African Diaspora Photography

Photographs at Christie’s, Dec. 19th

atfa — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:47:28 +0000

The sole lot which featured a black image and/or produced by a black photographer in this sale was Lot # 97 by Duane Michals.

Black is Ugly, 1974, was estimated to sell for $ 3,000 – 5,000. Price realized was $ 2, 250. The auction totaled $ 680,250 in sales.

Sotheby’s October 5, Photographs Sale

atfa — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:21:13 +0000

At the Sotheby’s Photographs sale on October 5th, there were a handful of lots which featured photographs of black people, or were produced by black photographers. Among the 185 lots offerred were:

Lot 65: Henri Cartier Bresson

Easter Parade Harlem, 1947

Sold for 7,500 USD

Lot 72: Herman Leonard

Jazz Studies, 1948-1991

Sold for 28, 125 USD

Lot 113: Paul Outerbridge, Jr.

“Sleepy Negro” 1924

Sold for 31, 250 USD

Lot 168: Carrie Mae Weems

“Made for Him, Made for Her” 1993

Sold for 13,750 USD

Elizabeth Sunday Photograph Sells at Eastman House Benefit Auction

atfa — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:46:25 +0000

The stunning archival pigment print, Animus #3, Omo Valley, Ethiopia, 2011, by Elizabeth Sunday, sold for $ 390 at the online auction benefiting the George Eastman House.

The benefit auction, both its live and online event, took place from the end of September until Monday, October 10th. 204 photographs from vintage photography to contemporary works were available for sale by famous and emerging photographers from across the globe.

Sunday’s signed print was valued at $ 3,000 and is #7 in an edition of 7.

Elisabeth Sunday, Animus #3, Omo Valley, Ethiopia, 2011

Gerald Cyrus Photographs Sell at Stair Galleries

atfa — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:45:57 +0000

Two black and white photographs by Philadelphia-based photographer, Gerald Cyrus, sold for $ 75.00 at Stair Galleries on September 10, 2011. Cyrus’ images were among 705 available lots, including 20th century paintings, prints, furniture, and estate property.

Lot #471 included the photographs New Orleans (Eating Ice Cream), and Untitled (Boy on Swing). Both images were framed.

Round-up on Spring Photography Auctions

atfa — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:10:03 +0000

The March and April photography auctions have drawn to a close. Here’s a quick round-up of noteworthy sales.

Christie’s, First Open Post-War and Contemporary Art, New York, Rockefeller Plaza ( SALE 2421, March 10, 2011)

LOT 0035

Lorna Simpson (b. 1960), Nervous Conditions (see right)

Color Polaroid prints with engraved Plexiglas
48 7/8 x 20 1/8 in. (124.1 x 51.1 cm.)
Executed in 1992. This work is number four from an edition of five.

Estimate: $6,000 – $8,000 Price Realized: $ 10,625

SALE TOTAL: 10,278,275 (USD) (Prices include buyer’s premium)

Christie’s, Crossing America: Photographs from the Consolidated Freightways Collection, Part I
New York, Rockefeller Plaza (Sale 2522, 7 April 2011)

Lot 235

P.H. POLK (1898-1984), The Boss, 1932

Gelatin silver print, 9¼ x 7½in. (23.5 x 19.3cm.)

Estimate $2,500 – $3,500 Price realized: $1,750. First time Christie’s sold a Polk image.

Three (3) Lots

ROY DECARAVA (1919-2009)

(Lot 237) He’s too tired to change, c 1954

Estimate $4,000 – $6,000 Price realized:$2,750

(Lot 239) Three Men Standing on a Corner, Morning, 1950,

Estimate $4,000 – $6,000 Price realized: $6,875

(Lot 240) Untitled, c 1959,

Estimate $4,000 – $6,000 Price realized: $6,875

All gelatin silver prints.

SALE TOTAL: 1,838,437 (USD) (Prices include buyer’s premium)

Avedon, Van Der Zee, Stewart, and Van Vechten Sell at Lena Horne Estate Sale

atfa — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 22:10:09 +0000

Photographs of Lena Horne and the “Atlantic City” 1930 and “By the Pool” c. 1924 photographs by James Van der Zee sold at Horne’s estate sale conducted at Doyle New York, February 23, 2011. The Richard Avedon contact sheets of Horne sold for $ 8,750; the Chuck Stewart for $ 750; the Carl Van Vechten portrait of Horne sold for $ 3,438; and the Van der Zee for $ 9,375 and $ 3,438.

