Photography valuations

Would you like to find out the value of a collectable or rare photograph? While photographs are extremely common in our digital world, it wasn't long ago that photos were fairly unusual and even modern images can sometimes be valuable. Whether you have a portrait of an ancestor, a snapshot of a historic event or a print from a famous photographer, our online specialist can give you an appraisal. Simply upload an image to get started. You can also request an appraisal of a rare photograph before purchasing a work. This third-party opinion may help you decide if the price is reasonable or if the item is a good investment.

Our Photography Expert

This area of expertise deals with photography works by 19th and 20th century American and European photographers, as well as works by cutting-edge contemporary photographers. Some of the major photographers can achieve substantial prices, such as Edward Weston, whose 1936 Charis Santa Monica print sold for $109,800 at Bonhams and Andreas Gursky’s Dubai World II selling for £445,000 at Sotheby’s last year. Our expert has a deep knowledge of both classic photographic artists and of their contemporary counterparts.

 

The Market for Photographs

Photography is at the heart of our visual culture and we get many requests to establish a rare photograph's value. As with other works of art - a high-quality and rare photograph's value can be quite high, fetching strong results at auction. In the autumn of 2009, auction house Christie's had four photography sales in New York. These auctions, which showcased photographs ranging from 19th century works through to contemporary prints, brought in over $7.4 million. A rare photograph's value can often be high because of its historic significance. In 2001, Sotheby's sold an image of Alice Liddell (upon whom the title character from Alice in Wonderland is based) taken by author Lewis Carroll. The photograph was sold for £179,500.

It's even possible that your own photographs could be valuable! On an episode of Antiques Roadshow, a man -who worked as a sound engineer at Teddington Studios in 1964- brought in a collection of photographs that he had taken of The Beatles during a broadcast. The man, who had kept the slides in his loft for forty years, was shocked to learn they were worth £10,000. The appraiser explained that these rare photographs' value was high because they had not been previously been circulated and because the man owned the copyright. An Edward Weston, Nude (Charis, Santa Monica) executed in 1936 sold for $109.000. 

How to determine the Value of your Photograph

When collecting photography, it is important to consider the rarity of an image. Because photographs can be relatively easy to replicate, it is necessary to determine what makes a photograph unusual before establishing a price. This could be the presence of hand colouring or darkroom manipulation or the fact that the image is part of a limited edition collection. Photographs made before 1950 are generally considered unusual, while photographs from during the early years of photography (1839-1900) are very rare and often unique. Older photographs typically have historical significance as well, making them attractive to historians and collectors.

If you want to find out a rare photograph's value, it doesn't matter if it's a salt print, a daguerreotype from the 1840s or a contemporary work, Value My Stuff Now's photography expert will provide an honest and objective opinion. This valuation can be used before buying or selling a photograph and it can also be used for insurance purposes (subject to your insurer accepting the certificate).

Find out your rare photograph's value today

To get a rare photograph's value appraised, upload a photograph and tell us anything else you know about it. Our expert will consider the details and send you an appraisal within 48 hours. The rare photograph appraisal will include comments from our expert, along with a printable certificate and a web certificate that can be used for eBay auctions. 

 

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