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Provenance Research at the Clark Library: Indexes to 20th-century sales

Research guide to provenance resources at the Clark library, with emphasis on the World War II era.

Auction sales indexes: 20th-century sales

Annuaire général des ventes publiques en France.  Paris: Editions Art et Technique, 1942-1943.

Volume 2 has a supplement: Les ventes en Belgique.
Stacks  N8640 A54  (Library has 1941-1943)

 

Art-Price Annual.  London:  Art and Technology, 1948/19-1979.

Title varies.  One of the most comprehensive current listings of sales from auction houses in Europe, the US, and other countries.  Valuable source for its coverage of decorative arts and its detailed categorization of objects, including icons, medals, photographs, glass, porcelain, silver, jewelry, Judaica, metalware, clocks and watches, instruments, Asian and Islamic art, arms and armor. 
Stacks  N8640 A74  (Library has 53/54-66/67.)

 

Art Prices Current: A Record of Sale Prices at the Principal London, Continental, and American Auction Rooms…with Indexes to the Artists, Engravers, and Collectors.  London:  Dawson, 1907/08-1915/16; new series 1921/22-1972/73.

In two parts: A. paintings, drawings, miniatures; B. engravings and prints.  Arranged chronologically by sale dates.  Indexes of pictures, drawings, miniatures, engravings, and collections.  “Authorities referred to in text” included in each volume.
Stacks  N8640 A76  (Library has 1907-1915, n.s. 1921-1972; some volumes missing.)

 

German Sales Catalogs, 1930-1945  (Getty Provenance Index)

The Getty Provenance Index Databases provide online access to German Sales Catalogs from 1930 to 1945, representing a period of politically sanctioned Nazi looting of art during World War II and providing an indispensable resource for provenance research.  Each record in the Provenance Index is linked to the full PDF of its corresponding catalog residing at the website of the Heidelberg University Library.

 

World Collectors Annuary.   Voorburg: World Collectors, 1950-.

Checklist of paintings, watercolors, gouaches, pastels and drawings, and (beginning with 1996/97) modern sculpture sold at auction for the year.  Listed in alphabetical order by author’s name.   List of the recorded auction houses  begins each volume.
Stacks  N8640 W67  (Library has 1946-1996/97)