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December 27, 2021
Author: Maddie Ligenza

@swanngalleries on Instagram

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swanngalleries

Specializing in rare books, fine art and everything in between.
President & principal auctioneer: @nicholowry

At auction this week is Germaine Krull's 1928 port

At auction this week is Germaine Krull's 1928 portfolio 'Métal', complete with 64 photogravures. Estimate $7,000 to $10,000.⁠
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Germaine Krull studied photography in Munich, where she opened her photo studio in 1918. She made a living as a commercial photographer, with a focus on fashion, nudes, and portraits. First in Munich and Berlin, then in Amsterdam and Paris, where she moved in 1924. She was a groundbreaking photographer who moved away from the traditional visual rhetoric and embraced the ‘new vision’ movement of the 1920s, which praised the use of foregrounded experimental techniques.⁠
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With her photo book ‘Métal’ published in 1928, she went one step further by adopting the principles of film montage. The book is composed of 64 unbound collotypes, with each sheet credited and numbered but not captioned, and depicts machines and other industrial subjects Krull encountered during her travels in European cities, such as Paris, Marseille, and Rotterdam. To that extent, it exemplifies her singular style in creating new perspectives, which emphasized shooting from extreme angles and unusual viewpoints to capture unexpected images. ⁠
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Her most well-known shots of the Eiffel Tower, for instance, demonstrate her ability in exploring montage principles and making the subject not easily recognizable at first sight. A few of these photographs were published in an article entitled ‘Dans toute sa force’ (In full force) written by Florent Fels (who also wrote the introduction of Metal) and published in Vu Magazine in 1928, the first major French illustrated weekly. The magazine would launch her career in photojournalism and reveal how Krull’s experimental techniques paid tribute magnificently to the decade’s effervescence.

Bridget Fay touches on a selection of approximatel

Bridget Fay touches on a selection of approximately 300 New York City architectural site surveys and real estate photographs from 1941-78 and what the images reveal about a city of yesteryear.

Coming to auction May 8. Learn more about the lot at the link in our bio.

#artauction #fineartphotography #oldnewyork

Music Credit:
Composer: Cosimo Fogg
Website: https://soundcloud.com/cosimo-fogg
License: Free To Use YouTube license youtube-free
Music powered by BreakingCopyright: https://breakingcopyright.com

Bridget Fay, in our Photographs & Photobooks depar

Bridget Fay, in our Photographs & Photobooks department, shares about Joshua H. Beal’s monumental 5-part panoramic view of New York City.

At auction May 8. Learn more about the lot at the link in our bio.

#artauction #oldnewyork #fineartphotography #joshuabeal

Music Credit:
Sassy Swing — Audio Library Beats Group
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/audio...
Music promoted by Audio Library • Dixieland Jazz Blues by Audio Library...

Nicholas Lowry and Angelina Lippert, Executive Dir

Nicholas Lowry and Angelina Lippert, Executive Director & Curator of Poster House, brought their show to Swann Galleries last night for a tour of the April 24, 2025, auction, Art Deco at 100: Iconic Posters from the William W. Crouse Collection.⁠
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Browse the catalogue at the link in our bio.

SPECIALIST'S PICK | "'Speed' and 'Safety,' by Alan

SPECIALIST'S PICK | "'Speed' and 'Safety,' by Alan Rogers — Lots 14 and 15 in this auction — are instantly identifiable as advertisements for the London Underground. Exemplary of bold Modernism and Art Deco stylization, these posters are eye-catching, but even more dynamic as a pair. Unless viewed side-by-side, one might not even catch that the two figures are playfully sparring with each other beyond their printed borders — one with a bow and quiver of arrows, and the other, a sword and shield. Masterpieces of geometry and minimalist palette, there is no question of what the artist intended to convey. They are also quite scarce; to the best of our research, since 2010, Speed has come up for auction three times in the past, and Safety only twice." — Lauren Cooper, Associate Director, Vintage Posters⁠
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Lots 14 and 15 coming to auction April 24. To browse the complete catalogue and register to bid visit the link in our bio.⁠

Our Fine Books auction begins closing tomorrow at

Our Fine Books auction begins closing tomorrow at 12 PM EST!

