October 22, 2019Kelsie JankowskiPhotographs & Photobooks Edward S. Curtis & Irving Penn Shine in Fall 2019 Classic & Contemporary Photographs Read more about Edward S. Curtis & Irving Penn Shine in Fall 2019 Classic & Contemporary Photographs Swann’s Thursday, October 17 sale of Classic & Contemporary Photographs featured a broad range of photographic material including works by Edward S. Curtis, Irving Penn, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dorothea Lange and W. Eugene Smith.
Read more about Early Printed Books by John Bulwer — A Pioneer in the Education of the Deaf in England October 21, 2019 Early Printed Books Early Printed Books by John Bulwer — A Pioneer in the Education of the Deaf in England Born in London in 1606, John Bulwer was an important figure in the study of deafness, gesture and the human body and a pioneer the education of the deaf in England. He published five works on the subject before his death in 1656. Set to come across the block are three first editions of Bulwer’s publications.
Read more about Fall 2019 Fine Books & Manuscripts Brings Record Prices October 14, 2019 Books & Manuscripts Fall 2019 Fine Books & Manuscripts Brings Record Prices We brought forth a remarkable offering of autographs, art, press and illustrated books, as well as nineteenth and twentieth-century literature, in a Thursday, October 10 sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts.
Read more about Archives Revealing Information on Slavery & the Underground Railroad Lead Fall 2019 sale of Printed & Manuscript Americana October 3, 2019 Printed & Manuscript Americana Archives Revealing Information on Slavery & the Underground Railroad Lead Fall 2019 sale of Printed & Manuscript Americana The September 26 sale of Printed & Manuscript Americana was an overall success with material relating to slavery & the Underground Railroad leading the sale.
Read more about Collecting Works by African-American Photographers October 1, 2019 African American Art Collecting Works by African-American Photographers A superb selection of images by African-American photographers is set to come across the block in our Fall 2019 sale of African-American Fine Art. Here we take a look at the offering that includes artists from the Harlem Renaissance through today.
Read more about Rare Martin Lewis Etching Debuts in Fall 2019 Prints & Drawings Sale September 26, 2019 Prints & Drawings Rare Martin Lewis Etching Debuts in Fall 2019 Prints & Drawings Sale Swann Galleries opened the fall 2019 season with an exceptional sale of 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings featuring an auction debut for a rare early print by Martin Lewis and a record price for a print by Edvard Munch.
Read more about Record Prices and Market Debuts Abound in Summer 2019 Sale of Vintage Posters August 14, 2019 Vintage Posters Record Prices and Market Debuts Abound in Summer 2019 Sale of Vintage Posters Our summer sale of Vintage Posters on August 7, 2019, was a lively event with active bidding across all platforms bringing six record prices and a number of posters to market for the first time.
Read more about Herman Melville: A Bicentennial Celebration August 1, 2019 Autographs Herman Melville: A Bicentennial Celebration We celebrate the author, now recognized as one of the cornerstones of American literature, on what would have been his 200th birthday.
