Phillips' Photographs department leads the field by anticipating and engaging with ever-evolving collecting trends. Distinguished by our balanced presentation of classic and contemporary works, we achieve top results across all genres, from current stars to masters who have come to define the medium.

Our high standards for quality and long-standing relationships with collectors are the foundations of our success. These key characteristics enabled us to set more than 100 world auction records for renowned artists spanning the history of the medium from the 19th century to today, including the world auction record for Helmut Newton with Sie Kommen, Paris (Dressed and Naked), 1981, achieving $1,820,000 in April 2019, setting a new auction record for the artist at the time of sale. 

The Photographs department realizes robust results for our single-owner sale consignors, champions new talent—setting incredible sale-price precedents when introducing Alex Prager, Ruud Van Empel and Awol Erizku to auction—and continually innovates our sales. ULTIMATE, our unique platform features exclusive auction highlights and showcases rare-to-market masterworks; past partners for ULTIMATE include Vogue and Calvin Klein.

Our tenured International Photographs department—headquartered in New York, with the team working alongside regional representatives across the globe—cultivates connections with key market figures, from curators and collectors to advisors and dealers. Our ability to produce consistent, substantial returns while setting world auction records reflects our profound commitment to our clients and our ability to bring premier examples of the medium to auction.

If you are interested in receiving a valuation, selling your photographs with Phillips, or would like advice on growing your collection, please contact us at photographs@phillips.com or +1 212 940 1252.

Click to view our successful single-owner collections and private sales:

• Passion & Humanity: The Susie Tompkins Buell Collection
• The Odyssey of Collecting: Photographs from Joy of Giving Something Foundation
• A Constant Pursuit: Photographs from the Collection of Ed Cohen & Victoria Shaw
• Important Photographs from the Collection of Dr. Anthony Terrana
• Photographs from the Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago
• Selections from The Thomas Walther Collection