000, at right, top, all via Swann.)
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The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here. The 3D version is located here.

Important Photographs & Photobooks

December 9th

Swann Galleries

104 East 25th Street

New York, NY 10010

Auction Results: Fine Photographs & Select Photobooks, October 19, 2010 @Swann

The results of Swann's various owner photographs and photobooks sale last week were generally uneventful, with an overall Buy-In rate just under 35% and Total Sale Proceeds that missed the estimate range by a pretty decent margin. Over 38% of the lots that did sell came in below the low estimate.

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

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Total Lots: 363
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $1394700

Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $2037750
Total Lots Sold: 239
Total Lots Bought In: 124
Buy In %: 34.16%
Total Sale Proceeds: $1178042

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

Low Total Lots: 330
Low Sold: 214

Low Bought In: 116
Buy In %: 35.15%
Total Low Estimate: $1411750
Total Low Sold: $766922

Mid Total Lots: 33
Mid Sold: 25
Mid Bought In: 8
Buy In %: 24.24%
Total Mid Estimate: $626000
Total Mid Sold: $411120

High Total Lots: 0
High Sold: NA
High Bought In: NA
Buy In %: NA
Total High Estimate: $0
Total High Sold: NA

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The top lot by High estimate was lot 91, Adam Clark Vroman, A Trip to Snake Dance, Moqui-Indian Towns, and Petrified Forests of Arizona, 1895, at $30000-45000; it was also the top outcome of the sale at $48000.

Only 61.51% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range, and there were a total of 7 surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

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Lot 66, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, Historique et Description des Procédés du Daguerréotype et du Diorama, 1839, at $3360

Lot 157, Josef Koudelka, France, 1973/1990, at $13200 (image at right, top, via Swann)

Lot 230, Herb Ritts, Wrapped Torso, 1989, at $15600

Lot 279, André Kertész, Washington Square (Winter), 1954/1967, at $22800

Lot 341, Bruce Nauman, Burning Small Fires, 1968, at $7800 (image at right, bottom, via Swann)

Lot 356, Keld Helmer-Petersen, 122 Favrefotografien, 1948, at $5040

Lot 361, Roger Livet and Frederic Megnet, Avant la Guerre, 1936, at $8400

.

Complete lot by lot results can be found here.

Swann Galleries
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010

Auction: Fine Photographs & Select Photobooks, October 19, 2010 @Swann

Swann's Fall season various owner sale takes place tomorrow, with a broad selection of photographs on offer and a few photobooks mixed in for good measure. There are few real standouts in this auction, but plenty of lower end vintage work and later prints to sift through. Overall, there are 363 lots available, with a total High estimate of $2037750.

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000): 330
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): $1411750

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000): 33
Total Mid Estimate: $626000

Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000): 0
Total High Estimate: NA

The top lot by High estimate is lot 91, Adam Clark Vroman, A Trip to Snake Dance, Moqui-Indian Towns, and Petrified Forests of Arizona, 1895, at $30000-45000. (Image at right, top, via Swann.)

Below is the list of photographers with 5 or more lots in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

Berenice Abbott (10)
Andre Kertesz (9)
Edward Curtis (8)
Lewis Hine (8)
Brett Weston (7)
Edward Weston (7)
Harry Callahan (6)
Alfred Eisenstaedt (6)
Manuel Alvarez Bravo (5)
Margaret Bourke-White (5)
Henri Cartier-Bresson (5)

The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here. The 3D version is located here.

Fine Photographs & Select Photobooks
October 19th

Swann Galleries
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010

Auction Results: Photographic Literature & Important Photographs, May 20, 2010, @Swann

The results of Swann's combination sale of photographic books and photographs last week were slightly weaker than those of the equivalent sale last October. In both sections of the sale, the buy-in rate was over 40% and the total sale proceeds fell well below the total Low estimate. Additionally, there were are high percentage of lots that sold below their estimate range (over 50% in the photographs portion of the sale).

