LIVE LOTS 17,750,189 HOUSES 866 UNSOLD RECORDED 4,679,234 UPDATED NIGHTLY
TheBasis.Art

American, 1868–1952

Edward S. Curtis

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839results on record
79%sell-through
$4,845median result (USD, incl. premium; 93% observed, 7% estimated from hammer)
$1,416,000record in our coverage

Drawn from 839 recorded results (723 sold · 116 passed) across 14 auction houses, 1998–2026. 46 upcoming lots on the ledger. What we cover

Median sold price by year typical estimate range median result USD, incl. premium; 93% observed, 7% estimated from hammer method · log scale

$9.3K$19K$28K1998: $17K median, 34 sold1999: $8.2K median, 46 sold2000: $6.5K median, 17 sold2001: $7.0K median, 15 sold2002: $5.9K median, 28 sold2003: $6.7K median, 6 sold2004: $3.2K median, 27 sold2005: $3.6K median, 35 sold2006: $9.0K median, 47 sold2007: $11K median, 8 sold2008: $9.4K median, 10 sold2009: $6.9K median, 5 sold2010: $7.2K median, 20 sold2011: $34K median, 3 sold2012: $5.2K median, 12 sold2013: $5.6K median, 13 sold2014: $7.8K median, 14 sold2015: $3.9K median, 10 sold2016: $5.0K median, 3 sold2017: $6.4K median, 6 sold2018: $672 median, 2 sold2019: $8.2K median, 8 sold2020: $4.0K median, 12 sold2021: $8.3K median, 119 sold2022: $5.1K median, 25 sold2023: $862 median, 74 sold2024: $538 median, 31 sold2025: $826 median, 27 sold2026: $512 median, 66 sold19982005201220192026

Where does a value land in this market?

$
$4.8K$64$1.4M

Every sold result for this market, low to high (log scale) — the dashed line is the median. Enter a value to see where it lands.

By medium where medium is recorded or stated in the catalog line

MediumResultsSell-throughMedian result (USD)
photography 123 80% $4,800
prints 108 85% $684
other 76 100% $18,522
ceramics & design 6 100% $1,463

Medium is recorded for 313 of 839 results (37%) — rows above cover that subset; the rest of the record is in the full ledger below.

Compared with Ansel Adams Edward S. Curtis Ansel Adams

$9.3K$19K$28K1998: $12K median1999: $9.1K median2000: $12K median2001: $15K median2002: $16K median2003: $9.0K median2004: $13K median2005: $20K median2006: $23K median2007: $30K median2008: $25K median2009: $21K median2010: $14K median2011: $16K median2012: $11K median2013: $18K median2014: $17K median2015: $8.1K median2016: $13K median2017: $19K median2018: $12K median2019: $7.5K median2020: $14K median2021: $3.6K median2022: $11K median2023: $3.6K median2024: $13K median2025: $3.8K median2026: $2.3K median1998: $17K median1999: $8.2K median2000: $6.5K median2001: $7.0K median2002: $5.9K median2003: $6.7K median2004: $3.2K median2005: $3.6K median2006: $9.0K median2007: $11K median2008: $9.4K median2009: $6.9K median2010: $7.2K median2011: $34K median2012: $5.2K median2013: $5.6K median2014: $7.8K median2015: $3.9K median2016: $5.0K median2017: $6.4K median2018: $672 median2019: $8.2K median2020: $4.0K median2021: $8.3K median2022: $5.1K median2023: $862 median2024: $538 median2025: $826 median2026: $512 median19982005201220192026
MetricEdward S. CurtisAnsel Adams
Median result$4,845$11,875
Record price $1,416,000 $988,000
Results on record8392,991
Years active at auction 1998–2026 1998–2026

Related artists: Ansel AdamsBerenice AbbottEdward WestonHenri Cartier-bresson

Market strength liquidity score, 0–100 · method

72/ 100
  • Sell-through79%
  • Meets estimate52%
  • Market depth839 results

How readily and near-estimate this market clears — sell-through, estimate reliability, and depth, blended into one score. "Meets estimate" is the share of sold lots hammering at or above the low estimate, over catalogs that print a real appraisal: a house whose printed low is a starting bid would meet its estimate on every lot, so those lots are excluded from this term only — their prices and outcomes still count in the other two. Method →