Read more about Sergio Trujillo Magnenat: A Pioneer in Colombian Graphic Design July 24, 2019 Vintage Posters Sergio Trujillo Magnenat: A Pioneer in Colombian Graphic Design Featured in our August 7 sale of Vintage Posters is a rare selection of four advertisements for the first Bolivarian Games by Sergio Trujillo Magnenat. The images are characterized by…
Read more about Swann in Profile: Lauren Goldberg July 22, 2019 Vintage Posters Swann in Profile: Lauren Goldberg With the newly opened Poster House museum as a backdrop, we spoke with Specialist Lauren Goldberg in our Vintage Posters Department about, well, what else—posters! You’ve been at…
Read more about Telling Queer Stories: The Challenges of Unearthing a History July 17, 2019 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History Telling Queer Stories: The Challenges of Unearthing a History What are the inherent challenges in telling a history that is still being unearthed, and what can media and material objects add to that story? Against the backdrop of the…
Read more about 2019 Spring Season in Review July 1, 2019 Swann 2019 Spring Season in Review A season of firsts. The 2019 spring auction season at Swann Galleries delivered an impressive range of sales, rife with auction premiers and record prices. We started our season off…
Read more about Records & Results: The Pride Sale June 27, 2019 Swann Records & Results: The Pride Sale Historic Pride Sale at Swann Brings Market Premiers and Auction Records The Pride Sale on Thursday, June 20 offered a curated selection of LGBTQ+ art, photography, literature, autographs…
Read more about Records & Results: American Art June 25, 2019 American Art Records & Results: American Art Modernists Lead American Art at Swann We continued the spring 2019 season with a sale of American Art on June 13, which boasted three artist records. American Modernists…
Read more about Records & Results: Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books June 20, 2019 Maps & Atlases Records & Results: Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books Lewis Evans Reached $125k in Maps & Atlases Caleb Kiffer: “There was strong bidding across the board and it’s hard not to be pleased with the general outcome…
Read more about Notes from the Catalogue: Candy Darling June 12, 2019 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History Notes from the Catalogue: Candy Darling “Every woman who wants to be beautiful should be beautiful” Among the many items up for auction in our June 20 Pride Sale, is an archive of personal effects of Candy Darling an enduring trans icon, American actress…
Read more about Records & Results: Illustration Art June 12, 2019 Illustration Art Records & Results: Illustration Art Theater Portraits & Set Designs Lead Illustration Art Miriam Troop makes a stellar auction debut at $40k Our Illustration Art sale on June 4 saw a bustling auction room with…
Read more about America the Beautiful: City & Landscape Scenes of America’s Terrain June 7, 2019 American Art America the Beautiful: City & Landscape Scenes of America’s Terrain Our June 13 sale of American Art features an impressive selection of city, landscape and coastal scenes. The offering puts on display how the breadth and diversity of America’s terrain,…
Read more about Records & Results: Graphic Design June 5, 2019 Vintage Posters Records & Results: Graphic Design Charles Loupot Reaches New Heights in Swann Graphic Design Auction debuts for Tadanori Yokoo Our auction of Graphic Design on May 23 offered a selection of vintage posters by…
Read more about Records & Results: Contemporary Art June 3, 2019 Contemporary Art Records & Results: Contemporary Art Print Record for Franz Kline in Swann Contemporary Our May 16 sale of Contemporary Art brought a record price for a Franz Kline print and saw an 81% sell-through…
Read more about The First Auction of LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History at Swann May 29, 2019 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History The First Auction of LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History at Swann The Pride Sale An Exploration & Celebration of the Art, Influence & History of the LGBTQ+ Community We invited Eric Marcus, the founder and host of the Making Gay History…
Read more about Lewis Evans: An Overview of Creating ‘General Map of the Middle British Colonies in America’ May 23, 2019 Maps & Atlases Lewis Evans: An Overview of Creating ‘General Map of the Middle British Colonies in America’ Lewis Evans’ General Map of the Middle British Colonies in America was one of the most significant and influential maps published in Colonial America. On it, Evans described the land beyond the…
