What’s It Worth Fact:
In 2011, a California man was browsing through an antique shop and picked up an antique photograph of a group of men playing croquet for $2. After researching the photo, he discovered that it was a rare photo of Billy the Kid with his posse, The Regulators. The photo is now worth several million dollars!
Photography is somewhat self-explanatory, but we should note that the category not only encompasses objects made with photographic film, but it also includes antique methods such as daguerreotypes, tintypes, and calotypes, to name a few. The art form has evolved since these early processes, but when appraising photography, these early methods are a strong value characteristic when determining what photography is worth. In other words, there could be value in that portrait made with an antique pinhole camera or a handheld stereoscope! In addition, photographic images that aren’t necessarily special for their age or technique could hold value because of the subject matter. For example, a rare photo of Theodore Roosevelt would fall under this appraisal category.
Tips on submitting photograph appraisals:
- Pay attention to the reverse. Sometimes fine art photographers would inscribe rare photos on the back, sometimes dating and even titling the piece. So send along any photos of this feature!
