Auction of 19th, 20th and 21st Century Photographs at Doyle

Doyle’s timed auction of Photographs closing on Monday, June 29 at 10am offers a wide range of fascinating material chronicling the evolution the genre. Highlights include major Civil War-era and 20th century images, property from an International Corporation, and contemporary photography from the collection of Joseph Salvatore LaPolla Jr., among many other consignors.

19th century photography features important examples by Mathew Brady, Alexander Gardner, Frederick Gutekunst, Darius Kinsey, Timothy O’Sullivan and others. Of especial note are Brady’s fine portrait of General George Armstrong Custer (an unmounted albumen print, likely a proof for the carte-de-visite); Alexander Gardner’s celebrated photograph of Abraham Lincoln and General George McClellan at Antietam; Frederick Gutekunst’s portrait of Ulysses S. Grant, an Imperial albumen print presented to Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.; and numerous other distinguished images. Civil War era material is now quite uncommon at auction; most of this was collected in the 1980s and has been off the market until the present time.

Among the twentieth century photographs are works by Ruth Bernhard, a vintage example of her study Double Nude, 1962; Bill Brandt’s signature image Nude, Bent Elbow, London, #36, 1952; Manuel Alvarez Bravo’s Retrato de lo Eterno, his exquisite image of Isabel Villaseñor; a group of important photographs by Harry Callahan; several superb images by Lee Friedlander, including a group of his Stems in Jars series, and of his Trees and Flowers, both in large format printings. A favorite is William Garnett’s Train Crossing the Desert near Kelso, 1974, one of the artist’s extraordinary minimalist aerial views. Genthe’s important Modernist Torso is present in a vintage example. A major highlight of contemporary fashion photography is Helmut Newton’s diptych Sie Kommen, Paris, both Dressed and Naked. A group of Edward Weston images, printed by his son Brett, includes Shell [Nautilus] and others.

Featured is an exceptional collection of large-format images by Gordon Parks, including his American Gothic [Ella Watson]. Read an essay by Peter Costanzo on the life and work of Gordon Parks who “saw that the camera could be a weapon against poverty, against racism, against all sorts of social wrongs.” Read More

Contemporary photography includes works by Nan Goldin, Geno by the Lake, 1994, one of three; Ryan McGinley’s Richard (Donkey), 2012; a unique large-format print by Lisa Oppenheim, Burning of the Imperial Refinery… 1876, printed 2012; two of Alison Rossiter’s found photographic abstractions, both unique by their nature; a Mark Rossiter gelatin silver print Paul Henderson, and much else of interest.

Bidding in the timed online auction will close on Monday, June 29 beginning at 10am EDT. Lots will close sequentially, one lot per minute, with a soft close.

View the catalogue and place bids at Doyle.com