The collection of more than 400 works are being sold to raise acquisition funds for the museum’s photography department. They are expected to raise over $3.6m in total.
The items offered range from the early 20th century to the post-war period and include photographs by the likes of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alfred Stieglitz, Ansel Adams, Edward Steichen, Walker Evans and Man Ray.
Christie’s international head of photographs Darius Himes said: “In 1940, the museum of Modern Art became the first in the US to form a department of photography… These auctions represent a unique opportunity to support the Museum and own a piece of photographic history.”
The first tranche will feature in a dedicated photography sale at Christie’s New York on October 10, with two unique Rayograph works by Man Ray from 1923 and 1928 leading the selection.
The remainder will be offered in a subsequent series of online auctions held in October and December, followed by further online auctions in January and April 2018.
The online sales will divide the collection by themes such as ‘Pictorialism into Modernism’ and ‘Women in Photography’, while other sections are dedicated to individual photographers.
