Swann marks 70th anniversary of its first photography sale, Feb. 10

Ansel Adams, ‘Oak Tree, Snowstorm,Yosemite Valley,’ est. $20,000-$30,000
Ansel Adams, ‘Oak Tree, Snowstorm,Yosemite Valley,’ est. $20,000-$30,000
Ansel Adams, ‘Oak Tree, Snowstorm,Yosemite Valley,’ est. $20,000-$30,000

NEW YORK — Seventy years ago, Swann Galleries held the first auction dedicated to photography in the United States. This 1952 auction was astonishingly early for a sale devoted to a medium then just 113 years old and still finding its artistic footing in the marketplace. Seven decades later, however, the landscape for this diverse and innovative medium has grown dramatically. On Thursday, February 10, Swann will hold a sale of Fine Photographs marking this achievement. The specially curated sale will celebrate the history of the market for photography at auction while exploring the medium’s future. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Palm Springs museum to exhibit Leon Polk Smith’s ‘Hard Edge’ work

Leon Polk Smith, ‘Red Blue Orange Ellipses,’ 1961. Paint on canvas, 47.5in diameter. © Leon Polk Smith Foundation. Photo credit: SITE Photography
Leon Polk Smith, ‘Red Blue Orange Ellipses,’ 1961. Paint on canvas, 47.5in diameter. © Leon Polk Smith Foundation. Photo credit: SITE Photography
Leon Polk Smith, ‘Red Blue Orange Ellipses,’ 1961. Paint on canvas, 47.5in diameter. © Leon Polk Smith Foundation. Photo credit: SITE Photography

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Palm Springs Art Museum has announced an exhibition featuring the work of the innovative painter, Leon Polk Smith (American, 1906-1996), whose significant contributions to 20th-century art are becoming increasingly recognized. The exhibition, Leon Polk Smith: 1945-1962, will run from March 26 to August 28 in the museum’s main downtown location.

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Crowned heads rule in RR’s Feb. 9 Autographs & Artifacts sale

One-page King Henry VIII signed document from 1533, est. $35,000-$40,000
One-page King Henry VIII signed document from 1533, est. $35,000-$40,000
One-page King Henry VIII signed document from 1533, est. $35,000-$40,000

BOSTON – Remarkable documents and other ephemera directly tied to royalty are featured in RR Auction‘s February 9 Fine Autographs and Artifacts sale. Boasting more than 1,000+ lots, the auction is highlighted by royal autographs from the Tudor era to the present day — including King Henry VII, King Henry VIII, Catherine the Great, the Romanov princesses, Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Charles. View the fully illustrated catalog on LiveAuctioneers.

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Auctions at Showplace to offer stylish estate pieces, Feb. 6

James Mont Asian Modern ebonized chest of drawers, est. $3,000-$5,000

James Mont Asian Modern ebonized chest of drawers, est. $3,000-$5,000

NEW YORK – Auctions at Showplace continues the Winter 2022 auction season with an exciting grouping of 280 lots from New York City metropolitan area estates on February 6. The sale includes fine art, jewelry and silver along with a collection of James Mont furniture from an Upper East Side residence furnished by Mont. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Oliver Banks ancient Greek coin collection drew bidders to Doyle sale

Dekadrachm from Sicily, Syracuse, circa 405-395 BEC and possibly later, in the style of Euainetos, $30,250
Dekadrachm from Sicily, Syracuse, circa 405-395 BEC and possibly later, in the style of Euainetos, $30,250

NEW YORK – Doyle held the landmark sale of the Oliver Talcott Banks collection of ancient Greek coins on January 19. The collection was presented as a featured section of the auction of Coins, Stamps, Bank Notes & Sports Collectibles from various collections and estates.

