Swann News
Articles and insights from our specialists can be found here, alongside behind-the-scenes perspectives, auction previews and post-sale reports. Subscribe to our semimonthly newsletter to get news about our sales in your inbox twice a month.
Categories Select Category 19th & 20th Century Literature 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings African American Art American Art Art Press & Illustrated Books Auctions 101 Autographs Books & Manuscripts Contemporary Art Early Printed Books Events Fine Books & Manuscripts Focus On Women Graphic Design Illustration Art LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History Maps & Atlases Modern & Post-War Art Old Master Through Modern Prints Photographs & Photobooks Printed & Manuscript African Americana Printed & Manuscript Americana Prints & Drawings Swann The Artists of the WPA Uncategorized Vintage Posters
January 24, 2023Deborah RogalPhotographs & Photobooks
Fine Photographs: February 23, 2023 Auction Highlights
Read more about Fine Photographs: February 23, 2023 Auction Highlights
The Photographs season begins with an exciting online auction featuring an array of nineteenth- and twentieth-century highlights. The sale is headlined by Irving Penn's exceptionally bold and textural Blast, 1980;…
Read more about The Signer's Mark: Signatures of the Unlettered — Part II
January 23, 2023 Autographs
The Signer's Mark: Signatures of the Unlettered — Part II
Nineteeth Century America When thinking of autographs, the first thing to come to mind is famous signatures—John Hancock, Babe Ruth, Walt Disney, etc. Inscribed names with looping letters and distinct…
Read more about The Artists of the WPA: February 16, 2023 Auction Highlights
January 13, 2023 The Artists of the WPA
The Artists of the WPA: February 16, 2023 Auction Highlights
Swann Galleries will open the 2023 winter season on February 16 with the Artists of the WPA. The sale marks the house's third annual presentation of this category. In keeping…
Read more about The Signer's Mark: Signatures of the Unlettered — Part I
January 4, 2023 Autographs
The Signer's Mark: Signatures of the Unlettered — Part I
Middle Ages Through the Seventeenth Century When thinking of autographs, the first thing to come to mind is famous signatures—John Hancock, Babe Ruth, Walt Disney, etc. Inscribed names with looping…
Read more about 2022: Year in Review
January 3, 2023 19th & 20th Century Literature
2022 was a historic year for Swann in more ways than one. The house celebrated its 80th year of auctions, bringing with it the 70th anniversary of the first photography…
Read more about Records & Results: Modern & Post-War Art Featuring Alma Thomas & the Washington Scene — December 2022
December 13, 2022 Modern & Post-War Art
Records & Results: Modern & Post-War Art Featuring Alma Thomas & the Washington Scene — December 2022
Swann Galleries kicked the final month of 2022 off with a sale of Modern & Post-War Art featuring Alma Thomas & the Washington Scene on December 1 to great fanfare.…
Read more about Holiday Illustrations Featured in the December 15 Sale
December 12, 2022 Illustration Art
Holiday Illustrations Featured in the December 15 Sale
The December 15, 2022, sale of Illustration Art features a selection of vintage winter and holiday illustrations by iconic illustrators such as Edward Gorey, Ludwig Bemelmans, Saul Steinberg and more.…
Read more about Collecting 101: Antiquarian Maps
December 6, 2022 Maps & Atlases
Collecting 101: Antiquarian Maps
We asked Swann maps specialist Caleb Kiffer a few questions about what to consider when purchasing an antique map. How important is the map maker when considering a map? There…
Read more about Latinx Art in the December 2022 Sale of Modern & Post-War Art
November 28, 2022 Modern & Post-War Art
Latinx Art in the December 2022 Sale of Modern & Post-War Art
Rafael Tufiño Rafael Tufiño was born in Brooklyn, NY, and moved to Puerto Rico at age ten. He served in the US Army from 1943-1946 during the Second World War.…
Read more about Artist Profile: Alma Thomas & the Washington Scene
November 28, 2022 African American Art
Artist Profile: Alma Thomas & the Washington Scene
Alma Thomas: Early Life & Career Born in Columbus, Georgia, in 1891, Alma Thomas was the eldest of four daughters in a family immersed in art and culture. The Thomas…
Read more about Illustration Art: December 15, 2022 Auction Highlights
