'Jérusalem: Tombeau des Juges' (1854) by Auguste Salzmann topped this week's photography auction at Christie's South Kensington, selling for £11,950, or $22,072. [Courtesy of Christie's Images Ltd.]

August Salzmann print
takes top spot at auction

LONDON (Fotophile.com) — "Jérusalem: Tombeau des Juges," an 1854 image by August Salzmann fetched the top price of £11,950, equivalent to $22,072, at a Christie's photography auction in South Kensington 16 November 2004.

The auction featured 173 of the original 174 large-format prints from August Salzmann's two-volume edition of Jérusalem published in 1856. Salzmann photographs captured six of the top 10 spots in the auction, which included 276 lots of 19th century and contemporary photography, according to a statement from the auction house.

Many sold near or above the upper range of pre-sale estimates, with 62 percent of lots offered selling for £344,650, or $636,569. The top Salzmann photograph was estimated to sell for £8,000 to £10,000.

"Selected portraits" (1954-60) by Ida Kar captured the No. 2 spot, drawing a £11,352 sale price, approximately $20,967. It had been estimated to sell for £5,000 to £7,000.

Rounding out the seventh through tenth positions were: "The Pencil of Nature, Fascicle no. 3" by William Henry Fox Talbot, which sold for £6,572 ($12,138); "Holland Canal" (1971) by Brett Weston for £5,975 ($11,036); and "Untitled" (circa 1973) by William Eggleston for £5,975 ($11,036).

Next year, for the first time both the London photograph sales will be held at Christie's King Street location and will be held 18 May 2005 and 16 November 2005.

Earlier this year, a photography auction at Christie's in New York set records for individual artists, including dozens of images from pop star Elton John's critically acclaimed collection. [2004.11] | TOP

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Florida arrests freelancer
for taking pictures of voters

Freelance photojournalist James S. Henry of Sag Harbor, N.Y., was "tackled, punched and arrested" Sunday for allegedly ignoring a deputy's order to stop taking pictures of people waiting to vote outside a courthouse in Florida, the Palm Beach Post reported.

Henry, 54, a widely published freelance journalist and Harvard-educated lawyer and economist, was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. He was held on $500 bail Sunday evening.

Palm Beach County Deputy Al Cinque tried to confiscate Henry's Minolta camera and "large lens", when the journalist ran and was tackled, according to the Post.

Asked why Henry was being arrested, Cinque said, "You're not allowed to take pictures of voters," wrote the Post.

Henry repeatedly told the deputy, "I'm a journalist. I'm a journalist doing my job."

The deputy and a county attorney said Henry was arrested because of a new rule from Theresa LePore, the elections official responsible for the county's so-called "butterfly ballot" that led to widespread confusion in the disputed 2000 presidential election. [2004.11] | TOP

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Art photographer Spencer Tunick photographed a couple of hundred nude women in New York's Grand Central Station on 26 October 2003. Tunick is known for photographing large numbers of people in public spaces. [Bruno J. Navarro / Fotophile.com]

TV reporter poses nude
for Spencer Tunick story

Sharon Reed, a reporter for WOIO-TV in Cleveland, drew a record number of viewers when she appeared on the air nude as part of a Monday, 15 November 2004, story on art photographer Spencer Tunick.

Most messages from newscast viewers were supportive, WOIO-TV news director Steve Doerr told The Associated Press.

The occasionally controversial Tunick is best known for his photographs that feature large numbers of nude people in public spaces.

His previous work includes assembling hundreds of volunteers for pictures in such locations as Montreal, Santa Fe, N.M., Grand Central Station in New York and a park behind Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. The last piece involved 2,754 participants, a record number of naked people in North America.

Tunick has clashed with local authorities in the past, who have attempted unsuccessfully to shut down his installations as obscene. [2004.11] | TOP

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