American, 1908–1997
Horace Bristol
119results on record
76%sell-through
$625median result (USD, incl. premium; 99% observed, 1% estimated from hammer)
$30,000record in our coverage
Drawn from 119 recorded results (93 sold · 26 passed) across 8 auction houses, 1999–2026. What we cover
Median sold price by year typical estimate range median result USD, incl. premium; 99% observed, 1% 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 | 87 | 78% | $525 |
| ceramics & design | 3 | 33% | $5,000 |
| other | 3 | 50% | $1,022 |
Medium is recorded for 93 of 119 results (78%) — rows above cover that subset; the rest of the record is in the full ledger below.
Compared with Ansel Adams Horace Bristol Ansel Adams
| Metric | Horace Bristol | Ansel Adams |
|---|---|---|
| Median result | $625 | $11,875 |
| Record price | $30,000 | $988,000 |
| Results on record | 119 | 2,991 |
| Years active at auction | 1999–2026 | 1998–2026 |
Related artists: Ansel AdamsBerenice AbbottEdward WestonHenri Cartier-bresson
Market strength liquidity score, 0–100 · method
73/ 100
- Sell-through76%
- Meets estimate56%
- Market depth119 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Auctions | 80 | 76% | $500 | — |
| Sotheby's | 8 | 100% | $14,688 | 1.14× |
| Bonhams | 11 | 55% | $5,500 | 1.23× |
| Rago | 6 | 83% | $1,375 | — |
| Christie's | 6 | — | $10,157 | — |
| Phillips | 5 | 80% | $15,632 | — |
| Grisebach | 3 | — | $4,253 | — |
| Freeman's | Hindman | 1 | 100% | $625 | 0.33× |
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 120 recorded lots — sold, passed, and upcoming — results in USD incl. premium; est. marks a premium estimated from the house's schedule ✓ Includes 26 passed lots
| Date | Lot | Medium | vs. estimate | Estimate USD | Result USD, incl. premium | House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 realized prices on this page are locked. A Research Pass reads 50 of them for $19, once — buy a pass | ||||||
| 2014·10 | PBY Blister Gunner, Rescue at Rabaul | $5,000–$7,000 | Phillips | |||
| 2014·05 | Shinto Shrine Melee, New Year’s Day. 1946 | Later gelatin silver print | $4,082–$5,443 | Grisebach | ||
| 2014·04 | Untitled (Silhouette of Tanks and Clouds) | Gelatin silver | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2013·12 | Four Plates, from The Grapes of Wrath Series | $1,500–$2,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·06 | from The Grapes of Wrath Series | $3,000–$4,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·05 | Tunnel Entrance with Lamp, Los Angeles | $2,000–$3,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2013·05 | Rescue at Rabaul: PBY Blister Gunner | $7,000–$10,000 | Bonhams | |||
| 2010·10 | 'pby gunner' (blister gunner) | $7,000–$10,000 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2010·06 | Picking Tea | Gelatin silver | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2010·06 | Family Coming Home from Market through Rice Fields, Japan | — | Heritage Auctions | |||
| 2010·06 | The Grapes of Wrath, Rose of Sharon | Gelatin Silver,... | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2010·06 | Lumberjack Poling Log in Mill Pond | Gelatin silver, printe... | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2010·06 | Silk Factory, Reeling Machines with Flowers | Gelatin silver | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2009·04 | The Melee for the Batons | Gelatin silver, 1990 | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2008·12 | Two images from the Joad Family Album | Resin coated silver... | — | Heritage Auctions | ||
| 2006·03 | Korea | $1,214–$1,822 | Sotheby's | |||
| 2005·04 | PBY Blister Gunner, 1944 | gelatin silver print, printed later | $4,000–$6,000 | Unsold listing | Christie's | |
| 2004·10 | PBY Blister Gunner, 1944 | gelatin silver print, printed later | $4,000–$6,000 | Christie's | ||
| 1999·09 | Torpedo Planes in Formation; and Rescued Airmen Smoking | $2,500–$3,500 | Christie's | |||
| 1999·04 | Los Angeles Scenes: Tunnel Entrance (with light) (1933) | $1,000–$1,500 | Christie's | |||
Realized prices are sold by the record: 50 for $19, non-expiring. Reading them at volume is what Starter is for.