> Source: https://www.openingbid.art/artist/karl-struss · updated 2026-11-02

# Karl Struss (1886–1981)

## What is Karl Struss’s work worth? {#value}

As of 2 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 113 auction results for Karl Struss at 12 houses since 1993. Over the last 24 months the median price was $627 including buyer’s premium (middle half $200–$1,764, n=25). The auction record is $313,000 for 'metropolitan tower--twilight' (2008, Sotheby's). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

**Top auction records: paintings, drawings & sculpture**

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 'metropolitan tower--twilight' | — | $313,000 | Sotheby's | Apr 2008 |
| 2 | Man's Construction, 1912 | Platinum palladium print | $161,000 | Christie's | Oct 2015 |
| 3 | Brooklyn Bridge, Nocturne, 1912 | Gum platinum print | $149,000 | Christie's | Oct 2000 |
| 4 | Sorrento, 1909, 1886 | Platinum print, mounted to tissue | $27,720 | Christie's | Apr 2025 |
| 5 | Brooklyn Bridge, 1886 | Platinum print | $24,000 | Christie's | Feb 2007 |
| 6 | Towards Hamilton, Bermuda, 1914, 1914 | Tirage au platine palladium monté deux fois sur supports cartonnés | $20,241 | Christie's | Nov 2014 |
| 7 | A portfolio 1909-1929, 1909 | Platinum print | $17,575 | Bonhams | Apr 2019 |
| 8 | Reflections, Moonlight, Arverne, Long Island | Platinum print | $16,250 | Phillips | Apr 2017 |
| 9 | Riverside Drive from Across the Hudson | Platinum print | $15,000 | Phillips | Apr 2017 |

**Top auction records: prints & editions**

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Portfolio 1909/29, 1909 | Photographs | $17,500 | Swann Auction Galleries | Oct 2019 |

**Median price by medium (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)**

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 14 | $2,325 |
| Photographs | 86 | $1,993 |

**Median price by size (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)**

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Small (under 50 cm) | 94 | $1,993 |

Data as of 2 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 113 results from 12 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Karl Struss is an American artist with 175 auction lots recorded since 1993, median price $1,820. 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 Karl Struss sold in 2026 for $4,064, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

## What is a Karl Struss work worth?

Across 113 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Karl Struss work is $1,820.

The median Karl Struss photograph sells for $1,700 across 99 lots.

The median Karl Struss print sells for $4,900 across 12 lots.

Small (under 50 cm) Karl Struss photographs typically sell for $896–$3,601 (the middle half of 94 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 | 16 | $4,900 | $17,575 | 75% | 2026-09-24 |
| Photography | 134 | $1,700†‡ | $161,000 | 73.9% | 2026-09-24 |
| Masterpieces (top of market) | 6 | $88,360 | $313,000 | — | 2025-04-17 |

† 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) | 11 | $2,536–$8,940 | $5,000 | $17,575 |

### Photography

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 94 | $896–$3,601†‡ | $1,732†‡ | $161,000 |

† 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 | $161,000 |
| Photography | 2000 | $149,000 |
| Prints & Editions | 2019 | $17,575 |
| Prints & Editions | 2013 | $12,000 |

The highest recorded result in each medium. The full sale history is in the OpeningBid app (free sign-up).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a Karl Struss worth?

Across 113 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Karl Struss work is $1,820. The median Karl Struss photograph sells for $1,700 across 99 lots. The median Karl Struss print sells for $4,900 across 12 lots. Small (under 50 cm) Karl Struss photographs typically sell for $896–$3,601 (the middle half of 94 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 Karl Struss photograph?

Based on 99 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Karl Struss photograph is $1,700. 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 Karl Struss's most expensive photograph?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Karl Struss photograph is $161,000.

### What is the average price of a Karl Struss print?

Based on 12 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Karl Struss print is $4,900.

### What is Karl Struss's most expensive print?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Karl Struss print is $17,575.

### What is the average price of a small Karl Struss photograph?

Based on 94 sold lots, the median auction price of a small Karl Struss photograph (small (under 50 cm)) is $1,732, 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 small Karl Struss print?

Based on 11 sold lots, the median auction price of a small Karl Struss print (small (under 50 cm)) is $5,000, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

### What is Karl Struss's auction record?

Karl Struss's auction record is $313,000, set in 2008.

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Data last updated 2026-11-02. OpeningBid tracks 15,390,829 auction lots from 577 auction houses, refreshed nightly.

Cite this page as: OpeningBid, “Karl Struss auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/karl-struss (updated 2026-11-02).

Historical auction data, not investment advice. Prices are premium-inclusive USD where the buyer's premium is recorded. Figures marked † are hammer prices (buyer's premium not included); ‡ marks a price whose basis is not yet verified. Non-USD results are converted at the sale month's rate.