The summary statistics across the two portions of the sale are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):

Total of Both

Total Lots: 454

Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $1345400

Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $1956100

Total Lots Sold: 264

Total Lots Bought In: 190

Buy In %: 41.85%

Total Sale Proceeds: $962612

Photographic Literature Only

Total Lots: 195

Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $302800

Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $438150

Total Lots Sold: 110

Total Lots Bought In: 85

Buy In %: 43.59%

Total Sale Proceeds: $191580

Important Photographs Only

Total Lots: 259

Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $1042600

Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $1517950

Total Lots Sold: 154

Total Lots Bought In: 105

Buy In %: 40.54%

Total Sale Proceeds: $771032

Here is the breakdown, separated into two sections (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post, here):

Photographic Literature Only

Low Total Lots: 186

Low Sold: 106

Low Bought In: 80

Buy In %: 43.01%

Total Low Estimate: $286150

Total Low Sold: $132180

Mid Total Lots: 9

Mid Sold: 4

Mid Bought In: 5

Buy In %: 55.56%

Total Mid Estimate: $152000

Total Mid Sold: $59400

High Total Lots: 0

High Sold: NA

High Bought In: NA

Buy In %: NA

Total High Estimate: $0

Total High Sold: NA

The top lot by High estimate in the book section was lot 22, Doris Ullman, Roll, Jordan, Roll, 1933, at $25000-35000; it was also the top outcome of the session at $28800.

Only 64.55% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range in this portion of the sale. There were two surprises in this section (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 85, Irving Penn, Irving Penn, 1984, at $6480

Lot 113, Harold Edgerton, Moments of Vision: The Stroboscopic Revolution in Photography, 1979, at $3840
.

Important Photographs Only

Low Total Lots: 236

Low Sold: 140

Low Bought In: 96

Buy In %: 40.68%

Total Low Estimate: $1122950

Total Low Sold: $542192

Mid Total Lots: 23

Mid Sold: 14

Mid Bought In: 9

Buy In %: 39.13%

Total Mid Estimate: $395000

Total Mid Sold: $228840

High Total Lots: 0

High Sold: NA

High Bought In: NA

Buy In %: NA

Total High Estimate: $0

Total High Sold: NA

The top lot by High estimate in the photographs section was lot 279, Edward Weston, Nude (Charis), 1935, at $35000-45000; it was also the top outcome of the session at $33600.

Only 49.35% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range. There were a total of six surprises in this section (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 210, Felix Beato, Album of old Japan, 1872, at $26400 (image at right, top, via Swann)

Lot 216, Paul Strand, Wall Street, New York, 1915/1916, at $9000

Lot 244, Wilhelm Von Gloeden, Untitled (frontal nude, seaside), c1900, at $4080

Lot 269, (Crime), 29 New York-related crime photographs, 1920-1930s, at $9600

Lot 374, Berenice Abbott, Group of science photographs, 1958-1961/1982, at $7500

Lot 420, Eliot Porter, Group of nature studies, 1968-1974, at $16800 (image at right, middle, via Swann)

Complete lot by lot results for both sessions can be found here.

Swann Galleries

104 East 25th Street

New York, NY 10010

Auction: Photographic Literature & Important Photographs, May 20, 2010, @Swann

Like Swann's sale last December, this auction is a combination of two effectively separate sales: one for photographic books and one for photographs. Across the two sales, there are 454 lots on offer, with a total High estimate of $1956100. Since the two genres are so different, I've separated the analysis of the sales into two parts below. (Catalog cover at right, via Swann.)

Photographic Literature

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000): 186

Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): $286150

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000): 9

Total Mid Estimate: $152000

Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000): 0

Total High Estimate: NA

The top lot by High estimate in the book section is lot 22, Doris Ullman, Roll, Jordan, Roll, 1933, at $25000-35000.

Below is the list of photographers represented by at least 3 lots in the book portion of the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

.

Ed Ruscha (9)

Shomei Tomatsu (6)

Robert Frank (5)

Henri Cartier-Bresson (4)

Lee Friedlander (4)

Richard Avedon (3)

Bernd & Hilla Becher (3)

Manuel Alvarez Bravo (3)

Walker Evans (3)

Robert Heinecken (3)

The Journal of Contemporary Photography (3)

William Klein (3)

Josef Sudek (3)

.

