By Daniel Heikens - Photography and Classical Art expert
Once in a while, the Catawiki experts come across some special items that are truly treasures. The story of the items in this special auction is a classic: an elderly woman was in possession of a box of photographs not thinking it was worth much, but offered it up for auction anyway. Daniel Heikens, photography expert responsible for what's included in the photography auction, came across the photographs and immediately knew this would be a special offer worth a great deal of money. Keep reading to discover the story of this special photograph series and how it can soon be in your hands.
Owner of the Photographs
The owner and seller of the special photographs grew up in a trading house. It was there she came across a box of old photos in the basement. She thought it would be worth around €300 to €500 and offered it on Catawiki having no idea what she had. She was, of course, shocked when Daniel told her that it is not worth a few hundred, but a few thousand! "Looking at the topographical images, I thought this could be photos from a very well known photographer from Georgia named Dimitri Ermakov. The collection contains 100 photographs.
After the Discovery
"Soon after I contacted other 19th-century photography experts they all confirmed my thoughts. I had never had photos from this photographer offered up for auction before. So I was very stoked about this lot. We've had the photographs shipped to the Netherlands to see them in person. This is a very important process for lots in this price range because the condition is key in the value of photos. Seeing them up close allowed me to make my own judgement of the value of the pictures." Daniel stated. What makes these photos so special? "A lot of photos are a real treasure find! The very famous Georgian photographer made beautiful 19th-century photography of outstanding quality!"
The Photos
Georgiër Dimitri Ermakov (1846-1916) began his travels in 1860 a travelling photographer throughout the Middle East and beyond. Later he became so successful that he even became the official photographer of the Sjah. Here is inside look at the photo series currently in the auction.
Are you amazed by this rare discovery and you want it to be yours? Make your way to the auction place your bid as soon as possible. The auction ends on the 9th of July. You only need a verified account to participate in the auction and with the right bid, this treasure could be yours.