LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History

Gay Pride Parade, A small group of 11 photographs documenting early Pride Marches in New York City, including the first ever in 1970, circa 1970-71.
August 15, 2023

“You can’t build a movement without being seen.” – JEB Related Reading Do you have photographs we should take a look at?

Diane Arbus & Neil Selkirk, Two men dancing at a drag ball, silver print, 1970; printed 1972. Estimate $10,000 to $15,000.
July 19, 2023

On offer are a number of original works of art by Tom of Finland and other artists associated with or influenced by him: including Sadao Hasegawa and Jim French. We are also…

January 3, 2023

2022 was a historic year for Swann in more ways than one. The house celebrated its 80th year of auctions, bringing with it the 70th anniversary of the first photography auction to…

August 22, 2022

The winter-spring auction season at Swann is a masterclass in marathon training, and the 2022 iteration proved no different with 20 auctions held between late January and the…

August 16, 2022

Beefcake imagery was appropriated by the gay community for its own benefits to become a visual testimony of same-sex desire during the pre-Stonewall era.

August 12, 2022

the market established with the LGBTQ+ sales. Both photographers speak here in their own words, discussing their approach as well as the transformations they have witnessed as…

August 8, 2022

“I think I’m in the tradition of a certain kind of American artist (…) Edward Hopper, Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline—they all had this austere beauty to them. They found beauty in…

June 23, 2022

This August, Swann is proud to host its fourth annual, LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History sale. The success of our first three auctions stands as part of the art…

June 7, 2022

In our 80 years as a company, Swann has always been an auction house dedicated to niche markets with specialists who are experts in their respective fields, but often our sales…

December 22, 2021

As we close out another successful year at Swann we look back at our record-filled sales.