The 24th WestLicht Camera-Auction developed into a major celebration for camera manufacturer Leica, who had its 100th anniversary this year.
The biggest present turned out to be the millionth Leica, a M3 Chrom (estimate: 400,000 – 500,000 Euros), which sold for the equivalent of 1,130,000 US-Dollar (840,000 Euros). This Leica is one of the few official presentation cameras and was originally in the collection of the Leica Museum.
From the 357 objects on offer from manufacturer Leitz/Leica, 100% were sold. Many of those lots achieved prices far above the estimate; some closed at a winning bid ten times the upper estimate or more.
With a winning bid of 360,000 Euros, the Leica IIIf with the serial number 500,000 (estimate: 200,000 – 250,000 Euros) achieved a top result as well.
The Leica I Mod. C Luxus (estimate: 150,000 – 200,000 Euros) changed ownership for 504,000 Euros – another highlight of the Auction.
Among the lots by other manufacturers, the Seischab Esco achieved a particularly considerable rise. With an estimate of 7,000 to 9,000 Euro, the camera climbed to a remarkable 78,000 Euros.
The Charles Chevalier Daguerreotype Camera emerged as the top lot among the historical cameras and sold for 132,000 Euros. The unique and complete outfit from 1842 was estimated at 80,000 – 100,000 Euros.
The 24th WestLicht Camera-Auction closed with a selling rate of 96% and a total revenue of 6,726,060 Euros.
All prices include buyer’s premium.

Precisely fifty years after the assassination of JFK, one of the top lots of WestLicht Camera-Auction evoked another major chapter of American history: „Self Portrait: U.S.A.“ by Life photographer David Douglas Duncan climbed to a price of 144,000 Euros, which was far above the original estimate of 60,000 to 80,000 Euros.

During an earlier anti-Vietnam demonstration in 1967 in Washington D.C., Marc Riboud shot a photograph that came to be the definitive anti-war icon. The image, depicting 17-year old Jan-Rose Kasmir with a flower in her hand facing the bayonets of the National Guard, closed at 9,600 Euros (estimate: 4,000 - 5,000 Euros).

It was especially the big names of photography which brought the highest results of the 9th WestLicht Photo-Auction. Henri Cartier-Bresson‘s “Eunuch of the Last Chinese Imperial Dynasty” smiled at a price of 31,200 Euros (estimate: 10,000 - 12,000 Euros). The children behind Alfred Eisenstaedts “Drum Major” (estimate: 5,000 - 6,000 Euros) marched equally cheerful through the finish of 21,600 Euros. Three of the four photographs on offer by Alexander Rodchenko considerably exceeded the estimate, “Pioneer with trumpet” for example closed at 20,400 Euros (estimate: 9,000 - 10,000 Euros).

A further highlight of the auction was a daguerreotype attributed to Charles Nègre depicting plaster casts of the Parthenon frieze (estimate: 50,000 - 60,000 Euros), which changed ownership for 90,000 Euros.

As the hammer came down on lot no.117 - Bill Brandt’s “London (Nude with Bent Elbow)”, 1952  - an applause and whoops broke out in the auction room. Substantial bidding took place over Bill Brandt’s enigmatic photograph which had been expected to fetch 12,000 – 15,000 Euros but sold for 32,400 Euros instead.
 

With 83% of the lots sold, the WestLicht auction achieved a considerably higher selling rate than recent other international photo-auctions. The total revenue of 972,000 Euros (including buyer’s premium) is the best result of a WestLicht Photo-Auction to date.

Photo credits: Marco Pauer (WestLicht)