Swann Galleries is a
New York City auction house
An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition ex ...
founded in 1941. It is a specialist auctioneer of antique and rare works on paper, and it is considered the oldest continually operating New York specialist auction house.
The company has separate specialist departments for
books,
autographs and
manuscripts,
maps and
atlases,
photograph
A photograph (also known as a photo, image, or picture) is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are now create ...
s and
photographic literature,
prints
In molecular biology, the PRINTS database is a collection of so-called "fingerprints": it provides both a detailed annotation resource for protein families, and a diagnostic tool for newly determined sequences. A fingerprint is a group of conserve ...
and drawings, vintage
posters,
illustration art, and
African-American fine art. Additionally, Swann conducts annual sales of printed and manuscript African
Americana. In total, Swann conducts over 35 catalogued live auctions a year.
History
Book dealer Benjamin Swann founded the family-owned firm in 1941. In 1970, George Lowry acquired the business from Mr. Swann, and it is now headed by Nicholas D. Lowry, the third generation at the company’s helm.
For over thirty years, Swann has been located on East 25th Street, just one block east of
Madison Square Park, at the boundaries of the historic
Murray Hill,
Gramercy Park
Gramercy ParkSometimes misspelled as Grammercy () is the name of both a small, fenced-in private park and the surrounding neighborhood that is referred to also as Gramercy, in the New York City borough of Manhattan in New York, United States.
T ...
, and
Flatiron districts.
Affiliations
Swann is one of the founding members of International Auctioneers (IA), formed in 1993 by some of the world’s leading independent auction houses. Current European members are located in Stockholm, Cologne, Milan, Paris, Zurich, Geneva, and Vienna.
Swann is the only auction house that is a member of the
Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America, which actively promotes an ethical professionalism in the dealing and trading of rare books.
Many of the specialists at Swann share their expertise on
PBS’ ''Antiques Roadshow'', where they assess people’s antiques and collectibles in the quest for hidden gems.
References
African-American Art Arrives
External links
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{{Coord, 40.74100, -73.98493, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-NY, display=title
Auction houses based in New York City
American companies established in 1941
Retail companies established in 1941
Commercial buildings in Manhattan
1941 establishments in New York City