Actions We’re Taking Regarding COVID-19

Check this page for the most current updates.

What to Know on Auction Day

Last Update: March 8, 2022

These auctions will be held live and conducted remotely by Swann auctioneers taking bids from multiple platforms. While there will not be bidding in the room, we will be accepting phone bids and order bids, and interested buyers will be able to participate live online, including on the Swann Galleries app (available in the App Store and on Google Play).

Please note: limited phone bidding will be available for these auctions. Phone bidding registrations will close the day before the sale at 4pm.

At this time, our exhibitions are open to the public based on the times listed in our auction schedule. Private viewings are still available by appointment. Masks are required. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Lots won during this time will not be subject to any fees for storage of material that cannot be picked up or shipped right away. Contact shipping@swanngalleries.com for shipping inquiries.

A Note From Swann Galleries President Nicholas D. Lowry

May 22, 2020

Outside my window I hear the sound of a jack hammer tearing up the sidewalk on a construction project down the block. I’m not going to lie, it’s an annoying and ridiculously distracting sound—one that has been blissfully missing for the past 10 weeks. But at the same time, I realize that it heralds the beginning of the opening up of New York City and all which that entails as the gateway to normalcy. The irony of a rebirth foretold by jackhammer is not lost on me. But the excitement of getting back underway as a company outweighs the obnoxious noise coming through my window.

And Swann is not just ready to be back…we are already well on our way to resuming business as (almost) usual, and maintaining our position as the world’s premier auction house for literary properties, works on paper and paintings.

With our staff working from home, we have been able to make the transition to live, virtual auctions, and the transition has been remarkable. The Swann team has come together during this unprecedented (if I never hear that word again it will be too soon) time to help ensure that we have been able to continue bringing exceptional material to auction, and providing the service and personal connections for which we are known.

As a captain there is nothing more rewarding than being able to navigate uncharted waters with a crew that are knowledgeable, capable, confident, loyal and good humored. I am lucky indeed to have that kind of crew with me. As Rick Stattler wrote in a company-wide email after his sale, the first we held with this new configuration, “I felt incredibly proud to be part of such a great team.” And I can wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment.

Not only have we conducted live, virtual auctions, but they have been as successful as any sale we would have held three months ago in our physical saleroom. We have helped facilitate virtual viewing rooms, providing clients with all of the information and additional photographs of items they might need to ensure their bidding interest. And we have begun conducting video appraisals for clients who are interested in consigning works to our upcoming auctions—all while strictly adhering to social distance policies, keeping our staff and our clients safe.

What’s next? As we eagerly await word from Governor Cuomo regarding the phases of reopening New York City, we have already begun to reschedule all our spring auctions, and are working on planning our fall. If you are not receiving up-to-date information on what’s going on at Swann, please click here and subscribe to receive our auction updates. We cannot anticipate every potential pitfall or drawback of the coming months, but we don’t have to. Swann has proven to ourselves, and more importantly to you, our clients, friends and colleagues, that we are agile enough to adapt to unforeseen events as they present themselves, while continuing to conduct our auctions and upholding our reputation and integrity, the backbone of Swann for the last 78 years.

Thank you all for your continued support and understanding during this unprecedented era.

Sincerely,

Nicholas D. Lowry
President & Principal Auctioneer

Stay in Touch

As things rapidly change regarding COVID-19, we at Swann are following all protocols put in place by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the city and state governments of New York.

If anything changes, we’ll be posting updates here, on social media (FB / TW / IG), and on our home page.

Most essential contacts at Swann are available here on our website, or you can send a general inquiry to swann@swanngalleries.com.