November 23, 2022 Illustration Art
Illustration Art: December 15, 2022 Auction Highlights
December's Illustration Art sale marks ten full years of auctions since the department's inception. To celebrate this milestone, we've included many of the illustrators who appeared in that first catalogue,…
Read more about Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books: December 8, 2022 Auction Highlights
November 16, 2022 Maps & Atlases
Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books: December 8, 2022 Auction Highlights
Our winter maps auction will offer a strong variety of material including collectible examples by stalwart publishers Ortelius, Blaeu, Hondius, Speed, and Munster. Plate books and graphics include works by…
Read more about Modern & Post-War Art: Featuring Alma Thomas & the Washington Scene — December 1, 2022 Auction Highlights
November 8, 2022 Modern & Post-War Art
Modern & Post-War Art: Featuring Alma Thomas & the Washington Scene — December 1, 2022 Auction Highlights
The Modern & Post-War Art auction has works beginning with early modernism through post-war abstraction, as well as Latin-American and Latinx art. Modern works by John Piper, William Zorach, and…
Read more about Collector's Guide: Aviation & Airline Posters
November 2, 2022 Vintage Posters
Nicholas D. Lowry breaks down the best selection of aviation and airline designs to collect for the plane spotter in all of us… People collect aviation posters for a number…
Read more about Artist Profile: M.C. Escher
October 31, 2022 Old Master Through Modern Prints
Artist Profile: M.C. Escher
Swann prints and drawings director, Todd Weyman, provides an overview of op-artist M.C. Escher's career Maurits Cornelis Escher, more commonly known as just M.C. Escher (1898-1972), was born in Leeuwarden,…
Read more about A Look at Maurice Logan's Designs for the Southern Pacific Railway
October 27, 2022 Vintage Posters
The November 10, 2022, auction of Rare & Important Travel Posters includes the largest run of Maurice Logan posters that have ever been offered for sale at a single time—19…
Read more about Contemporary Art: November 17, 2022 Auction Highlights
October 26, 2022 Contemporary Art
Contemporary Art: November 17, 2022 Auction Highlights
This fall's Contemporary Art auction will offer an exciting array of works in all media, including painting, sculpture, drawing and limited editions, spanning the last half century and more, with…
Read more about Rare Vintage Print of Dorothea Lange's 'Migrant Mother' Brings $305k in October 2022 Auction of Fine Photographs
October 24, 2022 Photographs & Photobooks
Rare Vintage Print of Dorothea Lange's 'Migrant Mother' Brings $305k in October 2022 Auction of Fine Photographs
The Thursday, October 20 sale of Fine Photographs at Swann Galleries brought $1.2M with a strong showing for American photography and portfolios. Romana Javitz & Dorothea Lange The top lot…
Read more about Rare & Important Travel Posters — Featuring Highlights from the Victor Ryerson Collection: November 10, 2022 Auction Highlights
Rare & Important Travel Posters — Featuring Highlights from the Victor Ryerson Collection: November 10, 2022 Auction Highlights
An unparalleled collection of American railway posters assembled by Victor Ryerson includes rare examples from the late nineteenth century, exceptional streamliner imagery from the 1920s and '30s, and 18 posters…
Read more about October 2022 Sale of Early Printed Books Brings the Highest-Grossing Auction for the Category at Swann
October 18, 2022 Early Printed Books
October 2022 Sale of Early Printed Books Brings the Highest-Grossing Auction for the Category at Swann
The October 13, 2022 sale of Early Printed Books at Swann Galleries was the highest-gorssing auction of books in the auction house's history at $1.1 million.
Read more about Autograph Collector's Guide
October 17, 2022 Autographs
Autograph Collector's Guide
Swann Autographs specialist Marco Tomaschett shares the ins and outs of starting your own rare autograph collection If you're new to autograph collecting, bearing in mind a few things while…
Read more about Romana Javitz: Champion of FSA Photographers
Romana Javitz: Champion of FSA Photographers
Romana Javitz was curator of The New York Public Library's Picture Collection from 1928 to 1968, where she assembled one of the most historically important and artistically significant collections of twentieth-century photographs.