Read more about Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Literature May 21, 2019 19th & 20th Century Literature Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Literature Rare Bond Titles Lead Literature at Swann John Larson: “The enduring appeal of inscribed first editions, particularly those with significant associations, was on full display and resulted in a number of high prices, including…
Read more about Dramatized Sales Methods: How to close a sale in 1930 May 14, 2019 Vintage Posters Dramatized Sales Methods: How to close a sale in 1930 The art of salesmanship has long been dissected in search of methods to effectively and efficiently hook customers and close a deal. Our upcoming Graphic Design auction on May 23…
Read more about Records & Results: Old Master Through Modern Prints May 9, 2019 Old Master Through Modern Prints Records & Results: Old Master Through Modern Prints Zapata Sets Print Record for Diego Rivera at $45k With seven records and a standout selection of Latin American art, our sale of Old Master Through Modern Prints on Thursday, May 2 offered works by the greatest…
Read more about Ian Fleming First Editions: Books, Rare Books April 26, 2019 19th & 20th Century Literature Ian Fleming First Editions: Books, Rare Books On May 14, 2019, we are brought a selection of 13 Ian Fleming first editions to auction. Fleming, a former intelligence officer and journalist, debuted the stylish James Bond in…
Read more about Notes from the Catalogue: Latin American Art April 24, 2019 Prints & Drawings Notes from the Catalogue: Latin American Art Our largest offering of Latin American prints and originals to date comes across the block in our Old Master Through Modern Prints sale May 2. Compiled into a separate catalogue,…
Read more about Records & Results: Photographs & Photobooks April 23, 2019 Photographs & Photobooks Records & Results: Photographs & Photobooks Martín Chambi & Images of South America Lead Classic & Contemporary Photographs at Swann Our sale of Classic & Contemporary Photographs on Thursday, April 18 saw active bidding across all categories with early-twentieth-century photography, Humanist portraits and sublime images of nature…
Read more about Records & Results: Printed & Manuscript Americana April 19, 2019 Printed & Manuscript Americana Records & Results: Printed & Manuscript Americana Mexican Imprints Bring Significant Interest in Swann Americana Sale Our Printed & Manuscript Americana sale on Thursday, April 16 was the house’s third straight sale is the category to finish over $1,000,000, bringing several significant records.…
Read more about Manuscript Diaries Tell Tales of a Growing America April 11, 2019 Printed & Manuscript Americana Manuscript Diaries Tell Tales of a Growing America A West Point graduate blazes a trail from San Antonio to El Paso. A guard in one of the country’s most notorious prisons notes the silence of the inmates. A…
Read more about Records & Results: African-American Fine Art April 9, 2019 African American Art Records & Results: African-American Fine Art Artist Records for Amos, Leigh, Lovelace O’Neal, Pindell & More We saw strong results for African-American Fine Art on Thursday, April 4. Nigel Freeman, the house’s director of African-American Fine Art, noted, “I was happy to see…
Read more about Records & Results: Printed & Manuscript African Americana April 2, 2019 Printed & Manuscript African Americana Records & Results: Printed & Manuscript African Americana A Record for The Negro Travelers’ Green Book Among Printed & Manuscript African Americana at Swann Our Printed & Manuscript African Americana on Thursday, March 28 saw a sell-through rate of 90%, a record for the category. Enthusiastic bidding was seen across all…
Read more about Records & Results: Autographs March 28, 2019 Autographs Records & Results: Autographs Auction Record for Mohawk Chief & Loyalist Joseph Brant at Swann Our Autographs sale on March 21 saw significant interest in Americana, scientists and popular figures. Of the sale Marco Tomaschett, the house’s autographs Specialist, noted: “Highest…
Read more about Notes from the Catalogue: Howardena Pindell March 26, 2019 African American Art Notes from the Catalogue: Howardena Pindell Howardena Pindell is among the contemporary artists included in our April 4, 2019 sale of African-American Fine Art. Her work explores texture, color and structures often incorporating punched circles and…
Read more about Market Debuts: Artists to Watch in our April 4 Auction March 22, 2019 African American Art Market Debuts: Artists to Watch in our April 4 Auction Our April 4 sale of African-American Fine Art features four market newcomers, artists whose work has never before appeared at auction. Their work comes in a variety of mediums and…
