The 19th WestLicht camera auction was conducted on May 28 featuring 721 lots and setting many new records worldwide. The highlight was an extremely rare Leica 0-series from 1923. After a tough bidding battle starting at about $300,000 and lasting for 20 minutes, the camera sold for a staggering $1.9 million. The bidder, a private collector from Asia, is a new owner of the most expensive camera ever sold worldwide.
A Leica MP2 was sold for $750,000.
From the Baringer collection, two of the most light-sensitive lenses in camera history went for ten times their starting prices: The Carl Zeiss Super-Q-Gigantar 0.33/40mm went to $85,000, and the Carl Zeiss Planar 0.7/50mm finished at $130,000.
A KGB espionage camera was auctioned for $50,000.
The net profits of the Nikon Europe benefit for aid for Japan’s Red Cross fulfilled all expectations and will be donated to Japan’s earthquake aid for victims of the natural catastrophe.
A total of 94 percent of the lots sold, and the sale’s gross was $6.3 million, making it the most successful in the history of WestLicht.
The highlight of the photography auction conducted on the same day was the sale of daguerreotypes by Auguste Rosalie Bisson from 1842. Two quarter plates were sold for $320,000. This was a record price for daguerreotypes in the German-speaking world. Additionally, two of the images were the most expensive ever sold by Auguste Rosalie Bisson.
Another peak performance was reached by a portrait of Egon Schiele by Anton Josef Tr欀愀 昀爀漀洀 㤀㐀⸀ 吀栀攀 瀀栀漀琀漀最爀愀瀀栀 眀攀渀琀 甀渀搀攀爀 琀栀攀 栀愀洀洀攀爀 昀漀爀 ␀㠀㔀Ⰰ 琀漀 愀 䔀甀爀漀瀀攀愀渀 愀爀琀 搀攀愀氀攀爀⸀ 䌀氀愀猀猀椀挀猀 氀椀欀攀 瘀椀渀琀愀最攀 瀀爀椀渀琀猀 戀礀 䄀甀最甀猀琀 匀愀渀搀攀爀Ⰰ 䰀漀琀栀愀爀 刀ﰀ戀攀氀琀Ⰰ 䠀攀椀渀爀椀挀栀 䬀ﰀ栀渀Ⰰ 圀攀爀渀攀爀 䈀椀猀挀栀漀昀Ⰰ 䤀渀最攀 䴀漀爀愀琀栀Ⰰ 䠀攀渀爀椀 䌀愀爀琀椀攀爀 䈀爀攀猀猀漀渀 愀渀搀 䘀爀愀渀稀 䠀甀戀洀愀渀渀 眀攀爀攀 猀漀氀搀 昀漀爀 愀洀漀甀渀琀猀 昀愀爀 愀戀漀瘀攀 琀栀攀椀爀 攀猀琀椀洀愀琀攀搀 瀀爀椀挀攀猀⸀
Prices reported have been converted from euros to US dollars and include the buyer’s premium. For information, www.westlicht.com or +43 1 523 56 59.
