VALENTINE'S DAY AUCTION OF 100 FINE PHOTOGRAPHS AT SWANN GALLERIES OFFERS ALFRED EISENSTAEDT'S ENDURING V.J. DAY KISS AND OTHER CLASSIC IMAGES

Among the iconic and desirable images in Swann Galleries' auction of 100 Fine Photographs on Wednesday, February 14 is Alfred Eisenstaedt's beloved image of a sailor planting a passionate kiss on a nurse on the streets of New York in celebration of the end of World War II, 1945, printed 1980s (estimate: $9,000 to $12,000).

The sale also features a selection of photojournalism, modernist images, and contemporary art, with works from the Estate of Robert Schoelkopf, the late gallery owner, and the New York Times archive.

Among the items from the Schoelkopf collection is Edward Weston's study of the sculptor William Edmondson, the first African-American artist to have a solo show at the Museum of Modern Art, 1941 ($6,000 to $9,000).

Choice topical prints from the Archive of The New York Times include Martin Vos's classic portrait of Albert Einstein and Rabindranath Tagore, 1930 ($2,000 to $3,000); and Frank Cancellare's iconic image of Harry Truman holding the banner headline "Dewey Defeats Truman," 1948 ($1,500 to $2,500).

A short run of works by Edward S. Curtis includes two luminous orotones, as well as a platinum print, Oasis in the Badlands, circa 1905 ($8,000 to $12,000); and Volume V of his masterpiece The North American Indian, illustrated with 76 sepia and colored photogravures, Cambridge, Mass., 1909 ($10,000 to $15,000).

There is a fine selection of Lewis W. Hine's 1930 images of the construction of the Empire State Building, including a look at a Steelworker, with Central Park in the background ($7,000 to $10,000); and a Construction View from the Chrysler Building ($8,000 to $12,000).

Among works by Berenice Abbott are a 1936 photograph, 'El' 2nd and 3rd Ave Lines, warm-toned silver print ($7,000 to $10,000); and the portfolio Berenice Abbott's New York, with 12 silver prints, 1979 ($25,000 to $35,000).

Avant-garde highlights include Frantisek Drtikol's Female nude, pigment print, circa 1925 ($20,000 to $30,000); Andre Kertesz's Behind the Hotel de Ville, silver print, circa 1930 ($15,000 to $25,000); and Han Bellmer's La Poupée, chromogenic print, signed and inscribed to Man Ray, 1935, printed early 1970s ($4,000 to $6,000).

Other images by modern masters include Margaret Bourke-White's view of Otis Steel Mill, circa 1929 ($10,000 to $15,000); Manuel Alvarez Bravo's El Ensueno (The Daydream), 1931, printed late 1960s ($8,000 to $12,000); Harry Callahan's Eleanor, Chicago, 1949, printed 1970s ($8,000 to $12,000); Aaron Siskind's Chicago, silver print, 1952 ($7,000 to $10,000); Ruth Bernhard's Classic Torso, silver print, 1952, printed 1970s ($7,000 to $10,000); Eisenstaedt's Children at a Puppet Theatre, silver print, 1963, printed 1995 ($20,000 to $30,000); and an important example of an early artist's book, Jack Smith's The Beautiful Book, with 19 original photographs, 1962 ($15,000 to $25,000).

Contemporary works include the Eliot Porter portfolio Trees, containing 10 oversize dye-transfer prints, one of 50 numbered copies ($15,000 to $20,000); Robert Mapplethorpe's Tulips, silver print, 1984 ($10,000 to $15,000); Sally Mann's Vinland, silver print, with a lengthy handwritten inscription to her printer, 1992 ($6,000 to $9,000); Annie Leibovitz's Billy Wilder, Los Angeles, Sunset Boulevard, chromogenic print, 1995 ($4,000 to $6,000); and Helmut Newton's Cyberwoman #6, silver print, 2000 ($7,000 to $10,000).

The auction will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 14.

The photographs will be on public exhibition at Swann Galleries Thursday, February 8, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, February 9, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, February 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Monday, February 12, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Tuesday, February 13, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

An illustrated catalogue, with information on bidding by mail or fax, is available for $35 from Swann Galleries, Inc., 104 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010, or online at Consulter le lien

For further information, and to make advance arrangements to bid by telephone during the auction, please contact Daile Kaplan at (212) 254-4710, extension 21, or via e-mail at Contacter.