Read more about Diana, Princess of Wales March 12, 2019 Autographs Diana, Princess of Wales Our sale of Autographs on March 21 features an extraordinary run of material by Diana, Princess of Wales. The assortment includes a number of autograph letters signed to her friend,…
Read more about Records & Results: Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books March 11, 2019 Books & Manuscripts Records & Results: Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books Illuminated Manuscripts Lead Early Printed Books at Swann Coinciding with Rare Book Week in New York City, our spring offering of Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books…
Read more about Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings March 8, 2019 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings Ismar Littmann Family Collection Shines in Swann Galleries’ Prints & Drawings Sale Our sale of 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings on March 5 earned $2.7M, with property from the Ismar Littmann Family Collection of German Expressionism &…
Read more about Records & Results: Photographs & Photobooks February 27, 2019 Photographs & Photobooks Records & Results: Photographs & Photobooks A Record for Malick Sidibé in Swann Photo SaleVernacular albums of nineteenth-century India bring $30k Our sale of Photographs: Art & Visual Culture on February 21, a curated sale celebrating photographs as physical objects, saw success across the board with contemporary, twentieth-century and…
Read more about Swann Galleries’ Guide to Rare Book Week 2019 in NYC February 26, 2019 Early Printed Books Swann Galleries’ Guide to Rare Book Week 2019 in NYC Rare Book Week kicks off March 5 in NYC. We gathered a selection of our favorite events happening throughout the week, as well as several not-to-be-missed exhibitions. See you there!…
Read more about Records & Results: Vintage Posters February 13, 2019 Vintage Posters Records & Results: Vintage Posters Alphonse Mucha & Art Nouveau Lead Vintage Posters at Swann Our February 7 sale of Vintage Posters saw numerous firsts and records. Nicholas D. Lowry, Swann President, noted: “Lively bidding for ski posters and Art Nouveau images set…
Read more about Records & Results: Fine Illustrated Books & Graphics February 8, 2019 Books & Manuscripts Records & Results: Fine Illustrated Books & Graphics Georges Rouault’s Livres d’Artiste Lead Swann Galleries’ Fine Illustrated Books & Graphics We opened out 2019 season with Fine Illustrated Books & Graphics which boasted numerous auction records and several new buyers. …
Read more about The Posters on Your Shelf: Scarce Books & Portfolios January 31, 2019 Vintage Posters The Posters on Your Shelf: Scarce Books & Portfolios At the end of the nineteenth century, the craze of poster collecting was at an all-time high. As a result, publishers formed subscription services in limited runs so that the…
Read more about Cheloniidae: Sea Turtles January 17, 2019 Books & Manuscripts Cheloniidae: Sea Turtles The Richard Lee Callaway Collection of Alan James Robinson & the Cheloniidae Press The collection of the late Richard Lee Callaway forms the cornerstone of the fine printing and…
Read more about 2018: Year in Review December 21, 2018 Swann 2018: Year in Review A year of records, debuts and rediscovered works. As we reflect on 2018, we look back at an excellent year of auctions. In April we held our highest-grossing African-American Fine Art…
Read more about Records & Results: Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 17, 2018 Maps & Atlases Records & Results: Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books Runaway Currier & Ives Print with Special Ties to Thomas W. Streeter Sets Record at Swann We closed out our fall season with a marathon sale of Maps &…
Read more about Records & Results: Illustration Art December 10, 2018 Illustration Art Records & Results: Illustration Art Illustration Art Sale at Swann Sets Six Records Al Hirschfeld’s Marx Brothers Tops Auction at $26k Our auction of Illustration Art on December 6 saw a bustling auction room…
Read more about Across the Continent: a Currier & Ives print with ties to Thomas W. Streeter December 5, 2018 Maps & Atlases Across the Continent: a Currier & Ives print with ties to Thomas W. Streeter Among the many unique and impressive rarities in our December 13 Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books sale is Across the Continent, 1868, by Currier & Ives. Significant for…
Read more about Rockwell Kent & The League of American Writers November 27, 2018 Illustration Art Rockwell Kent & The League of American Writers “To All Fascists:” One of the most remarkable pieces in our December 6 Illustration Art auction is a calligraphed broadside with a statement signed by members of The League of…