50 Years of Sotheby’s Photographs

From Bernd and Hilla Becher to Francesca Woodman, discover noteworthy highlights by some of the most influential contemporary photographers.

Contemporary Highlights

One of the most important photographic innovators of the nineteenth century, Captain Linnaeus Tripe inarguably made the finest photographs of India from this period. Whether sweeping landscapes or dazzling architectural details, his images are often highly stylized, and his use of light and shade remarkably accomplished. The rare examples of Tripe’s photographs that remain in excellent condition, including the three albums here offered in Lots 76 through 78, reveal him to be a visionary artist and master of photographic printing.

Linnaeus Tripe

The vast American West once beckoned pioneers with promises of opportunity and freedom, much as the infinite cosmos now calls to humanity with its unexplored potential. These photographs capture the kinship and tension between Manifest Destiny's westward expansion, its imprint on humanity and the American landscape, and our modern quest for the stars.

A New Frontier

Sotheby’s is the premier destination for photographs by Ansel Adams. This season we are pleased to offer a selection of exceptional works, ranging from works as early as the 1915 image, Panama–Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, taken at the precocious age of 13, to an exceedingly rare print of one of the most transcendent images in the history of photography, Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico.

Spotlight on Ansel Adams

New York

Global Head of Prints &amp; Photographs

Emily Bierman

Photographs

Aimee Pflieger

AVP | Specialist & Head of Sale

Anabel Wold

Cataloguer

Matt Parciak

Pre Sale Experience Coordinator

Anjli Patel

Meet our Specialists

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This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Sotheby's Photographs in New York. Since that noteworthy sale in 1975, Sotheby's has been at the forefront of the photographs market, continually setting new world records by bringing the most compelling works to auction. Sotheby's spring Photographs auction in New York brings together an exciting range of photographs by many of the most sought-after artists across the full 186 year history of the medium. The Photographs auction will open for bidding on Thursday, March 27, and lots will close in succession on Thursday, April 3.