Our favorites among the books were:

.

Lot 112, Lee Friedlander, Flowers and Trees, 1981

Lot 117, Gordon Matta-Clark, Walls Paper, 1973

Lot 142, Ed Ruscha, Thirtyfour Parking Lots in Los Angeles, 1967
Lot 165, Thomas Struth, Unconscious Places, 1987

Lot 181, Martin Parr, Flowers, 2000
.

Important Photographs

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000): 236

Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): $1122950

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000): 23

Total Mid Estimate: $395000

Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000): 0

Total High Estimate: NA

The top lot by High estimate in the photographs section is lot 279, Edward Weston, Nude (Charis), 1935, at $35000-45000.

Below is the list of photographers represented by at least 4 lots in the photographs portion of the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

.

Edward Weston (12)

Berenice Abbott (10)

Lewis Hine (10)

Andre Kertesz (7)

Edward Curtis (6)

William Henry Jackson (5)

O. Winston Link (5)

Wilhelm Von Gloeden (5)

Brett Weston (5)

Minor White (5)

Ansel Adams (4)

Ruth Bernhard (4)

Alexey Brodovitch (4)

Harry Callahan (4)

Aaron Siskind (4)

Alfred Stieglitz (4)

George Tice (4)

Our favorites among the photographs were:

Lot 279, Edward Weston, Nude (Charis), 1935

Lot 336, Weegee, Untitled (Empire State Building distortion), 1950s

The complete lot by lot catalog (for both parts of the sale) can be found here. The 3D version is located here.

Photographic Literature & Important Photographs

May 20th

Swann Galleries

104 East 25th Street

New York, NY 10010

Auction Results: Fine Photographs, March 23, 2010 @Swann

The results of Swann's various owner photographs sale were altogether uneventful, with a buy-in rate over 35% and total sale proceeds that missed the estimate range by a pretty wide margin. Over 40% of the lots that did sell came in below the low estimate.

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

Total Lots: 137

Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $723900

Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $1052200

Total Lots Sold: 87

Total Lots Bought In: 50

Buy In %: 36.50%

Total Sale Proceeds: $556602

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

Low Total Lots: 115

Low Sold: 76

Low Bought In: 39

Buy In %: 33.91%

Total Low Estimate: $559200

Total Low Sold: $318117

Mid Total Lots: 22

Mid Sold: 11

Mid Bought In: 11

Buy In %: 50.00%

Total Mid Estimate: $493000

Total Mid Sold: $238485

High Total Lots: 0

High Sold: NA

High Bought In: NA

Buy In %: NA

Total High Estimate: $0

Total High Sold: NA

The top lot by High estimate was shared between two lots: lot 180, Ansel Adams, Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941/1960s, and lot 223, Helmut Newton, Woman Observing Man, Saint-Tropez, 1975/1980s, both at $30000-40000; the Adams sold for $28800, and the Newton sold for $40800 and was the top outcome of the sale.

Only 59.77% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range, and there was only one surprise in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 141, Lewis Hine, Waiting for the Red Cross Lady, Drought Area, Arkansas, 1933, at $16800 (image at right, via Swann)

Complete lot by lot results can be found here.

Swann Galleries

104 East 25th Street

New York, NY 10010

Auction Results: The Stephen L. White Photograph Collection, March 23, 2010 @Swann

Swann's sale of the Stephen L. White collection generated tepid results, with a buy-in rate over 40% and total sale proceeds that missed the estimate range by a decent margin. The outcomes for the middle and top end lots were particularly soft.