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John Singer Sargent portrait and Minnie Evans work gifted to N.C. museum

John Singer Sargent, ‘Mrs. Augustus Hemenway,’ 1890 oil on canvas. Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Baker
Left: John Singer Sargent, ‘Mrs. Augustus Hemenway,’ 1890 oil on canvas. Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Baker. Right: Minnie Evans, ‘Untitled,’ 1948 ink and crayon on paper. Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Baker, (c) Estate of Minnie Evans
Left: John Singer Sargent, ‘Mrs. Augustus Hemenway,’ 1890 oil on canvas. Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Baker. Right: Minnie Evans, ‘Untitled,’ 1948 ink and crayon on paper. Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Baker, (c) Estate of Minnie Evans

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Reynolda House Museum of American Art has announced that Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Baker of Winston-Salem have offered the museum a portrait of Mrs. Augustus Hemenway by John Singer Sargent and an untitled drawing by the self-taught African American artist from North Carolina, Minnie Evans.

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La Belle Epoque unveils highlights of exciting Feb. 5 debut auction

 

Byron Browne, ‘Sunset on the Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts,’ est. $8,000-$12,000

NEW YORK – La Belle Epoque Auction Gallery will hold its much-anticipated debut auction on February 5. This beautifully curated event will feature more than 300 lots of fine art, furniture, decorative accessories and more. Amongst the many highlights are a Byron Browne (American, 1907-1961) modernist abstract painting titled Sunset on the Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts; and six leather and chrome LC2 club chairs by Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand for Cassina. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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‘Saving Yellowstone’ chronicles origins of America’s first national park

On March 1, Scribner will release Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America by historian Megan Kate Nelson, which explores how the country’s first national park came to be. Image courtesy of Scribner
On March 1, Scribner will release Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America by historian Megan Kate Nelson, which explores how the country’s first national park came to be. Image courtesy of Scribner
On March 1, Scribner will release Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America by historian Megan Kate Nelson, which explores how the country’s first national park came to be. Image courtesy of Scribner

NEW YORK — Each year, nearly four million people visit Yellowstone National Park — one of the most popular of all national parks — but few know the fascinating and complex historical context in which it was established. Vividly narrated and illuminating, Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America (Scribner; on sale
March 1) by historian Megan Kate Nelson (author of the Pulitzer Prize Finalist The Three-Cornered War) shines a light on the creation of our first national park, and makes clear how frequently the grandest goals of our country precipitate the suffering and subjugation of many who called this land home, and how our most progressive visions can be warped by the reality of the American project.

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Rare Tom Brady card from his 1st Super Bowl year heads to auction

A 2002 Topps Finest X-Fractor Tom Brady card, one of just 20 made and the only example with a PSA grade of 10, goes to auction on Jan. 31. Images courtesy of Saco River Auction and LiveAuctioneers
A 2002 Topps Finest X-Fractor Tom Brady card, one of just 20 made and the only example with a PSA grade of 10, goes to auction on Jan. 31. Images courtesy of Saco River Auction and LiveAuctioneers
A 2002 Topps Finest X-Fractor Tom Brady card, one of just 20 made and the only example with a PSA grade of 10, goes to auction on Jan. 31. Images courtesy of Saco River Auction and LiveAuctioneers

SCARBOROUGH, Maine (AP) – One of just 20 special football cards featuring Tom Brady in the year he won his first Super Bowl is coming up for auction on January 31. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Get ready to play: boutique Vintage Guitars sale set for Feb. 1

Ibanez semi-hollow ES335 model with Gibson Lucille hard case, est. $900-$1,200
Ibanez semi-hollow ES335 model with Gibson Lucille hard case, est. $900-$1,200
Ibanez semi-hollow ES335 model with Gibson Lucille hard case, est. $900-$1,200

NEW YORK – Few categories of collectibles are hotter than vintage guitars. Be they electric or acoustic, be they decades old or centuries old, choice examples will always draw a serious, attentive audience, ready and eager to bid. The next buying opportunity geared toward six-string aficionados will take place on Tuesday, February 1, starting at 8 pm Eastern time, when Jasper52 conducts and auction of vintage guitars. It is a tightly curated sale featuring 32 lots.

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