For the week ending April 6^th 15 auctions were archived to the AED; 8 in US dollars, 2 in British pounds, and 5 in euros.  Turnover was a brisk $27,563,384 earned on the sale of 3,245 lots, 76% of the 4,267 lots offered.  The market was firm.

Six sales reached the million-dollar level:

Christies.  Photographs and Modernist Masterworks [2767] on April 4^th:  $7,654,125

Christies.  Photographs and Modern Masterworks [2691] on April 5^th:  $7,245,375

Sotheby’s.  Photographs on April 6^th:  $5,061,190

Sotheby’s.  The Modern Image:  Photographs from an Important American Collection on April 5^th:  $2,544,376

Dorothy Sloan Rare Books.  Americana:  Texas, the West, Mexico & the Borderlands on April 4^th:  $1,578,488

Bloomsbury Auctions.  Books, Manuscripts, Prints, Drawings and other Artworks on April 4^th:  $1,305,407

Seven auctions saw their total sales exceed the total of their high estimates:

Cornette de Saint Cyr.  Private Sacha Guitry on March 28^th:  254%

Neret – Minet & Tessier.  Books and Autographs on April 3^rd:  244%

Bloomsbury Auctions.  Books, Manuscripts, Prints, Drawings and other Artworks on April 4^th:  142%

Aguttes.  Prints and Photographs on April 3^rd:  116%

Christies.  Photographs and Modern Masterworks [2691] on April 5^th:  112%

Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers.  Books on March 21^st:  106%

Christies.  Photographs and Modernist Masterworks [2767] on April 4^th:  101%

Eight sales saw 80% or more of their lots sell:

Cornette de Saint Cyr.  Private Sacha Guitry on March 28^th:  100%

Freeman’s.  Books, Manuscripts and Maps on April 4^th:  90%

Heritage Auctions [HA.com] on April 4^th:  89%

Aguttes.  Prints and Photographs on April 3^rd:  116%

Bloomsbury Auctions.  Books, Manuscripts, Prints, Drawings and other Artworks on April 4^th:  89%

Christies.  Photographs and Modern Masterworks [2691] on April 5^th:  84%

Sotheby’s.  The Modern Image:  Photographs from an Important American Collection on April 5^th:  83%

Freeman’s.  Posters and Other Graphics on April 5^th:  80%

For the week ahead 27 sales are scheduled:

Mon. April 8^th          Artcurial Briest-Le Fur-Poulain-F. Tajan.  Weapons and Historical Memories [20892].  7 lots

                                   Bruun Rasmussen.  Old Prints [1315a].  5 lots

                                    Doyle New York.  Photographs [40813].  519 lots

                                    Sothebys.  Collection de Nicholas Landau et Jacqueline Goldman [PF1336].  11 lots

Tues. April 9^th              Bonhams.  20^th Century Prints [21121].  103 lots

                                    Bruun Rasmussen.  Modern Prints [1315b].  61 lots

                                    Christies.  Books and Manuscripts [2706].  351 lots

                                    Piasa.  Ancient and Modern Books [20921].  319 lots

                                    Sothebys.  Collection de Nicholas Landau et Jacqueline Goldman [PF1336].  11 lots

Wed. April 10^th          Bonhams.  Roy David’s Collection:  Part III:  Poetry [20922].  264 lots

                                    Christies.  Books and Manuscripts [2706].  351 lots

                                    Christies.  Prints [8623].  250 lots

                                    Christies.  Books and Manuscripts [2806].  3 lots

                                    Dominic Winter Book Auctions.  Printed Books and Maps [41013].  658 lots

                                    Heritage Auctions [Ha.com].  Rare Books [6094].  630 items.

                                    Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.  Fine Books and Manuscripts [239].  465 lots

Thurs. April 11^th        Bloomsbury Auctions.  Horology and Science Books [36036].  169 lots

                                    Dominic Winter Book Auctions.  Private Collection of Mountaineering Books [41113].  418 lots

                                    Heritage Auctions [HA.com].  Historical Manuscripts [6093].  652 lots

                                    Heritage Auctions [Ha.com].  Illustration Art [5126].  856 lots

                                    Heritage Auctions [Ha.com].    Internet online bidding ended today [201315].  369 lots

                                    PBA Galleries.  South Sale:  The Library of Dr. Richard Topel, Part I [504].  364 lots

                                    Swann Galleries, Inc.  Fine Books, Including Incunabula [2309].  148 lots

Fri. April 12^th             Dominic Winter Book Auctions.  Private Collection of Mountaineering Books [41113].  418 lots

                                    Heritage Auctions [Ha.com].  Illustration Art [5126].  856 lots

Sat. April 13^th             Alde.  Beautiful and Modern Bindings [20985].  344 lots

Sun. April 14^th           Bonhams.  Books, Prints [20943].  27 lots

It’s an important week.  Not so long ago extensive sales in a single week were rare.  These days they are becoming the norm.

Bruce McKinney

AE

April 15^th, 2013