New York’s recent round of Photography sales barely generated much interest. They sales weren’t bad; they just didn’t have any standout stories. Even Peter Beard’s record price was part of longer trend toward recovery as the New York Observer reports:

All told, the three auctioneers sold about four out of every five works offered and raised more than $16 million. (The biggest prices were made by classic photographers; Christie’s got $80,500 for a 1950 Irving Penn, for example.) The totals were at least half a million dollars higher than last year at every house, though Philips de Pury, which specializes in more contemporary photography, showed the most improvement.

Flash of New Talent: Photography Auctions Embrace Some New Star (New York Observer)