NEW YORK – This fall, Christie’s Photographs department in New York will offer an extensive auction series featuring three online sales spaced over six weeks. The various owners Photographs (21 – 30 September) sale begins on 21 September, with iconic works by the likes of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Adams to Peter Beard and Nick Brandt. In October, collectors are invited to explore the distinguished W.M. Hunt Collection (5 - 14 October) with works ranging from Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans to Robert Mapplethorpe and Annie Leibovitz. The third sale will offer property sold to benefit the Aperture Foundation (19 - 28 October)— a beloved non-profit arts institution based in New York dedicated to advancing photography in all of its myriad forms. 

Photographs |  21 – 30 September

The Photographs sale will incorporate iconic property by significant 20^th century photographers such as Edward Weston, Irving Penn, Diane Arbus, Elliott Erwitt and Robert Frank as well as contemporary artists including Helmut Newton, Peter Beard, Robert Adams, and Robert Mapplethorpe. This sale has an abundance of works from the important Post-War period of American photography including five stunning examples of works from Robert Frank’s seminal Guggenheim-supported project, The Americans. Equally important is a rare print of Tom Stroud, oil field worker, 1980 by Richard Avedon, from his critically acclaimed project, In the American West.

The Unseen Eye: Photographs from the  W.M. Hunt Collection | 5-14 October

Following the various owners sale, Christie’s will present The Unseen Eye: Photographs from the  W.M. Hunt Collection, a unique sale, which carries a striking and often haunting curatorial spirit that is sure to intrigue and delight. In the words of W.M. Hunt, this is a collection of ‘magical, heart-stopping images of people in which the eyes are somehow obscured, veiled, hidden, blocked, averted or closed.’

The auction will include striking and riveting images, a veritable cabinet of curiosities from artists that span the 19th-21st century. With 126 lots, the group encompasses classic works by artists such as Edward Curtis, Man Ray, Berenice Abbott and Brassaï, iconic 20th century works by photographers such as Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Robert Mapplethorpe and Diane Arbus, as well as contemporary works by Phyllis Galembo, Adam Fuss and Annie Leibowitz. 

Aperture | 19-28 October

 The third sale with Aperture, the beloved non-profit arts institution in New York, will feature works by a variety of master and emerging artists, such as David Benjamin Sherry, Alex Prager, Hank Willis Thomas, Mark McKnight, among others, and published in their award-winning magazine and books. Since 1952, Aperture has been dedicated to the advancement of photography in all its forms.

For nearly seventy years, the not-for-profit organization Aperture has championed photography as an essential art addressing urgent issues and questions in culture and society. Aperture’s flagship magazine, books, digital resources and content, and public programming serve as a platform for artists and common ground for global audiences.

Christie’s is partnering with Aperture for the second year in a row in an online auction of special photographs, artist portfolios, and editions featuring the work of both established and emerging artists. All sales benefit Aperture’s not-for-profit services and activities, with proceeds supporting general operations and the purchase of new permanent headquarters in New York. Artists featured in this sale include Sharon Core, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Nan Goldin, Lyle Ashton Harris, Robert Mapplethorpe, David Benjamin Sherry, and Stephen Tayo, among others. All works were generously donated by artists, collectors, gallerists, and Aperture patrons.