Branding -- this has been a popular mantra in novel years amongst business executives.

Branding -- this has been a popular mantra in novel years amongst business executives. This season's photography and print auctions witnessed the succes of sum of two units major brands; one was a corporate brand, Seagram's, and the other was an artistic brand, Picasso.

At the photo sales, "Seagram's" was the word in succession everybody's lips, because a collection formed by way of the corporate behemoth dominated the competition. At the print sales, Picasso was the irascible topic of conversation, since a massive consignment of his works l Christie's to its all-time highest print season total.

Phillip's Strikes Gold with Seagram

The major U photography auctions, held in recently made known York at Christie's, Sotheby's and Phillips from April 21 to 26 were a impact to some. In a twist of fate, the top sum of two units auction houses, Sotheby's and Christie's, deflected in performances that were inferior to the mega-sale featuring the Seagram Collection held by the agency of the relatively puny Phillips. Christie's moveed only 229 lots, just 58 percent of which sold grossing an uninspiring $19 million. The sale was dominated from a number of volumes of Edward s Curtis's monumental "The North American Indian." The top destiny at the sale comprised 18 topic volumes of "The North American Indian," which sold to an American dealer for $101575 Four other portfolios from the plant also earned spots in the sale's Top Ten when they fetched between $54970 and $62140 each.

Whenever rare and unusual haps like these are on the obstruct buyers seem to materialize, regardless of the state of the economy. Pieces of less interest, though, are more prostrate to go unsold in tough times. The Christie's sale included too many of the like kind pieces, and in the words of Leila Buckjune head of Christie's Photographs department, "the market remains selective."

The Sotheby's sale was just about average. It proposeed 290 lots, only 25 percent of which went unsold; in total, the auction unbecominged a respectable $2.9 million. Contributing to its health was the inclusion of 23 duplicate images that had been consigned from the George Eastman House. In the past, cultural institutions have issue under fire for selling against rare images in times of ne according to liquidating only duplicates, the museum preempt any of that kind criticism. Fully 26 of the 29 duplicates place buyers and added more than $210000 to the sale total.

More important, at least from a statistical standpoint, was the sale at Sotheby's of an image of Edward Weston's "Charis, Santa Monica." look forward toed to fetch only $70,000 to $100000 an unidentified American private collector bid $260000 for the work, making it the chiefly expensive piece sold all season at any of the auctions. Given today's economy, so largesse could hardly have been anticipated. Denise Bethel of Sotheby's Photographs Department stated they were "thrilled with the stellar arises of this sale, which was propose together in a climate of uncertainty."

Clearly, granting she could not have been as thrilled as Joshua Holdeman, director of Phillips' Department of Photography. He presided through sales which grossed $4.65 million, a figure which almost outstriped the total at both Sotheby's and Christie's. by what means did he do it? according to wooing Seagram. All three houses had compet for the right to vend Seagram's 350-piece collection, but simply Holdeman emerged victorious.

Nevertheless, winning a consignment is no other than half the victory. In a latter infamous case, Phillips won a major consignment further then suffered defeat. Its Impressionist and recent Paintings Department had secured the right to put up to sale the collection of Nathan Smooke from promising his heirs as greatly as $180 million, regardless of to what extent the works actually sold. Ultimately, Phillips dissipated between $50 million and $100 million onward the sale, and this alone may have quicked its recent move from its tony 57th public way offices down to Chelsea.

In this instance, however, Holdeman and his staff fulfilled the promise of the Seagram collection. "Everyone was bidding," he related, "there were in the way that many new faces that I had not at all seen before. Everyone who argues photography came out." Thirty records were appoint for various photographers, including William Eggleston, Gary Winogrand, Louis Faurer and Marion Post

Bidders were undoubtedly encouraged on the fact that the auction was held without hold and, in the words of Holdeman, "no-reserve sales be attendant to do very well." They also guard to he very risky. For example, if a work receives solely one bid at $10, the vender must let it go for $10 Bidders also relish of the like kind opportunities because, as Holdeman levys it, they "bid against other parties, not the over-optimistic expectations of the consignor."

Paradoxically, the no-reserve sale encouraged any collectors to bid way above estimate at the Seagram sale. The collection fetched a total of $29 million--35 percent more than the greatest in number optimistic expectation. Karl Struss's "The City of Dreams" (est: $6000 to $8000) for example, sold for $62140

Without the Seagram sale, Phillips would have languished in a more typical third place this season. In its main sale, (held upon April 24 and 25), 232 dooms were sold for a disappointing $16 million. sole 60 percent of the destinys found buyers, and the $16 million total was far below the estimated $21 million to $31 million.