What is a Ansel Adams photograph worth?
1902–1984 · Price guide from past auction results
Based on 304 priced auction sales, works by Ansel Adams have sold for a median of $6,903Sign up free to see. Half of them sold between $2,500Sign up free to see and $21,633Sign up free to see. For photographs alone, the median is $7,500Sign up free to see across 286 sales. In the last five years the median was $5,715Sign up free to see across 170 sales. These are past auction results, not a valuation: medium, size, condition and provenance all change what a particular work brings.
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Ansel Adams prices by medium
- Auction results
- 341
- Sold rate
- 89%
- Active at auction
- 2002–2026
- Median price
- $6.9kSign up free to see
- Record price
- $413kSign up free to see Winter Sunrise, Sierra Nevada from Lone Pine California, Phillips, Jul 2020
| Medium | Priced sales | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photographs | 286 | $2.8k–$22.7kSign up free to see | $7.5kSign up free to see |
| Prints | 10 | $950–$12.3kSign up free to see | $1.8kSign up free to see |
Top auction houses: Phillips (155), Bonhams (66), Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) (28)
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Typical range is the middle half of priced sales (USD at the sale-date rate). Past auction results, not a valuation.
Prices by size
| Size (longest side) | Priced sales | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (under 30 cm) | 139 | $1.5k–$7.6kSign up free to see | $3.8kSign up free to see |
| Mid-size (30–75 cm) | 147 | $6.9k–$35.4kSign up free to see | $15.3kSign up free to see |
| Large (75–150 cm) | 5 | $1.4k–$12.7kSign up free to see | $10.1kSign up free to see |
Recent Ansel Adams sales
- Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California, print — $347Sign up free to see, Morgan O'Driscoll, Sep 14, 2026
- Tenaya Creek, Dogwood, Rain Yosemite National Park, California, gelatin silver print — $896Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Jul 30, 2026
- Cemetery Statue and Oil Derricks, Long Beach, California (Plate 8 from the Portfolio VII), gelatin silver print — $1,920Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Jul 30, 2026
- Gerry Sharpe, Ouray, Colorado (Plate 5 from the Portfolio VII), gelatin silver print — $1,024Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Jul 30, 2026
- Interior of Tumacacori Mission, New Mexico (Plate 7 from the Portfolio VII), gelatin silver print — $896Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Jul 30, 2026
- Nevada Fall, Yosemite National Park (Curry Company Commission), c. 1930s, Gelatin silver print; the photographer's 'Photographed in Yosemite by Ansel Adam — $1,280Sign up free to see, Bonhams, Jul 14, 2026
- Monolith, Face of Half Dome (from 'Portfolio Three: Yosemite Valley'), Gelatin silver print — $3,840Sign up free to see, Bonhams, Jul 14, 2026
- White Post and Spandrel, Columbia, California (from 'Portfolio VI'), Gelatin silver print — $1,536Sign up free to see, Bonhams, Jul 14, 2026
Questions about Ansel Adams prices
What is a Ansel Adams photograph worth?
Based on 304 priced auction sales recorded by ArtSell, works by Ansel Adams have sold for a median of $6,903, and half of them sold between $2,500 and $21,633. For photographs alone the median is $7,500 (286 sales). Medium, size, condition, subject and provenance all affect the price of a particular work; these are past auction results, not a valuation.
What is the most expensive work by Ansel Adams sold at auction?
The highest price in ArtSell’s records is $412,500 for “Winter Sunrise, Sierra Nevada from Lone Pine California” at Phillips in July 2020.
Which Ansel Adams medium sells for the most?
By median price, photographs lead with $7,500 (286 sales).
How often do Ansel Adams works sell at auction?
89% of the 341 lots recorded between 2002 and 2026 sold.
How can I sell a Ansel Adams photograph?
Request a free auction estimate on ArtSell: send photos and details, and our specialists will reply with an estimate. There is no obligation.
Ansel Adams have appeared at auction 341 times in ArtSell’s records between 2002 and 2026; 305 sold, a sell-through rate of 89%.
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