Visit the link in our bio to browse the catalogue and register to bid.

PAST AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS | THE REDCOATS ARE COMING!

PAST AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS | THE REDCOATS ARE COMING! 🗣️ 🗣️ 🗣️ ⁠
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The Hands of Time. Remembering Paul Revere, who rode from Charlestown to Lexington, warning patriots along the route of imminent attack by British troops on this night, 1775. This 1795 autograph document signed by Revere, a receipt for silver goods, sold November 2013 for $16,250.

Fine Books is open for bidding through April 22.

Fine Books is open for bidding through April 22.

Visit the link in our bio to browse the auction.

In Paris, on April 29, 1925, the Exposition des Ar

In Paris, on April 29, 1925, the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes opened to the public. The exhibition was conceived to highlight the new modern style of design, of which French artists were at the forefront. Over the next six months, over 16 million visitors from 20 different countries streamed through architecture, interior design, graphic design, fashion, jewelry, and other decorative arts exhibitions.⁠
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Learn more about the exhibition that launched the Art Deco movement, and discover the four original exhibition posters by Bonfils, Loupot, Girard, and Bourdelle that marked this defining moment in design history at the link in our bio.

Nicholas D. Lowry discusses the history and signif

Nicholas D. Lowry discusses the history and significance of the Art Deco movement as we gear up to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris.

#artauction #vintageposters #artdeco

Grace Meschery-McCormack shares about two copies o

Grace Meschery-McCormack shares about two copies of Fernando de Rojas’s ‘La Célestine,’ including a limited edition copy illustrated by Pablo Picasso.

At auction April 22. Learn more about the works at the link in our bio.

#Rarebooks #rarebookdealer #antiquarianbooks #auctions
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Music Credit:
Schubert - Piano Quintet in A major ‘The Trout’, D. 667 - IV. Andantino – Allegretto
Music provided by Classical Music Copyright Free on Youtube [https://tinyurl.com/visit-cmcf]
Watch: • Schubert - Piano Quintet in A major ‘...]

Join Nicholas Lowry and Angelina Lippert, Executiv

Join Nicholas Lowry and Angelina Lippert, Executive Director & Curator of Poster House, on Tuesday, April 22, from 6 – 8 PM as the duo bring their show to Swann Galleries for a tour of the April 24 auction, Art Deco at 100: Iconic Posters from the William W. Crouse Collection.⁠
⁠
Art Deco-themed cocktails will be served.⁠
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Visit the link in our bio to RSVP.

Art Deco at 100: Iconic Posters from the William W

Art Deco at 100: Iconic Posters from the William W. Crouse Collection is at Swann Galleries April 24, including works by Alexey Brodovitch, Noël Fontanet, A.M. Cassandre, Charles Loupot, and more. ⁠
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Browse the auction now.

@nicholowry is on Antiques Roadshow tonight! ⁠
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Tune in to see him on the new @RoadshowPBS episode, airing at 8/7C on @PBS!⁠

Sarah McMillan, Swann’s prints specialist, share

Sarah McMillan, Swann’s prints specialist, shares about the production of color woodcuts, the Reba W. & Dave H. Williams Collection of Color Woodcuts, and work by Frances Gearhart.

Featured in tomorrow’s auction. Visit the link in our bio for more information.

#colorwoodcut #artauction #fineart
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Attributions:

By Zephyris - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27664030

By Malo-Renault - familiale, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68406763

By Squeegee - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31354145

By Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec - http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/toulouse-lautrec/i/goulue-litho.jpg (more at http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/toulouse-lautrec/), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17449

By Utagawa Hiroshige - The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3206245

By University of California, Berkeley - http://www.uvm.edu/~hleitenb/Gearhart/biographical_sketch.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47652071

By Unknown photographer - Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4728690

Music:

Closing Time by Tokyo Music Walker / user-356546060
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/tokyo...
Music promoted by Audio Library https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLVc1NbobiM&list=PLzCxunOM5WFL2Rg3a0FToj84q2qezmZ5q&index=6

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