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

Total Lots: 102
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $538400
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $786050
Total Lots Sold: 58
Total Lots Bought In: 44
Buy In %: 43.14%
Total Sale Proceeds: $425715

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

Low Total Lots: 81
Low Sold: 48
Low Bought In: 33
Buy In %: 40.74%
Total Low Estimate: $277050
Total Low Sold: $159915

Mid Total Lots: 20
Mid Sold: 10
Mid Bought In: 10
Buy In %: 50.00%
Total Mid Estimate: $434000
Total Mid Sold: $265800

High Total Lots: 1
High Sold: 0
High Bought In: 1
Buy In %: 100.00%
Total High Estimate: $75000
Total High Sold: $0

The top lot by High estimate was lot 73 Alfred Stieglitz, Going Home by Ferry, New York City, 1902/1920s, at $50000-75000; it did not sell. The top outcome of the sale was lot 60, Eadweard Muybridge, Animal Locomotion, 1887, at $57600. (Image at right, via Swann.)

79.31% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range. There were a total of four surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 56 (Alexander Graham Bell), Opening of New York and Chicago Telelphone Line, 1892, at $3840
Lot 57, CP Goodrich, Samuel Morse, 1855, at $4320
Lot 60 Eadweard Muybridge, Animal Locomotion, 1887, at $57600
Lot 83, Fairchild Aerials, Woolworth Building in the clouds, New York City, 1928, at $7200

Complete lot by lot results can be found here.

Swann Galleries
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010

Auction: Fine Photographs, March 23, 2010 @Swann

Swann has scheduled a various owner photography auction to follow the single owner White collection sale planned for earlier the same day. For the most part, this sale is representative of Swann's usual mix of material. There are 137 lots on offer, with a total High estimate of $1052200. (Catalog cover at right, via Swann.)

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000): 115

Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): $559200

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000): 22

Total Mid Estimate: $493000

Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000): 0

Total High Estimate: NA

.

The top lot by High estimate is shared between two lots: lot 180, Ansel Adams, Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941/1960s, and lot 223, Helmut Newton, Woman Observing Man, Saint-Tropez, 1975/1980s, (image at right, via Swann) both at $30000-40000.

Below is the list of photographers with 3 or more lots in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

Ansel Adams (9)

Edward Curtis (9)

Lewis Hine (6)

Josef Sudek (6)

Berenice Abbott (5)

Brett Weston (5)

Horst P. Horst (4)

Robert Doisneau (3)

Andre Kertesz (3)

William Mortensen (3)

Helmut Newton (3)

Aaron Siskind (3)
.

The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here. The 3D version is located here.

Fine Photographs

March 23rd

Swann Galleries

104 East 25th Street

New York, NY 10010

Auction: The Stephen L. White Photograph Collection, March 23, 2010 @Swann

Swann's first photography sale of 2010 is a single owner collection of American photography owned by Stephen L. White. The collection mixes historical and fine art images from the 19th and 20th centuries, and was featured at an exhibit at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in 2001 (here). This catalogue divides the lots according to three categories that characterize the American Dream: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. There are 102 lots on offer in this sale, with a total High estimate of $786050. (Catalog cover at right, via Swann.)

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000): 81
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): $277050

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000): 20
Total Mid Estimate: $434000

Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000): 1
Total High Estimate: $75000

The top lot by High estimate is lot 73 Alfred Stieglitz, Going Home by Ferry, New York City, 1902/1920s, at $50000-75000. (Cover lot, at right.)

This collection is quite widely dispersed in terms of the artists represented. As a result, below is the rather short list of photographers (not including unidentified or anonymous photographers) with more than 1 lot in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

Lewis Hine (5)
Eadward Muybridge (4)
Edward Steichen (2)
Alfred Stieglitz (2)
Benjamin Strauss (2)
Dr. Dain Tasker (2)

For our particular collection, we were most drawn to lot 62, Dr. Dain L. Tasker, Daffodils (in box), 1933, at $15000-25000. (Image at right, via Swann.)

The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here. The 3D version is located here.

The Stephen L. White Photograph Collection
March 23rd

Swann Galleries
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010

Auction Results: Photographic Literature & Fine Photographs, December 8, 2009 @Swann

For those of you who are consistently bored by reports on the auction market for photography, the good news is that this is the last of the auction results posts left over from December; all that remains is the massive, 2009 auction wrap up coming later this week (which will have nuggets of interest for collectors and non-collectors alike), and then we'll be silent on auctions for a few weeks until the catalogues begin to show up again.

