Following up on the “Photographic Explorations” series that began several years ago, the Société de Ventes Volontaires (SVV) Le Mouël, with Viviane Esders as expert, is auctioning 19th and early 20th century pictures from Asia, the Pacific, Africa, and the Americas. The sale will take place on Wednesday, March 9, 2011, at the Hôtel Drouot, room 11, at 2pm.

In addition to single prints, several historically or ethnographically rare albums will also be on auction.

Such is the case for the “Madagascar Expedition” album, lot 24, comprised of 79 prints made by a colonial administrator between 1895 and 1900. It provides images of local traditions and residents in typical time-period clothing.

Estimate: 1800 – 2000€.

An album about upper Laos dated 1920 with 313 prints (73 × 60mm à 160-x- 200mm) with ink captions show tribes, witches, time period clothing and local traditions. Lot 93 estimated at 5000 – 7000€

As well as other albums about Kukabe Kimbei’s Japan with a rare panorama of Kyoto (lot 147, 4 à 6000€) or Allan Hughan’s vision of New Caledonia.

There will also be an album by a French architect who collected pictures of major American cities, most notably New York in 1888 (lot 186, estimé 7000 – 9000€).

Public viewings: 8 March 11am – 6pm, 9 march 11am – noon.

Catalogue available on line

The next SVV Le Mouël action will include modern and contemporary photographs. It will take place Friday, May 27 at the Drouot Hôtel, room 4, at 2pm. Catalog entries expire on April 15.

Bernard Perrine