Classic & Contemporary Photographs: Winter-Spring 2020

At Auction February 25

Margaret Bourke-White, The George Washington Bridge, warm-toned silver print

American Photographers

Outstanding American photographers headline the auction: Edward Steichen’s White Lotus, dye transfer print, 1939, printed 1940, showcases a master working in striking color, while Margaret Bourke-White’s The George Washington Bridge, 1933, highlights her rigorous sense of form and scale. The latter descends from the estate of Bourke-White’s onetime assistant Robert Kiehl, whose father founded Kiehl’s Pharmacy.

 

Lot 130: Margaret Bourke-White, The George Washington Bridge, warm-toned silver print, from the artist to Robert Edward Kiehl, 1933. $50,000 to $75,000.

Edward Steichen’s Early Color Work

Edward Steichen, White Lotus, dye transfer print, 1939, printed 1940.
Lot 36: Edward Steichen, White Lotus, dye transfer print, 1939, printed 1940. $50,000 to $75,000.

American Abstraction

The auction’s American story continues with a graphic abstraction, Chicago, by Harry Callahan, circa 1948, as well as numerous examples of FSA photography, including works by Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange (illustrated further below).

Harry Callahan, Chicago, silver print, circa 1948.
Lot 131: Harry Callahan, Chicago, silver print, circa 1948. $15,000 to $25,000.
Minor White, Beginnings, Rochester, New York (frosted window), 1952.
Lot 45: Minor White, Beginnings, Rochester, New York (frosted window), 1952. $7,000 to $10,000.
Berenice Abbott, James Joyce, silver print, 1928.

Prominent Portraits

Other highlights include a vintage signed example of Berenice Abbott’s iconic 1928 portrait of James Joyce; Richard Avedon’s portrait of Charlie Chaplin, 1972, printed 1975; Imogen Cunningham’s breathtaking Magnolia Blossom, 1925, printed circa 1970; and vintage works by Edward S. Curtis, Lewis W. Hine, and Brett and Edward Weston. Contemporary American masterpieces include cutting-edge artworks by Edward Burtynsky, Mary Ellen Mark, Luis González Palma, and Chris McCaw.

Lot 156: Berenice Abbott, James Joyce, silver print, 1928. $5,000 to $7,500.

Edward Steichen, Constantin Brâncuși, Voulangis, France, silver contact print, 1922.
Lot 164: Edward Steichen, Constantin Brâncuși, Voulangis, France, silver contact print, 1922. $10,000 to $15,000.
Dawoud Bey, The artist Sana Musasama, silver print, 1986-87.
Lot 186: Dawoud Bey, The artist Sana Musasama, silver print, 1986-87. $2,000 to $3,000.

Documentary

Farm Security Administration

Dorothea Lange, Family walking on highway, five children, silver print, 1938, printed circa 1960.
Lot 117: Dorothea Lange, Family walking on highway, five children, silver print, 1938, printed circa 1960. $4,000 to $6,000.
Walker Evans, Company Houses for Steel Mill Workers, Birmingham, Alabama, silver print, 1936.
Lot 124: Walker Evans, Company Houses for Steel Mill Workers, Birmingham, Alabama, silver print, 1936. $6,000 to $9,000.

South America

Martin Chambi, presentation album entitled Peru, with 104 photographs, 22 by Chambi, silver prints, 1947.
Lot 142: Martin Chambi, presentation album entitled Peru, with 104 photographs, 22 by Chambi, silver prints, 1947. $30,000 to $40,000.

Photobooks

Man Ray, Photographies 1920-1934 Paris, signed and inscribed to gallerist Jack P. Mayer, Hartford, 1934
Lot 326: Man Ray, Photographies 1920-1934 Paris, signed and inscribed to gallerist Jack P. Mayer, Hartford, 1934. $4,000 to $6,000.

Vernacular Photographs

Women Historical Figures

Anarchist Feminist Emma Goldman indicted by Grand Jury, silver print, 1917.
Lot 153: Anarchist Feminist Emma Goldman indicted by Grand Jury, silver print, 1917. $600 to $900.
Group of six photographs related to the Women's Suffrage movement, including portraits of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anhony, 1848-1920, printed circa 1912-30.
Lot 264: Group of six photographs related to the Women’s Suffrage movement, including portraits of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, 1848-1920, printed circa 1912-30. $800 to $1,200.

American Cultural History

Group of approximately 110 film stills from King Kong, ferrotyped silver prints, 1933.
Lot 301: Group of approximately 110 film stills from King Kong, ferrotyped silver prints, 1933. $2,000 to $3,000.

Novel, Humorous & Unusual

A composite of 42 frames depicting a chef making a salad, silver print, circa 1950s.
Lot 284: A composite of 42 frames depicting a chef making a salad, silver print, circa 1950s. $700 to $1,000.

Exhibition Begins February 20

The exhibition is free to attend and open to the public. We welcome special and educational groups with advance notice—send an inquiry to rsvp@swanngalleries.com.

 

Exhibition Hours

Thursday, February 20 — 12 PM to 5 PM

Friday, February 21 — 12 PM to 5 PM

Saturday, February 22 — 12 PM to 5 PM

Monday, February 24 — 12 PM to 5 PM

Tuesday, February 25 — 10 AM to 12 PM

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January 10, 2020
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Category: Photographs & Photobooks
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