Photographs & Photobooks

Swann held the first auction dedicated to photography in the United States on February 14, 1952. Since then, the Photographs & Photobooks department has been committed to innovation in the marketplace. Swann’s photography department has overseen the introduction of new genres, including the first sales dedicated to photobooks and vernacular photographs in 2006 and 2014, respectively, and continues to bring new perspectives by offering diverse presentations from makers across the medium.

Our seasoned team specializes in classical and contemporary works by master fine art photographers, as well as photographs that employ alternative and antiquarian processes. We also offer vernacular photographs, including snapshots, travel albums, industrial surveys, crime photography and documentary typologies. Our responsive, creative team works closely with clients to realize high prices, bring the medium new collectors, and offer an educated, dynamic dialogue around our sales.

The top lot in the house’s history is the complete set of Edward S. Curtis’s The North American Indian, which sold for $1,440,000 in October 2012. Additional highlights in this department include Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California (Destitute pea pickers in California. Mother of seven children. Age 32) by Dorothea Lange, which realized $305,000; Portrait of Kate Keown by Julia Margaret Cameron, sold for $106,250; Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Still #52, which sold for $125,000, and Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico by Ansel Adams, realizing $221,000. 

Notable single-owner collections we have offered include An American Century: The Collection of Dr. James & Debra Pearl & Fine Photographs; Photographs from the Estate of Evelyne Daitz; Fine Photographs: Featuring 100 Works from the Stephen White Collection, and Fine Photographs & The Photobook Library of Bill Diodato.

Swann’s Photography & Photobooks department also contributes to the house’s specialized, multi-departmental sales, including LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture, The Artists of the WPA, Subculture, and more.