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Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

Bloomsbury Auctions New York – Inaugural Photographs Sale

Bloomsbury Auctions New York is delighted to present an extraordinary selection of photographs on 17 October 2008 at 2:00 pm. Bloomsbury’s newest department promises to deliver quality material with exceptional expertise provided by John Cowey, Head of Department, Hannah Hayden, Junior Specialist, and Rick Wester, International Consultant. Bloomsbury Auctions is now poised to make a significant impact on the Photographs market this season, offering such early masters as Atget, Man Ray and Walker Evans to classic contemporary artists such as Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, William Eggleston and Larry Clark. Works up to the present day are included as well.

The catalogue’s cover lot is a mesmerizing example of the most current state of digital imagery by the internationally recognized master Ruud van Empel. From one of his three most exhibited and published series, Moon, World and Venus, World #7, 2005 ($35,000-45,000), is an elaborate collage of an African girl’s face emerging from an other-worldly lily pond.

Helmut Newton, the highly popular and innovative master of the erotic narrative in fashion is well represented with a rare oversized print, Saddle I, Paris (at the Hotel Lancaster), 1977 from an edition of only ten examples ($60,000-80,000). From a New York Private Collection, also by Newton, is the very suggestive but demure nude portrait from behind of his good friend, Charlotte Rampling, Arles, 1973 ($15,000-20,000). 16th Arrondissement, Paris, 1976 ($10,000-15,000) is from the same collection.

Other highlights include a well-known portrait of Susan Sontag taken in 1975 by Peter Hujar, of note especially because this early print is signed by Sontag as well as the artist and formerly in the collection of Richard Lorenz ($8,000-10,000). Sally Mann is represented by a dark and powerfully haunting image from her second series of landscapes Deep South in Untitled (Deep South #7), 1998 ($30,000-40,000). The highly regarded architectural photographer, known for his contributions to The New Yorker, Robert Polidori is included with an exceptional early work from his ongoing exploration of Versailles, Ancien Vestibule de L’Appartement de Mme. Adelaide, Chateau de Versailles, 1985 ($20,000-30,000).

Most outstanding of the early material included in the sale is the extremely rare five-volume set of photographic albums compiled by Baron von Brandis which document a monumental Trans-Siberian expedition from 1860-1866. This is the only known set of these albums outside of Russia ($800,000-1,200,000). There is a separate release and brochure available with more information.

Also of note are two carte-postales by Man Ray from the Société Anonyme, 1920, of his own sculpture Lampshade and the other, a view of his friend Marcel Duchamp’s Small Glass ($20,000-30,000 each).

Viewings will be held on Thursday 9 October until Thursday 16 October from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm, Sunday 12:00-5:00 pm or by appointment. The auction will begin promptly at 2:00 pm on Friday 17 October.

A speaking engagement presented by Edward Kasinec on the von Brandis albums will be held on Thursday 9 October at 5:00 pm and there will also be a reception open to the public on Monday 13 October from 6:30-8:00 pm.

Bloomsbury Auctions is the world’s leading auction house for rare books and works on paper and is headquartered in London with salerooms in New York and Rome.

For further information visit www.bloomsburyauctions.com.