What is a Russell Lee photograph worth?
1903–1986 · Price guide from past auction results
Half of the 11 works by Russell Lee with a published auction price sold between $213Sign up free to see and $941Sign up free to see, and the median is $300Sign up free to see. For photographs alone, the median is $300Sign up free to see across 11 sales. In the last five years the median was $475Sign up free to see across 10 sales. These are past auction results, not a valuation: medium, size, condition and provenance all change what a particular work brings.
Thinking of selling? How to sell a Russell Lee photograph: process, costs and recent prices →
Russell Lee prices by medium
- Auction results
- 13
- Sold rate
- 85%
- Active at auction
- 2015–2025
- Median price
- $300Sign up free to see
- Record price
- $1.2kSign up free to see Detail of side of Earl Pauley's farmhouse near Smithland, Iowa, Lempertz, Dec 2025
| Medium | Priced sales | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photographs | 11 | $213–$941Sign up free to see | $300Sign up free to see |
Top auction houses: Austin Auction Gallery (5), Lempertz (4), Bonhams (4)
Need an appraisal for insurance? Request a written Russell Lee appraisal →
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) | 8 | $275–$1.1kSign up free to see | $715Sign up free to see |
| Mid-size (30–75 cm) | 3 | $145–$238Sign up free to see | $225Sign up free to see |
Recent Russell Lee sales
- The hands of Mrs. Andrew Ostermeyer, wife of a homesteader, Woodbury County, Iowa, Gelatin silver print, printed later — $1,103Sign up free to see, Lempertz, Dec 3, 2025
- Abandoned Garage on highway #2, Western North Dakota, Vintage ferrotyped gelatin silver print — $1,103Sign up free to see, Lempertz, Dec 3, 2025
- Detail of side of Earl Pauley's farmhouse near Smithland, Iowa, Vintage ferrotyped gelatin silver print — $1,176Sign up free to see, Lempertz, Dec 3, 2025
- Migrant man and wife camped near Sebastian, Texas, Vintage gelatin silver print — $779Sign up free to see, Lempertz, Dec 3, 2025
- Russell Lee: Photographer, gelatin silver print on paper — $650Sign up free to see, Austin Auction Gallery, May 17, 2025
- Unemployed, Winter of 1935-36, New York City, gelatin silver print on paper — $300Sign up free to see, Austin Auction Gallery, May 17, 2025
- Russell Lee: Photographer, Hardcover art book: "Russell Lee: Photographer — $200Sign up free to see, Austin Auction Gallery, May 17, 2025
- Russell Lee: Photographer, Paperback art book: "Russell Lee: Photographer — $80Sign up free to see, Austin Auction Gallery, May 17, 2025
Questions about Russell Lee prices
What is a Russell Lee photograph worth?
Based on 11 priced auction sales recorded by ArtSell, works by Russell Lee have sold for a median of $300, and half of them sold between $213 and $941. For photographs alone the median is $300 (11 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 Russell Lee sold at auction?
The highest price in ArtSell’s records is $1,176 for “Detail of side of Earl Pauley's farmhouse near Smithland, Iowa” at Lempertz in December 2025.
How often do Russell Lee works sell at auction?
85% of the 13 lots recorded between 2015 and 2025 sold.
How can I sell a Russell Lee photograph?
Request a free auction estimate on ArtSell: send photos and details, and our specialists will reply with an estimate. There is no obligation.
Of the 13 lots by Russell Lee recorded at auction between 2015 and 2025, 11 found a buyer (85%).
Sell a Russell Lee photographAll Russell Lee auction resultsPrice chartRussell Lee photographsFree auction estimate