Sotheby’s Classic Photographs Auction Results 2021

Sotheby’s hosted two photography auctions over a week from 28th September to 5th October, one auction brought together well-known work from long-regarded photographers such as Ansel Adams, Robert Frank and Man Ray. The Classic Photographs auction was made up of lots from numerous private collections such as those of Dr Joseph D. Lchtenberg, Jay I. Kislak and Ann Tenebaum and Thomas H. Lee. With over 150 lots on offer, digital bids took place from 28th September to 4th October, completing the auction on 5th October with live bids in New York. In total, the auction raised $2,381,778.

This auction had a number of prints available with no reserving meaning that some buyers gained some great work for very little money, such as Aaron Siskind’s Chicago 224, which had an estimate of $3,000-$5,000 but sold for as little as $882. At the other end of the spectrum was a Jacques-Henri Lartigue print (Automobile Delage, Grand Prix de l’Automobile-Club de France, Le Tréport, 26 juin 1912) from the collection of Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee, which was estimated to fetch $10,000-$15,000 but shocked many with a final hammer price of $63,000.

As has been the case of numerous occasions recently, the most expensive lot was a print by Man Ray. Estimated to raise $300,000-$500,000 Man Ray’s Calla Lilies received a hammer price of $352,800. William Eggleston’s Memphis (Tricycle) brought in a conservative $327,600 after an initial estimate of $250,000-$350,000. And coming in third was Dunes, Oceano by Edward Weston, which was given an estimate of $60,000-$90,000 and earned $75,600.

image by yoann siloine