The Sotheby’s auction on November 11 offered major lots attracting more than 140 international bidders in the room, on the phone or on the website resulting in a global sale of 1,9 millions d'euros. According to Simone Klein, European Director of Photography for Sotheby’s, “Collectors recognized the rarity and importance of the prints available, with unique or historical pieces, aside from discoveries (Chevalier) that resulted in world record sales for Willy Zielke, Otto Steinert, Leni Riefenstahl or Ahmet Ertug”.

The highest bid was made for the Leni Riefenstahl portfolio entitled Olympia that included pictures taken for the famous documentary on the Olympic Games of Berlin in 1936, lot 60, estimated at 100 000/150 000 €, and selling for 180 750€. The six lots by Willy Zielke, one of the pioneers of the German New Vision movement of the 1920’s, sold for a total of 129 650 €. As for the vintage silver print on cardboard by German photographer Otto Steinert, Place de la Concorde, 1952, sold for 41 550€, breaking the record for this photo and this photographer. It was acquired by French collector Christian Bouqueret who just sold his collection of 7000 documents taken between the two World Wars to the Pompidou Center. The final record went to Ahmet Ertug’s Panthéon 2011, lot 136, a large format chromogenic print, 197,5x180cm, mounted on aluminum, for 50 000€ not including fees. Lot 1 was also noteworthy, a full plate historical daguerreotype by Vincent Chevalier Vue de Paris, Le Louvre et la statue d'Henri IV, circa 1840, selling for 58 000 € not including fees.

Yann le Mouel successfully opened the season on October 27. Hans Bellmer’s La Poupée, 1949, colored in aniline, estimated between 8000 / 10 000 € enjoyed intense bidding before selling for 55764 €, including fees. Josej Sudek’s "Bouton de rose" sold for 12392 €. Or André Kertész’s Paris square Jolivet,1927, a print from 1970, sold for 4 900 €, excluding fees. Philippe Halsman’s Dali Atomicus, 1948, sold for twice the estimated price at 5 800 €, excluding fees.

The following day, on October 28, the sale by the Maison de Ventes Piasa offered several important lots. As such lot 113, a rare print dated, signed and inscribed of Ireland, 1972, by Josef Koudelka sold for 11070 €, including fees. Lot 150, Overpopulation & The gardeners of Eden, Stavo & Lake Idi Amin, 1984, a vintage gelatin bromure silver print, enhanced with colored inks, sold for 6765 €, including fees.

On November 4, Binoche et Giquello offered a sale of Les photographies dans les livres including a series of daguerreotypes of Nantes, prior to 1842, by a Daguerreotypiste Nantais, selling well beyond estimates. Le Théâtre Graslin estimated 3 000 € sold for 12 500 €, excluding fees. And Ancenis, pris de la rive sud, estimated 2 000 € sold for 7800 €, excluding fees. As for Ernst Robin’s album "Souvenir de la Nouvelle Calédonie", 1870, estimated 9 000 / 10 000 €, it sold for 16 500 €, fees excluded.

The Ader / Kapandji-Morhange auction closed the season on November 14 with global sales reaching 330000 €, excluding fees. Among them:

73. Les pionniers de l'aviation, 1909-1914. Three albums.
Estimation : 8 000 / 10 000 €, selling price 18 500 € (excluding fees)
99. Samuel Bourne - Shepherd & Robertson. "Indes", c. 1865. Album containing 49 prints on albumin paper. Estimated : 5 000 / 7 000 €, sold 16 000 € (excluding fees) 152. Edward Steichen. Charles Chaplin, 1926.
Estimated : 6 000 / 8 000 € sold 18 000 € (excluding fees)
332. Robert Mapplethorpe. Lisa Lyon, 1982.
Estimated : 3 000 / 5 000 €, sold 7 700 € (excluding fees)

Bernard Perrine
Bernard.Perrine1@orange.fr