Carleton Watkins

American · 1829–1916 · Photographer

Carleton E. Watkins (1829–1916) was an American photographer of the 19th century. Born in New York, he moved to California and quickly became interested in photography. He… (Wikipedia)

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28lots offered2003–2026years recorded65%sold (17)$17.8kSign up free to seemedian price

Record prices

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Cape Horn, Columbia RiverPhillips · Apr 2017$156,250≈ £124,960≈ €146,562Sign up to see
Multnomah Falls Cascade, Columbia RiverPhillips · Apr 2017$106,250≈ £85,417≈ €99,756Sign up to see
The Passage of the Dalles, Columbia RiverPhillips · Apr 2017$92,500≈ £74,363≈ €86,846Sign up to see

Carleton Watkins’s highest prices recorded at auction, ranked in US dollars at each sale-date exchange rate and shown in the currency of the sale (with the buyer’s premium where the house publishes it).

ArtSell has recorded 26 auction results for Carleton Watkins between 2003 and 2026, of which 17 sold (65%). A further 2 lots were offered at auction without a published result. Recorded sale prices range from $460Sign up free to see to $156kSign up free to see. The highest price recorded is $156kSign up free to see for Cape Horn, Columbia River at Phillips in April 2017. The most common medium is photographs (25 lots). Most results come from Phillips (15), Bonhams (6) and Leonard Auction (2).

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Longest side– Editioned With imagesReset

26 results

Devil's Gate and the Weber River, Weber Canyon, Utah, 1873
Photograph
20 5/8 x 15 7/8 in. (52.4 x 40.3 cm.)
Bonhams · Jul 14, 2026 · Lot 108
$20,480≈ £15,302≈ €17,957Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $3,000–5,000View at Bonhams ↗
Lower Yosemite Fall, 1865-66
Photograph
12 x 8 1/8 in. (30.5 x 20.6 cm.)
Bonhams · Jul 14, 2026 · Lot 110
$2,560≈ £1,913≈ €2,245Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $1,500–2,500View at Bonhams ↗
Buckeye Tree, circa 1870
Photograph
Hessink's Auctions · Apr 14, 2026 · Lot 2
€800≈ $943≈ £695HammerSign up free to seeView at Hessink's Auctions ↗
Sentinel Rock, Echo Canyon, Utah; Witches Rock, Near Echo, Utah, 1870s
Photograph
Each 5 x 6 in. (12.7 x 15.2 cm)
Phillips · Oct 9, 2025 · Lot 228
$4,515≈ £3,376≈ €3,889Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $5,000–7,000View at Phillips ↗
Tocoye, North Dome, 3729 Feet, Yosemite, 1861
Photograph
20 1/2 x 16 in. (52.1 x 40.6 cm)
Phillips · Oct 11, 2023 · Lot 13
$17,780≈ £14,465≈ €16,767Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $12,000–18,000View at Phillips ↗
Virginia City From Water Flume, 1878
Glass positive
13 3/4 x 17 3/4 in. (34.9 x 45.1 cm)
Phillips · Oct 4, 2018 · Lot 73
$25,000≈ £19,253≈ €21,735Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $20,000–30,000View at Phillips ↗
The Domes, Yosemite, circa 1865-1866
Photograph
16 x 20 5/8 in. (40.6 x 52.4 cm)
Phillips · Oct 3, 2017 · Lot 129
$40,000≈ £30,221≈ €34,034Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $40,000–60,000View at Phillips ↗
Multnomah Falls Cascade, Columbia River, 1867
Photograph
20 3/4 x 15 3/4 in. (52.7 x 40 cm)
Phillips · Apr 4, 2017 · Lot 124
$106,250≈ £85,417≈ €99,756Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $40,000–60,000View at Phillips ↗
Devils Canyon, Geysers, Looking Up, circa 1868-1870
Photograph
15 5/8 x 20 1/4 in. (39.7 x 51.4 cm)
Phillips · Apr 4, 2017 · Lot 125
$32,500≈ £26,128≈ €30,514Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $25,000–35,000View at Phillips ↗
The Passage of the Dalles, Columbia River, 1867
Photograph
15 5/8 x 12 1/4 in. (39.7 x 31.1 cm)
Phillips · Apr 4, 2017 · Lot 126
$92,500≈ £74,363≈ €86,846Price realizedSign up free to seeEst. $30,000–50,000View at Phillips ↗

Also offered, result not published (2)

Lots by Carleton Watkins that were offered at auction where the house did not publish whether they sold. Not counted in any statistics.

Carleton Watkins photographs (25)

Carleton Watkins: quick facts

What is the highest price paid for a work by Carleton Watkins at auction?

$156,250Sign up free to see, for Cape Horn, Columbia River at Phillips (April 2017) — the highest price in ArtSell’s records.

What is a typical auction price for Carleton Watkins?

The median sale price is $17.8kSign up free to see across 17 priced sales. Prices vary by medium, size and date — see the price chart & statistics.

How many works by Carleton Watkins have sold at auction?

17 of 26 recorded lots sold between 2003 and 2026. 2 further lots were offered with no published result and are not counted.

Which auction houses sell Carleton Watkins?

Phillips, Bonhams and Leonard Auction account for the most recorded results. Phillips · Bonhams · Leonard Auction

About Carleton Watkins

Carleton E. Watkins (1829–1916) was an American photographer of the 19th century. Born in New York, he moved to California and quickly became interested in photography. He focused mainly on landscape photography, and Yosemite Valley was a favorite subject of his. His photographs of the valley significantly influenced the United States Congress' decision to preserve it as a National Park.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

In museum collections

The Town on the Hill, New Almaden, 1863
The Metropolitan Museum of Art · CC0
View on the Columbia, Cascades, 1867
The Metropolitan Museum of Art · CC0
Cape Horn near Celilo, 1867
The Metropolitan Museum of Art · CC0
Ambroise Bernard Album, 1870s
The Metropolitan Museum of Art · CC0