American, 1868–1952
Edward S. Curtis
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
Where does a value land in this market?
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
| Medium | Results | Sell-through | Median 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
| Metric | Edward S. Curtis | Ansel Adams |
|---|---|---|
| Median result | $4,845 | $11,875 |
| Record price | $1,416,000 | $988,000 |
| Results on record | 839 | 2,991 |
| 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
| House | Results | Sell-through | Median | vs. 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
| Date | Lot | Medium | vs. estimate | Estimate USD | Result USD, incl. premium | House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $39, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2018·06 | 'The North American Indian', Portfolio 20 | $5,000–$7,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2018·06 | Sitting Elk, Apsaroke | $1,000–$1,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2018·06 | Gambler, Piegan | $1,000–$1,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2018·04 | 'The North American Indian', Portfolio 20 | $6,000–$8,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2018·04 | The Vanishing Race | $20,000–$30,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2018·04 | Canon de Chelley | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2018·04 | Selected images from 'The North American Indian' 52 | $15,000–$25,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2017·10 | Chief of the Desert | $15,000–$25,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2017·10 | The North American Indian, Portfolio 20 | $8,000–$12,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2017·09 | 'The North American Indian', Portfolio 20 | $7,000–$9,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2017·06 | Six Photogravures (Total: 6 Items) | — | Heritage Auctions | |||
| 2017·06 | Tapa (Antelope Water), Taos | $3,000–$5,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2017·04 | The Vanishing Race | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2017·04 | The Vanishing Race | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2016·10 | The Vanishing Race | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2016·10 | At the Old Well at Acoma | $5,000–$7,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2016·10 | Tapa (Antelope Water), Taos | $8,000–$12,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2016·10 | Portrait of a Crow Chief | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2016·04 | Homeward Bound | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·12 | Selected Images, from The North American Indian 13 | $1,000–$1,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·12 | At the Old Well at Acoma | $2,000–$3,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·10 | At the Old Well at Acoma | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·10 | The Vanishing Race | $5,000–$7,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·10 | Aphrodite - 1930 | Tirage argentique d'époque avec virage bleu | $5,770–$6,923 | Artcurial | ||
| 2015·10 | Iahla 'Willow' Taos, pl. 545, from The North American Indian | $2,000–$3,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·10 | Selected Images, from The North American Indian 13 | $2,000–$3,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·07 | At the Old Well at Acoma | $2,000–$3,000 | upcoming | Bonhams | ||
| 2015·04 | The Vanishing Race | $4,500–$5,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·04 | At the Old Well at Acoma | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·04 | Before the Storm, Apache | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·04 | The Vanishing Race | $7,500–$9,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·04 | Flathead Camp on the Jocko River | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2015·04 | Selected images | $4,000–$6,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2015·01 | Under the Palms - Cahuilla, pl. 521, The North American Indian vol. XV | $300–$500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2014·11 | Aphrodite | $1,200–$1,800 | Bonhams | |||
| 2014·10 | The Oath, Apsaroke | $8,000–$10,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2014·10 | Signal Fire to the Mountain God | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2014·10 | The Clam Digger | $7,000–$9,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2014·10 | An Old Mohave | Photogravure on tissue | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2014·10 | A Walpi Man | Photogravure | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2014·10 | Wife of Mnainak-Yakima | Photogravure | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2014·09 | photogravure plate: bear’s belly—arikara | $40,000–$60,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2014·07 | Selected Images, from The North American Indian | $1,000–$1,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2014·06 | The North American Indian. [Cambridge, Massachusetts: University Press], 1913 | $6,000–$8,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2014·05 | Selected Images, Volume XV, from The North American Indian 36 | $3,000–$4,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2014·04 | The Chief of Crater Lake, Klamath | $10,000–$15,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2014·04 | Oasis in the Badlands | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2014·04 | The North American Indian, Volume 6 | $7,000–$9,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2014·04 | cañon del muerto | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2014·04 | Zuni Governor | $20,000–$30,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2014·04 | Geronimo | $60,000–$90,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2014·04 | an oasis in the badlands | $30,000–$50,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2013·11 | The Old Well at Acoma | Vintage platinum | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2013·11 | The Vanishing Race - Navaho | Orotone | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2013·11 | Before the Storm | Orotone | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2013·11 | At the Old Well of Acoma | Orotone | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2013·10 | At the Old Well of Acoma | $4,000–$5,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·10 | The Vanishing Race | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·10 | Cañon de Chelly, Arizona, Navaho | $10,000–$15,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·10 | The North American Indian. Being a Series of Volumes Picturing and Describing the Indians of the United States and Alaska ... Sixth Volume. [Cambridge, MA]: Edward S. Curtis, 1911. | $12,000–$18,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·10 | the three chiefs - piegan | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2013·06 | The Piki Maker, Hopi | $1,500–$2,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·06 | Maid of Dreams | $1,500–$2,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·05 | The Vanishing Race, Navaho | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·05 | At the Old Well of Acoma | $5,000–$7,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·04 | 'watching the dancers' (hopi) | $12,000–$18,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2013·04 | Shiwawatiwa - Zuni | $4,000–$6,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2013·04 | qahatika girl | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2012·12 | Selected Images, from The North American Indian | $1,500–$2,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2012·11 | The Vanishing Race, Navaho | $4,000–$6,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2012·11 | A Chief of the Desert-Navaho | $8,000–$10,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2012·10 | 'cañon de chelly - navaho' | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2012·10 | an oasis in the badlands | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2012·10 | A Hopi Man | $12,000–$18,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2012·10 | The Vanishing Race | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2012·10 | The Vanishing Race | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2012·06 | The Oath-Apsaroke | $1,000–$1,500 | Bonhams | |||
| 2012·06 | Middle Calf - Piegan | $400–$600 | Bonhams | |||
| 2012·06 | Selected Images, from The North American Indian | $2,000–$3,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2012·04 | an oasis in the badlands | $15,000–$25,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2011·10 | An Oasis in the Badlands | $12,000–$18,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2011·10 | Selected images | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2011·10 | The Scout | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the north american indian,' portfolio 12 | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | For a Winter Campaign - Apsaroke | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the north american indian,' portfolio 10 | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the north american indian,' portfolio 8 | $30,000–$50,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the north american indian,' portfolio 18 | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the north american indian,' portfolio 2 | $30,000–$50,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the north american indian,' portfolio 16 | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the north american indian,' portfolio 19 | $8,000–$12,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the north american indian,' portfolio 13 | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the north american indian,' portfolio 17 | $10,000–$15,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the vanishing race - navaho' | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the north american indian,' portfolio 1 | $50,000–$70,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the north american indian,' portfolio 11 | $6,000–$9,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the north american indian,' portfolio 14 | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the north american indian,' portfolio 20 | $10,000–$20,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·10 | 'the north american indian,' portfolio 15 | $5,000–$7,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·04 | Waiting in the Forest, Cheyenne, The North American Indian , Plate 218, 1910 | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | |||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $39, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.