Where this artist sells best

HouseResultsSell-throughMedianvs. estimate
Bonhams 395 76% $3,520 0.86×
Christie's 241 — $6,394 —
Sotheby's 97 95% $8,750 0.70×
Freeman's | Hindman 52 92% $384 0.43×
Heritage Auctions 26 77% $1,125 —
Rago 15 93% $826 —
Wright 4 50% $456 —
Phillips 1 100% $882 —
Artcurial 1 — $6,183 0.78×
Chiswick Auctions 2 50% $320 —
Shelby's Auctioneers Ltd. 1 100% $143 3.40×
Locati LLC 1 100% $469 0.62×
Lempertz 1 0% — —
Arader Galleries 3 0% — —

The same artist across every house we cover — hammer-vs-estimate side by side. A dash in the estimate column can mean withheld rather than unpublished: the house publishes no hammer price, or its printed low is a starting bid rather than an appraisal. Method →

Prices realized 886 recorded lots — sold, passed, and upcoming — results in USD incl. premium; est. marks a premium estimated from the house's schedule ✓ Includes 116 passed lots

DateLotMediumvs. estimateEstimate USDResult USD, incl. premiumHouse
100 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $39, once — buy a pass
2023·11 A Medicine Head-Dress - Blackfoot $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·11 The Blackfoot Country $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·11 An Offering At The Waterfall - Nambé $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·11 North Pueblo at Taos $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·11 Flathead Type $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·11 Otter Robe - Atsina $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·11 The Scouts Report - Atsina $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·11 Arikara Girl $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·11 Sitting Elk - Apsaroke $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·11 Ready for the Charge - Apsaroke $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·11 Sioux Camp $1,000–$1,500 Bonhams
2023·11 The Morning Bath - Apache $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·11 Girl and Jar - San Ildefonso $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·11 Upshaw-Apsaroke $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·11 A Zuñi Girl $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·11 The Vanishing Race - Navajo $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·11 Piopio-Maksmaks, Profile - Walla Walla $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·11 Soyaksin - Blood $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·11 Ástanihkyi ("Coming-Singing") - Blood $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·11 Apió-Mita ("White Dog") - Blood $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·11 Makóyēpuk ("Wolf-Child") - Blood $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·11 The Bark Gatherer $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·11 Hesquiat Root Digger $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·11 A Zuñi Girl $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·11 Basket Maker photogravure $300–$500 Freeman's | Hindman
2023·11 Four works: A Mat House - Skokomish, Quinault Female Profile, Lelehalt - Quilcene and Hleastunuh - Skokomish photogravure $800–$1,200 Freeman's | Hindman
2023·11 A Mountain Fastness - Apsahoke photogravure $800–$1,200 Freeman's | Hindman
2023·10 In the Land of the Sioux 12 x 15 3/4 in.Frame size 22 x 26 in. $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·10 The Invocation Photo size 8 x 6 in.Frame size 18 x 16 in. $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·10 Puget Sound Baskets 11 3/4 x 15 1/2 in. Sheet 17 7/8 x 22 in. $300–$400 Bonhams
2023·10 Crazy Thunder - Ogalala 15 3/4 x 10 3/8 in. Frame size 26 x 22 in. $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·10 As It Was In The Old Days 12 x 15 1/2 in.Frame size 22 x 25 1/4 in. $200–$300 Bonhams
2023·10 Antelope and Snake at Oraibi and East side of Walpi 11 3/8 x 15 1/2 in. Sheet 17 7/8 x 22 in. 11 1/4 x 15 1/2 in. Sheet 17 3/4 x 22 in. $400–$500 Bonhams
2023·10 Arikara Medicine Ceremony, Dance of the Black-Tail Deer and The Ducks 11 3/4 x 15 3/4 in. Sheet 18 x 21 3/4 in. 15 3/4 x 11 in. Sheet 21 7/8 x 17 7/8 in. $400–$500 Bonhams
2023·10 Assiniboin Mother and Child 11 5/8 x 15 3/4 in. Frame size 25 1/2 x 30 in. $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·10 A Hesquiat Maiden 15 1/4 x 11 1/2 in. Frame size 29 3/4 x 25 1/4 in. $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·10 A Point of Interest - Navajo 10 1/2 x 14 1/2 in.Frame size 22 x 26 in. $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·10 The Fire Makers - White Mountain Apaches Photo size 6 x 8 in.Frame size 16 x 18 in. $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·10 The Fruit Gatherer - San Ildefonso 15 1/2 x 11 1/2 in.Frame size 26 x 22 in. $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·10 Snake Dancers Entertaining the Plaza 11 1/2 x 15 1/2 in.Frame size 22 x 26 in. $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·10 Walpi Architecture 11 1/2 x 15 1/2 in. Frame size 22 x 26 in. $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·10 Hamasaka in Tlu'wulahu costume with speaker's staff and Qagyuhl village at Fort Rupert 15 1/2 x 10 1/4 in. Sheet 22 5/16 x 17 7/8 in. 15 1/4 x 10 5/8 in. Sheet 21 7/8 x 17 5/8 in. $400–$500 Bonhams
