Bloomsbury Auctions presents their second Photographs sale in New York with a curated selection of historic, modern and contemporary work in addition to a new section dedicated to Photographic Editions.
Bloomsbury Auctions is delighted to announce a various owner auction of extraordinary photographs in its New York City headquarters on 2 April 2009 at 10:00 am. The sale will include material dating from the 19th Century to the present day including works by Manuel Álvarez Bravo, André Kertész, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Diane Arbus, Robert Mapplethorpe, Edward Burtynsky and Wang Qingsong.
Bloomsbury is also excited to introduce a new section to the sale called Photographic Editions, which will include photobooks and portfolios from such icons as Man Ray, Brassaï, Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, William Eggleston, Daido Moriyama and Hiroshi Sugimoto. Rare and highly collectable first editions, foreign editions and deluxe limited editions will all be offered.
The Head of the Department John Cowey states: “Building on the success of our Inaugural Sale this past October I am particularly excited about our Photographic Editions section. It is the perfect meeting of Bloomsbury’s excellent reputation in the book market with our department’s fresh approach to the photography market. It is a natural fit for Bloomsbury and one that the current marketplace is ready for.”
Highlights include William Eggleston’s 2 ¼, 1999 (deluxe limited edition with print, $4,000-6,000); Robert Frank’s The Americans, 1958 (pristine first edition with ephemera, $9,000-12,000); Peter Beard’s The End of the Game, 1977 (first edition thus with multiple signatures, inscriptions and drawings, $3,000-5,000); Eliot Porter’s The Seasons, 1951-1961 (1964 portfolio, $8,000-10,000) and Ernst Haas’ The Creation, 1962-1981 (1981 portfolio, $8,000-10,000).
Crossing over between the Photographic Editions and Photographs sections of the sale, is Man Ray, whose highlights include a pristine, limited edition copy of Facile, 1935 ($5,000-7,000), in which his series of elegant nudes accompanies the poems of Paul Eluard; and the photograph Untitled (Rayograph), 1924 ($10,000-15,000), a rare portfolio print signed by the artist for the original owner Arnold Newman.
The catalogue’s front cover lot Le Pont des Arts, 1932 by Brassaï is a contemplative view of the Seine at night ($8,000-10,000), which is complimented by the serene back cover lot Easter Lilies, 1979 by Robert Mapplethorpe ($12,000-18,000). Sally Mann is represented with a contact print of Damaged Child, 1984 ($6,000-8,000), one of the first images from her landmark series Immediate Family. Also to be offered is Irving Penn’s Sewer Cleaner, New York, 1951 ($15,000-20,000), a classic image from the artist’s iconic series of blue-collar portraits called The Small Trades.
Bloomsbury’s Photographs Department promises to deliver quality material with exceptional expertise provided by John Cowey, Head of the Department and Hannah Hayden, Junior Specialist. 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.
Exhibition Viewings for the Photographs and Photographic Editions Sale are:
Wednesday – Friday,
25 – 27 March by appointment only
Saturday 28 March 10:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday 29 March 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Monday 30 March 10:00am – 5:00pm
Tuesday 31 March 10:00am – 7:00pm
Wednesday 1 April 10:00am – 1:00pm
Bloomsbury Auctions
6 West 48th Street, New York, NY 10036
t +1 212 719 1000 f +1 212 719 1400
www.bloomsburyauctions.com
