Snow Geese (Snow Birds) by Bourke-White
The Polaroid Collection was auctioned off at Sotheby’s, New York, the beginning of this week. Within ‘The Library Collection’ that Ansel Adams put together of important photographers in the late 1950’s were two photographs by Margaret Bourke-White, the first photographer of Fortune Magazine and one of the first four photographers of LIFE Magazine. The two, “Snow Geese” and “Gold Miners” sold for more than estimate. The hammer price including buyers premium for “Snow Geese” was $10,625; for “Gold Miners”, $13,750.
While these were unsigned, the same image is available in various formats. At GALLERY M, which has specialized in Margaret Bourke-White’s works including vintage, later and modern prints, since 1996 these two works are part of the limited edition estate series also. Just as Polaroid’s Edwin Land wanted his good friend and noted photographer, Ansel Adams, to expand the Polaroid collection in the mid to late 1950’s to include important working photographers of the time, it is easy today to add one or both of these important photographs to your collection. Doing so at the collector level can expand what your fine art photography collection means in quality, integrity and historical significance.
