What is a Robert Frank photograph worth?
1924–2019 · Price guide from past auction results
Half of the 105 works by Robert Frank with a published auction price sold between $14,181Sign up free to see and $75,000Sign up free to see, and the median is $27,720Sign up free to see. For photographs alone, the median is $28,860Sign up free to see across 104 sales. In the last five years the median was $14,605Sign up free to see across 28 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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Robert Frank prices by medium
- Auction results
- 172
- Sold rate
- 61%
- Active at auction
- 2013–2026
- Median price
- $27.7kSign up free to see
- Record price
- $403kSign up free to see Trolley – New Orleans, Phillips, Apr 2021
| Medium | Priced sales | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photographs | 104 | $14.8k–$75kSign up free to see | $28.9kSign up free to see |
Top auction houses: Phillips (149), Bonhams (8), Lempertz (5)
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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) | 21 | $6.3k–$87.5kSign up free to see | $23.8kSign up free to see |
| Mid-size (30–75 cm) | 84 | $15.2k–$75kSign up free to see | $28.9kSign up free to see |
Recent Robert Frank sales
- City Fathers, Gelatin silver print, probably printed later — $19,350Sign up free to see, Phillips, Apr 11, 2026
- Les Américains — $1,408Sign up free to see, Bonhams, Feb 27, 2026
- St. Petersburg, Florida, Gelatin silver print — $4,864Sign up free to see, Bonhams, Feb 27, 2026
- Peep Show (Times Square, New York City), Gelatin silver print — $3,328Sign up free to see, Bonhams, Feb 27, 2026
- New Orleans (Trolley), gelatin silver print — $114,300Sign up free to see, Rago Auctions, Feb 12, 2026
- Platte River, Tennessee, gelatin silver print — $15,240Sign up free to see, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), Dec 11, 2025
- 'Mary and Andrea', Gelatin silver print — $4,096Sign up free to see, Bonhams, Oct 10, 2025
- Charleston, S.C., Gelatin silver print, printed later — $8,385Sign up free to see, Phillips, Oct 9, 2025
Questions about Robert Frank prices
What is a Robert Frank photograph worth?
Based on 105 priced auction sales recorded by ArtSell, works by Robert Frank have sold for a median of $27,720, and half of them sold between $14,181 and $75,000. For photographs alone the median is $28,860 (104 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 Robert Frank sold at auction?
The highest price in ArtSell’s records is $403,200 for “Trolley – New Orleans” at Phillips in April 2021.
How often do Robert Frank works sell at auction?
61% of the 172 lots recorded between 2013 and 2026 sold.
How can I sell a Robert Frank photograph?
Request a free auction estimate on ArtSell: send photos and details, and our specialists will reply with an estimate. There is no obligation.
Robert Frank have appeared at auction 172 times in ArtSell’s records between 2013 and 2026; 105 sold, a sell-through rate of 61%.
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