Edward Sheriff Curtis (1868–1952)
What is Edward Sheriff Curtis’s work worth?
As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 406 auction results for Edward Sheriff Curtis at 33 houses since 1989. Over the last 24 months the median price was $378 including buyer’s premium (middle half $177–$2,726, n=14). The auction record is $233,000 for The North American Indian (2015, Swann Auction Galleries). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.
| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The North American Indian, Portfolio #1, 1907 | Photogravures on Van Gelder paper | $78,000 | Swann Auction Galleries | Feb 2013 |
| 2 | Chief of the Desert, 1868 | Orotone | $25,620 | Neal Auction Company | Nov 2015 |
| 3 | The Storm, Apache, 1858 | Signed in ink with photographer’s copyright insignia (recto) | $25,200 | Christie's | Oct 2007 |
| 4 | Son of the Desert, Navajo. | — | $24,000 | Swann Auction Galleries | Feb 2006 |
| 5 | Group of 4 portraits from The North American Indian, 1907 | Platinum prints | $23,750 | Swann Auction Galleries | Oct 2017 |
| 6 | Oasis in the Badlands | — | $22,000 | Swann Auction Galleries | Feb 2006 |
| 7 | Cañon de Chelly, 1904 | Orotone | $20,800 | Swann Auction Galleries | Oct 2016 |
| 8 | Flathead Camp on the Jocko, 1910 | Orotone | $20,000 | Swann Auction Galleries | Oct 2017 |
| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The North American Indian, 1907-1930 | 20 volumes on Japan vellum, 3/4 gilt-lettered leather, with original interleaving tissue | $233,000 | Swann Auction Galleries | May 2015 |
| 2 | The North American Indian, 1907-1930 | Photogravures, sepia tone, tissues, hand colored and hand colored tissue over sepia tone | $20,900 | Skinner (Bonhams Skinner) | Jun 1990 |
| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Works on paper | 14 | $3,800 |
| Photographs | 169 | $3,525 |
| Other | 138 | $703 |
| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Small (under 50 cm) | 244 | $2,035 |
| Medium (50-120 cm) | 17 | $523 |
Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 406 results from 33 houses · How we compute these figures
Edward Sheriff Curtis is an American artist with 688 auction lots recorded since 1989, median price $1,800. Some sold prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium; they are marked on this page. Some sold prices are not yet verified as premium-inclusive or hammer, and are marked on this page.
A work by Edward Sheriff Curtis sold in 2026 for a hammer price of $2,500 (buyer's premium not included), according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.
1 Edward Sheriff Curtis work is coming to auction (as of 2026-11-02). Follow Edward Sheriff Curtis free on OpeningBid for sale alerts.
See the full Edward Sheriff Curtis record on OpeningBid — images, provenance, fair estimates and free sale alerts.
View Edward Sheriff Curtis on OpeningBid →What is a Edward Sheriff Curtis work worth?
Across 396 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Edward Sheriff Curtis work is $1,800.
The median Edward Sheriff Curtis photograph sells for $1,800 across 367 lots.
The median Edward Sheriff Curtis print sells for $3,750 across 17 lots.
Small (under 50 cm) Edward Sheriff Curtis photographs typically sell for $522–$4,740 (the middle half of 279 sold lots).
Medium (50–120 cm) Edward Sheriff Curtis photographs typically sell for $372–$2,688 (the middle half of 22 sold lots).
Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.
Price breakdown by category
| Category | Lots tracked | Median price | Record price | Sell-through | Last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prints & Editions | 33 | $3,750†‡ | $23,750 | 51.5% | 2026-02-01 |
| Photography | 454 | $1,800†‡ | $233,000 | 80.8% | 2026-05-28 |
| Masterpieces (top of market) | 21 | $20,000‡ | $233,000 | — | 2025-12-16 |
† hammer price — buyer's premium not included. ‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.
Price by size
Prints & Editions
| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 12 | $1,725–$4,848†‡ | $3,875†‡ | $23,750 |
† hammer price — buyer's premium not included. ‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.
Photography
| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 279 | $522–$4,740†‡ | $1,754†‡ | $78,000 |
| medium (50–120 cm) | 22 | $372–$2,688†‡ | $614†‡ | $17,000‡ |
† hammer price — buyer's premium not included. ‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.
Size is the work's longest edge. Cells appear only with at least 5 sold lots.
Notable results
| Medium | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Photography | 2015 | $233,000 |
| Photography | 2013 | $78,000 |
| Prints & Editions | 2017 | $23,750 |
| Prints & Editions | 2015 | $16,250 |
The highest recorded result in each medium. See the full sale history on OpeningBid.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Edward Sheriff Curtis worth?
Across 396 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Edward Sheriff Curtis work is $1,800. The median Edward Sheriff Curtis photograph sells for $1,800 across 367 lots. The median Edward Sheriff Curtis print sells for $3,750 across 17 lots. Small (under 50 cm) Edward Sheriff Curtis photographs typically sell for $522–$4,740 (the middle half of 279 sold lots). Medium (50–120 cm) Edward Sheriff Curtis photographs typically sell for $372–$2,688 (the middle half of 22 sold lots). Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.
What is the average price of a Edward Sheriff Curtis photograph?
Based on 367 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Edward Sheriff Curtis photograph is $1,800. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.
What is Edward Sheriff Curtis's most expensive photograph?
The highest price recorded at auction for a Edward Sheriff Curtis photograph is $233,000.
What is the average price of a Edward Sheriff Curtis print?
Based on 17 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Edward Sheriff Curtis print is $3,750. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.
What is Edward Sheriff Curtis's most expensive print?
The highest price recorded at auction for a Edward Sheriff Curtis print is $23,750.
What is the average price of a small Edward Sheriff Curtis photograph?
Based on 279 sold lots, the median auction price of a small Edward Sheriff Curtis photograph (small (under 50 cm)) is $1,754, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.
What is the average price of a medium Edward Sheriff Curtis photograph?
Based on 22 sold lots, the median auction price of a medium Edward Sheriff Curtis photograph (medium (50–120 cm)) is $614, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.
What is Edward Sheriff Curtis's auction record?
Edward Sheriff Curtis's auction record is $233,000, set in 2015.
See the full Edward Sheriff Curtis record on OpeningBid — images, provenance, fair estimates and free sale alerts.
View Edward Sheriff Curtis on OpeningBid →