Read more about Old Master Through Modern Prints: November 3, 2022 Auction Highlights
Old Master Through Modern Prints: November 3, 2022 Auction Highlights
This season's installment of our semiannual auction of fine Old Master through Modern Prints boasts several stellar private collections, each appearing at auction for the first time, including a European…
Read more about Records & Results: October 2022 African American Art Auction
October 10, 2022 African American Art
Records & Results: October 2022 African American Art Auction
Swann Galleries' October 6, 2022 sale of African American Art delivered $3.7M with auction debuts and records for artists in the top 15 lots of the auction.
Read more about Family Papers of Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy Brings $281k in Fall 2022 Americana Auction at Swann
October 5, 2022 Printed & Manuscript Americana
Family Papers of Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy Brings $281k in Fall 2022 Americana Auction at Swann
Swann's fall 2022 auction of Printed & Manuscript Americana held on September 29 earned $960k. Civil War-era material earned nearly $470,000 of that total. Collectors joined the sale through the…
Read more about Fine Books & Autographs: October 27, 2022 Auction Highlights
October 4, 2022 Art Press & Illustrated Books
Fine Books & Autographs: October 27, 2022 Auction Highlights
A large assemblage of extraordinary Americana autographs includes a sweeping group of presidents, and many founding fathers. More than three items are signed by George Washington, including an autograph survey…
Read more about African American Art—Works to Watch in the Fall 2022 Sale
October 3, 2022 African American Art
African American Art—Works to Watch in the Fall 2022 Sale
Director Nigel Freeman shares his top eight lots to watch in the October 8, 2022 sale. Jacob Lawrence's Westchester Graduation Ball, 1951 In June 1951, Westchester African American community leaders,…
Read more about Fine Photographs: October 20, 2022 Auction Highlights
September 27, 2022 Photographs & Photobooks
Fine Photographs: October 20, 2022 Auction Highlights
A range of exciting photographs includes a vintage 1936 example of Dorothea Lange's iconic Migrant Mother from the personal collection of the legendary Romana Javitz, who developed the New York…
Read more about Early Printed Books: October 13, 2022 Auction Highlights
September 19, 2022 Early Printed Books
Early Printed Books: October 13, 2022 Auction Highlights
From the Collection of Ken Rapoport October's Early Printed Books sale contains a number of sections that vary in focus, beginning with another installment of Ken Rapoport's collection. We had…
Read more about Prints & Drawings Specialists' Picks: American Art — September 22, 2022
September 19, 2022 American Art
Prints & Drawings Specialists' Picks: American Art — September 22, 2022
Our prints and drawings department shares their favorite lots from the September 22, 2022 sale of American Art.
Read more about Auctions 101: Provenance Research
September 19, 2022 Printed & Manuscript Americana
Auctions 101: Provenance Research
Stattler explains the detective work that sometimes goes into researching an item's history and provenance Auction houses keep one foot in the past, and one foot in the future. We are…
Read more about Printed & Manuscript Americana: September 29, 2022 Auction Highlights
September 6, 2022 Printed & Manuscript Americana
Printed & Manuscript Americana: September 29, 2022 Auction Highlights
The highlight of our September Americana auction will be a large archive of family papers of Gideon Welles, who served as secretary of the Navy through the Civil War. Included…
Read more about African American Art: October 6, 2022 Auction Highlights
August 30, 2022 African American Art
African American Art: October 6, 2022 Auction Highlights
Our October 6th African American Art auction features an outstanding group of abstract paintings led by the excellent 1967 Untitled (Abstraction in Orange) by Norman Lewis—the large canvas comes from…
Read more about American Art: September 22, 2022 Auction Highlights
August 26, 2022 American Art
American Art: September 22, 2022 Auction Highlights
Our annual American Art sale leads off the Fall auction season at Swann with panache and a smorgasbord of offerings, from the artists of the Hudson River school, including Thomas…
Read more about This Season's Successes: Winter-Spring 2022 Auctions in Review
August 22, 2022 19th & 20th Century Literature
This Season's Successes: Winter-Spring 2022 Auctions in Review
The winter-spring auction season at Swann is a masterclass in marathon training, and the 2022 iteration proved no different with 20 auctions held between late January and the middle of August.