The Avedon, Stewart, Van Vechten, and Van der Zee photographs are all silver gelatin prints. A color photograph of Horne by Wendy Hilty, Lena Horne, ca. 1958, sold for $ 1,088, and a set of three black & white and color photographs by Carol Friedman sold for $500. Two groups of publicity photographs sold for $ 3,750 and $ 625 respectively.

Low estimates for all the photographs began at $50, and high estimates ended at $300.

Each sales price includes the 25% buyer’s premium.

CHUCK STEWART. Lena Horne. Silver gelatin print, 11 3/8" x 9"

JAMES VAN DER ZEE. Atlantic City, 1930. Silver gelatin print, 6 3/8" x 3 7/8"

Photography Auctions, Events, Fairs, etc. – Spring 2011

atfa — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 12:37:14 +0000

Happy Chinese New Year, and a shout out to all our Afro-Chinese brethren and sistren laboring in the field of photography. There are photography auctions, events, and fairs to take note of in the coming weeks. Here’s a quick round-up so you can prepare yourself for reviewing, discussing, and purchasing:

February – March 2011

Houston Center for Photography is holding a benefit auction, February 23, ;
The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) show is March 17–20, in New York City;
U.S. Photo Show is March 19, in New York City and other locations during the year;
Swann Auction Galleries Photography Auction is March 24, New York City; and
Palm Springs Photo Festival is March 27–April 1, in Palm Springs, California, .

March – April 2011

The below listing references New York City locations.

Sotheby’s Photographs Auction, April 6;

In Motion Photography Auction and Benefit, April 7;

Christie’s Photographs Auction, April 7–8;

Phillips de Pury Photographs Auction, April 9; and

Doyle Photographs Auction, April 20

Happy Collecting!

Civil War Photographs Sell at Cowan’s – Black Soldiers

atfa — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 19:31:40 +0000

A tintype photograph of Civil War Private Marcus Harvey, 28th Indiana United States Colored Troops sold for $2,350.00 at Cowan’s Auctions’ American History, Including the Civil War sale on Friday, December 10.

The lot contained four items including full-plate tintypes of Harvey in plain clothes and in uniform.

The items were estimated at $ 2,500 – 3,500.

Some New York Photography Auctions – October

atfa — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 21:16:26 +0000

Christie’s Photographs sale held October 6-7 in New York yielded 5,571,537 USD including buyer’s premium.

IRVING PENN (1917-2009) photograph, The Palm of Miles Davis (New York), 1986, sold for 146,500 USD, nearly three times its high estimate (30,000 – 50,000 USD). This lot was the second highest sale price of all the Penn lots, and the third highest seller in the entire auction of 263 lots.

Irving Penn, The Palm of Miles Davis, 1986

ASA C. PARTRIDGE photograph, Portrait of a slave woman and her young charge, 1840, a half-plate daguerreotype with hand coloring, sold for 1,250 USD, well below its estimate of 7,000-9,000 USD.

Asa C. Partridge, Portrait of A Slave Women and Her Young Charge, 1840s

At the Sotheby’s Photographs sale, held October 6, works by Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989) SELECTED STUDIES sold for 8,750 USD, just below its low estimate: 10,000—15,000 USD. The sale, held in New York, yielded 4,970,754 USD including buyer’s premium.

The Photo Review Annual Auction

atfa — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 21:07:24 +0000

On November 6th the wonderful Photo Review will hold its annual photography auction at University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Among the photographs available for sale are a portrait of photographer, Roy DeCarava (1919-2009), by Abe Aronow, and “Emmanuel” by Jonathan Torgovnik. Auction items are available for immediate purchase online and a fully illustrated catalog is available for $ 12.00.

Jonathan Torgovnik. Emmanuel, 2006

Abe Aronow. Roy DeCarava at his home in Brooklyn, NY, 1984/2010