The Arctic Regions, 1873, a sumptuously bound narrative of American artist William Bradford’s seven expeditions to the Arctic, illustrated with 141 mounted albumen photographs, is the highest-estimated lot in the April 20 Swann Galleries photographs and photobooks sale. Scenes include massive ice floes looming over his ship, Panther, nearly abstract views of icebergs and portraits of indigenous people (Eskimeaux). The volume is guided at $100,000-150,000.
The sale also includes work by Eadweard Muybridge, described by the auctioneer as “another early master to use the nascent media for scientific purposes”. He will be represented in the sale by 60 plates from his magnum opus, Animal Locomotion of 1887. Subjects include women in motion, various exotic animals and a self-portrait by the artist (estimate $40,000-60,000).
On February 14 Swann sold 50 plates from Animal Locomotion to a private collector for $50,000/£42,750 (plus 25% buyer’s premium). A collection of 125 plates from that pioneering work made a premium-inclusive $81,000 at Swann in 2009.