Read more about Making A Modern American Art: 1920 – 1930
August 22, 2022 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings
Making A Modern American Art: 1920 – 1930
The 1920s were a time of prosperity in America. World War I had ended and the pessimism of the 1910s turned into optimism for modern life. American artists continued to focus on developing their artistic voices and both institutions and galleries were formed to bring their work to a broader audience.
Read more about Beefcake Photography
August 16, 2022 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History
Beefcake Photography
Beefcake imagery was appropriated by the gay community for its own benefits to become a visual testimony of same-sex desire during the pre-Stonewall era.
Read more about JEB & Shelby Sharie Cohen on Photographing the Lesbian Community
JEB & Shelby Sharie Cohen on Photographing the Lesbian Community
the market established with the LGBTQ+ sales. Both photographers speak here in their own words, discussing their approach as well as the transformations they have witnessed as artists.
Read more about Artist Profile: Hugh Steers
August 8, 2022 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History
Artist Profile: Hugh Steers
"I think I'm in the tradition of a certain kind of American artist (…) Edward Hopper, Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline—they all had this austere beauty to them. They found beauty…
Read more about Artist Profile: Roger Broders
July 27, 2022 Vintage Posters
Artist Profile: Roger Broders
The legacy of Roger Broders' poster design has made his name synonymous with French Art Deco travel posters. His artistic career, as a whole, spans from the early twentieth century,…
Read more about Swann Summer Reading List 2022
July 14, 2022 Swann
Swann Summer Reading List 2022
Summer is well underway which means our auction schedule has slowed and our specialists and staff have a bit more downtime to catch up on their favorite books. Enjoy this…
July 7, 2022 American Art
The 1913 Armory Show Inspired by time spent in Europe, around 1910, Arthur Dove became the first American artist to paint an abstract painting. At this time, abstract art was…
Read more about Vintage Posters: August 4, 2022 Auction Highlights
June 29, 2022 Vintage Posters
Vintage Posters: August 4, 2022 Auction Highlights
In keeping with our August tradition, this sale will feature a plethora of World War I and II posters, sought-after classics and never-before-seen Vintage Posters at auction. Among the most…
Read more about A Look at Edward Hopper's Print Market
June 27, 2022 19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings
A Look at Edward Hopper's Print Market
James Macry in our prints and drawings department examines two works that exemplify the market for Edward Hopper prints Edward Hopper first began printmaking in 1915, following the encouragement and…
Read more about LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History: August 18, 2022 Auction Highlights
June 23, 2022 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History
LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History: August 18, 2022 Auction Highlights
This August, Swann is proud to host its fourth annual, LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History sale. The success of our first three auctions stands as part of the art…
June 22, 2022 American Art
Edward Hopper & His Contemporaries At the turn of the twentieth century, artists began to confront the dominance of European academic influences within the American art sphere. In search of…
Read more about John Larson's Specialist Picks: 5 Books to Watch in the June 16 Auction
June 14, 2022 19th & 20th Century Literature
John Larson's Specialist Picks: 5 Books to Watch in the June 16 Auction
John Larson, Swann's nineteenth and twentieth century literature specialist, shares five lots that are sure to draw interest in the June 16 sale of Fine Books & Autographs. First Edition…
Read more about Collecting the Stage: Stephen Sondheim
June 7, 2022 Illustration Art
Collecting the Stage: Stephen Sondheim
In our 80 years as a company, Swann has always been an auction house dedicated to niche markets with specialists who are experts in their respective fields, but often our…
Read more about Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books: June 23, 2022 Auction Highlights
June 1, 2022 Maps & Atlases
Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books: June 23, 2022 Auction Highlights
In our upcoming Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books summer sale, bidders can explore a strong selection of scarce New York City related maps and graphics, several maps of an…
Read more about Black Abstract Artists: Exploring Innovative Techniques
May 31, 2022 African American Art
Black Abstract Artists: Exploring Innovative Techniques
Abstract Artists From Alma Thomas to Jack Whitten Here we explore Black artists who have expanded abstract techniques that showcase unique aesthetics while examining current events, visually composing perceptive senses…