2023·10 On the Housetop and Mishongnovi 11 1/2 x 15 1/2 in. Sheet 18 x 22 1/8 in. 15 1/8 x 11 1/2 in. Sheet 22 1/8 x 18 in. $400–$500 Bonhams
2023·10 Little Sioux - Arikara 15 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.Frame size 26 x 22 in. $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·10 Apache-Land 15 1/2 x 11 3/4 in. Frame size 26 x 22 in. $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·10 Little Hawk 15 1/2 x 7 3/4 in. Frame size 26 x 22 in. $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·10 The Apache 15 1/2 x 11 1/2 in.Frame size 26 x 22 in. $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·10 Selected Images (Kominaka Dancers - Kwakiutl) $1,000–$1,500 Bonhams
2023·10 Selected Images (Kwakiutl Man) $1,000–$1,500 Bonhams
2023·10 Mosa - Mohave (from Portfolio II of 'The North American Indian') $7,000–$10,000 Bonhams
2023·10 The Vanishing Race $6,000–$8,000 Bonhams
2023·10 A Son of the Desert - Navaho (from Volume I of 'The North American Indian') $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·10 Selected Cyanotypes $70,000–$90,000 Bonhams
2023·10 The Vanishing Race $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·09 Four Horns, Arikara $300–$400 Bonhams
2023·09 The Scout in Winter - Apsaroke $300–$400 Bonhams
2023·09 Qahátika Girl $300–$400 Bonhams
2023·07 Squaxon Matron (Plate 307 from 'The North American Indian') $800–$1,200 Bonhams
2023·07 Prayer to the Stars $2,000–$3,000 Bonhams
2023·07 The Vanishing Race $2,000–$3,000 Bonhams
2023·06 [no title recorded] — Heritage Auctions
2023·06 [no title recorded] — Heritage Auctions
2023·06 [no title recorded] — Heritage Auctions
2023·06 [no title recorded] — Heritage Auctions
2023·06 [no title recorded] — Heritage Auctions
2023·05 The Vanishing Race $6,000–$8,000 Bonhams
2023·05 A Hopi Mother $400–$600 Bonhams
2023·05 The Scout, Apache $10,000–$15,000 Bonhams
2023·04 The Vanishing Race $8,000–$12,000 Sotheby's
2023·04 An Oasis in the Bad Lands $4,000–$6,000 Bonhams
2023·03 image size 15 9/16 x 11 9/16 and 15 9/16 x 11 9/16 in. $300–$500 Bonhams
2023·01 Spectators at the Snake Dance $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·01 A "Catcher" Picking up a Snake $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Hopi Architecture $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Hopi Farmers, Yesterday and Today $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Potter Building her Kiln (Nampeyo) $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·01 A Hopi Woman $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·01 A Partially Cut-up Whale $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Cooking Whale Blubber $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·01 The Bark Gatherer $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Qa'hila - Koprinok (Young Chief of Quatsino Sound) $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Selected Images of Cheyenne Women 2 $1,500–$2,500 Bonhams
2023·01 As It Was in the Old Days $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Selected Images of Tiwa Women $1,500–$2,500 Bonhams
2023·01 Selected Images (Vol. XV) 2 $1,000–$1,500 Bonhams
2023·01 Selected Images of Women (Volume XV) 2 $1,500–$2,500 Bonhams
2023·01 Selected Images of Pomo Women 4 $3,000–$4,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Selected Images of Women (Volumes VIII and IX) $1,500–$2,500 Bonhams
2023·01 Dip-Netting in Pools - Wishham $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·01 New Chest - Piegan $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Arikara Chief $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Two Leggings - Apsaroke $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Mohave Water Carrier $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·01 By the Canal - Maricopa $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·01 At the Shrine - Navaho $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Story Telling - Apache $800–$1,000 Bonhams
2023·01 A San Juan Matron $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Scraping a Deerskin - Washo $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Art As Old As the Tree - Southern Yokuts $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams
2023·01 Basket Used in Puberty Rites - Pomo $3,000–$5,000 Bonhams

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