Edward S Curtis Leads Rago Arts & Auction Center $109,000 'Photographs Unlimited' Auction in Lambertville

A work by Edward S Curtis was the headline sale at Rago Arts & Auction Center 'Photographs Unlimited' auction on June 27 in Lambertville.

• The sale totaled $109,000, falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 170 works sold totaling $109,000.
• Estimates totaled: $117,000 (low) and $169,700 (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 91% of the original 186 lots announced.

The star lot was: Edward S Curtis, Woman Shaman Looking for Clairvoyant Visions - Clayoquot (1916), which sold for $3,696, 639% above its $500 low estimate. It has not been traded before.

The outperformer sold for 639% above its low estimate. Edward S Curtis, Woman Shaman Looking for Clairvoyant Visions - Clayoquot (1916), sold for $3,696 ($500 low estimate). It has not been traded before.

• 35 works, or 21%, sold above their high estimate.
• 31 works, or 18%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 104 works, or 61%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

15 works were bought-in, including: George Hurrell, Hurrell Portfolio III (1979), estimated at $1,500 (low) to $2,500 (high).

Withdrawn before the sale

1 work was withdrawn before the sale: Various Artists, Two works (2020) estimated at $500 (low) to $700 (high).

Terms and definitions

All results include the fees and premiums added to the price of a work of art when the auctioneer's hammer falls. Sale prices are compared to the auction house’s low estimate, which do not include premiums.

Guarantees: Sometimes an auction house guarantees to pay a seller for a work, regardless of whether the bidding reaches the reserve price, a figure that is typically confidential.

Bought-in: If there are no bids for a work, or if bidding falls short of the reserve price, the lot is unsold or “bought-in”.

Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.

Premiums: Typically a sliding-scale of charges paid in addition to the hammer price by the buyer, plus any other fees.