American, 1903–1990
Harold Edgerton
115results on record
88%sell-through
$1,664median result (USD, incl. premium; 100% observed, 0% estimated from hammer)
$60,000record in our coverage
Drawn from 115 recorded results (105 sold · 10 passed) across 8 auction houses, 1998–2026. 1 upcoming lot on the ledger. What we cover
Median sold price by year typical estimate range median result USD, incl. premium; 100% observed, 0% estimated from hammer method · log scale
Where does a value land in this market?
The same figure also answers the seller's question: which house clears a work like this, and for how much — expected proceeds by house, from the sell-through the rest of this page is built on.
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 | 54 | 93% | $1,785 |
| other | 6 | n/a | $14,023 |
Medium is recorded for 60 of 115 results (52%) — rows above cover that subset; the rest of the record is in the full ledger below.
Compared with Ansel Adams Harold Edgerton Ansel Adams
| Metric | Harold Edgerton | Ansel Adams |
|---|---|---|
| Median result | $1,664 | $11,875 |
| Record price | $60,000 | $988,000 |
| Results on record | 115 | 2,991 |
| Years active at auction | 1998–2026 | 1998–2026 |
Related artists: Ansel AdamsBerenice AbbottWalker EvansHorst P. Horst
Market strength liquidity score, 0–100 · method
77/ 100
- Sell-through88%
- Meets estimate51%
- Market depth115 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 | 55 | 89% | $1,216 | 0.80× |
| Sotheby's | 17 | 67% | $10,885 | 1.04× |
| Christie's | 12 | — | $4,192 | — |
| Rago | 11 | 91% | $956 | — |
| Grisebach | 9 | — | $2,940 | — |
| Heritage Auctions | 7 | 100% | $1,000 | — |
| Lempertz | 2 | 100% | $2,242 | — |
| Wright | 2 | 50% | $9,100 | — |
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 116 recorded lots — sold, passed, and upcoming — results in USD incl. premium; est. marks a premium estimated from the house's schedule ✓ Includes 10 passed lots
| Date | Lot | Medium | vs. estimate | Estimate USD | Result USD, incl. premium | House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $19, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2012·05 | Tennis, Forehand Drive, Jenny Tuckey and Two Fencers (Two Photographs) | Gelatin silver, printed later | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2011·11 | Rising Dove. 1934 | Later gelatin silver print | $803–$1,071 | Grisebach | ||
| 2011·11 | Wes Fesler Kicking a Football | Gelatin silver, printed later | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2011·05 | Rodeo | Gelatin silver, 1980 | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2010·04 | Ten Dye-Transfer Photographs | $10,000–$15,000 | Christie's | |||
| 2007·10 | Selected motion studies of a golfer | $6,000–$9,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2007·03 | Pole-Vaulter | $1,718–$2,379 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·11 | 'ruby throated hummingbirds, holderness, n.h.', 1936 | $1,897–$2,845 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2006·09 | Pole Vaulter, David Tork, 1964 | dye transfer print, printed later | $1,000–$1,500 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·05 | Tennis Ball Impact, 1935 | gelatin silver print | $2,750–$3,667 | Christie's | ||
| 2005·05 | Bobby Jones's Golf Swing, 1938 | gelatin silver print | $12,835–$16,502 | Christie's | ||
| 2004·04 | 'Seeing the Unseen' | $3,000–$5,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2003·06 | Gussie Moran, Tennis Serve, 1952 | gelatin silver print, printed later | $2,000–$3,000 | Christie's | ||
| 1999·12 | Milk Drop Coronet; Moscow Circus; and Bullet Through Banana | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·10 | Bobby Jones with a driver | $3,000–$4,000 | Christie's | |||
| 1998·10 | 'Quicker'n a Wink' Photograph | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | |||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $19, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.