Sworders is hosting its third design sale of the year, filled with over 800 lots to tempt buyers, from mid-century design to furniture, lighting and works of art. The sale will be held over two days with the usual split between Arts and Crafts, Art Deco and Studio ceramics on Tuesday 13 July, followed by Modern Design on Wednesday 14 July.
In a bid to diversify the sale, Sworders is offering over fifty lots of 20th-century photography, ranging from the 1920s to contemporary photographers, including imagery from Steffi Brandl, Dora Maar, Marion Post Walcott, Norman Parkinson, Ansel Adams, Ruth Orkin, Ilse Bing, and Mary Ellen Mark, to name a few.
Also featured is a collection of photographs from Ed Finnell, an American photographer who worked in the 1970s capturing many of the music legends in concert: Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Elton John and Led Zeppelin, among others.
Born in LA in 1956, Finnell became interested in photography at the age of about 10, his subject matter turning to rock and roll in the late 1960s. He attended his first concerts in 1972, and thereafter shot every major band that came through his city. At the Pirate Sound Rehearsal Space in Hollywood, he met many performers, some of them choosing to use his work in promotional materials or hiring him for official tour shoots. In addition to publication in countless books, magazines and tour programmes, Finnell’s photographs have appeared on four Rolling Stones album covers.
David Bowie was Finnell's favourite to shoot, his stage sets always proving “photographer lighting friendly”. The sale includes some of Finnell’s most iconic images of Bowie, including Bowie as The Thin White Duke from the Station to Station tour (Los Angeles Forum, 9 February 1976), and Bowie as Ziggy Stardust during the eponymous tour (Long Beach Arena, 10 March 1973).
Led Zeppelin sets were always more challenging to shoot as “the lighting was terrible – dark and evil”. Nonetheless, Finnell took many epoch-defining images of Jimmy Page and Robert Plant including those from the Physical Graffiti Tour (27 March 1975).
In the last 49 years, Finnell estimates he has amassed close to 200,000 concert negatives. He still prints his photographs, typically Gelatin silver prints, using a dark room and the original negatives.
Although he has sold his prints through galleries in Europe and the US, this is the very first time his work is available at auction in the UK. “I like auctions,” he said. “I am an old hippie. People can buy direct from an auction house with less fees than if buying from a gallery. Gallery overheads are too high.”
A strong category of Scandinavian furniture in Sworders’ sale includes pieces designed by Hans Wegner, Ib Kofod Larsen, Jens Quistgaard, Axel Salomonsen, Arne Wahl Iversen, Arne Vodder and Finn Juhl. Sideboards, seating, desk sets and waste paper baskets in Brazlian rosewood are all also to be offered.
Particular highlights include two Danish design pieces, a wenge cube desk clock from the 1970s, with brass hands and a dished 'face', raised on an hexagonal plinth on a circular foot, and a Danish rosewood ice bucket and cover designed by Jens Quistegaard for Nissen.
Sworders’ sale is taking place across 13-14 July, and the full catalogue is available online now.