The recent Swann sale was really a combination sale of photographic books and photographs. Results-wise, the photo books performed better, with a respectable buy-in rate (just under 25%) and total sale proceeds on the book lots nearly matching their total low estimate. The photographs were a bit weaker, with a higher buy-in rate (over 38%) and total sale proceeds on the photographs that missed the total low estimate by a decent gap. In both sales, the percentage of lots that sold below their estimate range was unexpectedly high; of course it is likely better to sell for something rather than not sell at all, but to have so many lots sell under the range is certainly a bit discouraging.

The summary statistics across the two portions of the sale are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):

Total of Both

Total Lots: 423
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $1276750
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $1810850
Total Lots Sold: 279
Total Lots Bought In: 134
Buy In %: 31.68%
Total Sale Proceeds: $1128194

Photographic Literature Only

Total Lots: 210
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $198800
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $290700
Total Lots Sold: 148
Total Lots Bought In: 52
Buy In %: 24.76%
Total Sale Proceeds: $194634

Fine Photographs Only

Total Lots: 213
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: $1077950
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: $1520150
Total Lots Sold: 131
Total Lots Bought In: 82
Buy In %: 38.50%
Total Sale Proceeds: $933560

Here is the breakdown, separated into two sections (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post, here):

Photographic Literature Only

Low Total Lots: 210
Low Sold: 148
Low Bought In: 52
Buy In %: 24.76%
Total Low Estimate: $290700
Total Low Sold: $194634

Mid Total Lots: 0
Mid Sold: NA
Mid Bought In: NA
Buy In %: NA
Total Mid Estimate: $0
Total Mid Sold: NA

High Total Lots: 0
High Sold: NA
High Bought In: NA
Buy In %: NA
Total High Estimate: $0
Total High Sold: NA

The top lot by High estimate in the book section was lot 2 Francis Frith, Egypt Nubia and Ethiopia, Illustrated with One Hundred Stereoscopic Photographs, 1862, at $7000-10000; it was also the top outcome in the book section of the sale at $10200.

Only 63.51% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range in this portion of the sale. There were a total of four surprises in this section (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 4, Henry Peach Robinson, Pictorial Effect in Photography, 1869, at $840
Lot 30, Erich Mendelsohn, Russland Europa Amerika, 1929, at $1680
Lot 36, Andre Kertesz, Day of Paris, 1945, at $2040
Lot 72, Andre Kertesz, Select group of 9 titles, various dates, at $1440

Fine Photographs Only

Low Total Lots: 202
Low Sold: 124
Low Bought In: 78
Buy In %: 38.61%
Total Low Estimate: $835150
Total Low Sold: $449960

Mid Total Lots: 9
Mid Sold: 6
Mid Bought In: 3
Buy In %: 33.33%
Total Mid Estimate: $175000
Total Mid Sold: $123600

High Total Lots: 2
High Sold: 1
High Bought In: 1
Buy In %: 50.00%
Total High Estimate: $510000
Total High Sold: $360000

The top lot by High estimate in the photographs section was lot 350 Ansel Adams, Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941/1948, at $350000-450000; it was also the top outcome in this section of the sale at $360000.

Only 57.25% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range. There were a total of six surprises in this section (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 221, (Medical), Portrait of Susan Grisham, 1865, at $780
Lot 251, Lewis Hine, Oyster Shuckers, Port Royal, South Carolina, 1908, at $9600
Lot 301, Edward Weston/Cole Weston, Shell, 1931/1970s, at $15600
Lot 308, Walker Evans, Select group of 36 photographs, 1929-1971/1971-1979, at $19200
Lot 380, (John F. Kennedy), Group of 17 photographs, 1963, $2640
Lot 401, Carlo Mollino, #109, Female Figure in Studio, 1971, at $3120

Complete lot by lot results can be found here.

Swann Galleries
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010