RESULTS | Christie’s Photographs Ansel Adams and The American West | 100% Sold By Lot

New York — The top lot of the 10 December live auction of works by Ansel Adams (1902–1984) was Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941, which realized $75,000. Another highlight of the sale to benefit The Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona included Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite Valley, California, 1938, which realized $60,000, The Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, 1942, which realized $58,750, and Thunderstorm over the Great Plains near Cimarron, New Mexico, c. 1961, which realized $40,000.

Proceeds from the sale will benefit a new acquisition endowment for The Center for Creative Photography. When Adams co-founded the Center, he wanted it to be more than a museum solely dedicated to exhibiting his work. His vision, which has now become a reality, was to create a seminal place for the exhibition, research, dialogue, and celebration of all photographers and photography throughout time. The distinct group of works in this sale are duplicate prints that were initially placed at the Center by Adams and reside outside of his archive. This sale will allow the Center to continue to further his vision by diversifying its collection.

Full results can be viewed here.

Darius Himes, International Head of Photography at Christie’s, remarked: “We are extremely pleased with this afternoon’s results of 100% sold by lot and value. The strength of the Ansel Adams market is evident through strong results for iconic images, high bidder turnout and very active Internet bidding. To be able to contribute to the overall mission of The Center for Creative Photography, and specifically through the use of these proceeds to create an acquisition fund, is a deep and lasting honor.”

About The Center for Creative Photography: The Center for Creative Photography is recognized as one of the world's finest academic art museums and study centers for the history of photography. The Center opened in 1975 following a meeting between the University of Arizona President Dr. John Schaefer and Ansel Adams. Beginning with the archives of five living master photographers — Ansel Adams, Wynn Bullock, Harry Callahan, Aaron Siskind, and Frederick Sommer — the collection has since grown to include 270 archival collections. Among these are some of the most recognizable names in 20th century North American photography: Lola Álvarez Bravo, W. Eugene Smith, Edward Weston, and Garry Winogrand. Altogether there are over 8 million archival objects in the Center's collection including negatives, work prints, contact sheets, albums, scrapbooks, correspondence, writings, audiovisual materials, and memorabilia. In addition to whole archival collections, the Center also actively acquires individual photographs by modern and contemporary photographers and currently holds more than 110,000 works by over 2,200 photographers.