Thomas Handforth Auction Prices and Value Guide
Thomas Handforth auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 117 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Thomas Handforth auction prices: quick answer
Thomas Handforth auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Thomas Handforth
- Source records
- 117
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Thomas Handforth market snapshot
Thomas Handforth shows solid auction liquidity with 81 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $60. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 1 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2025-06-27.
Realized price distribution
- Under $1,000 (100.0% · 28 sales)
- $1,000 to $10,000 (0.0% · 0 sales)
- $10,000+ (0.0% · 0 sales)
- Median sale (last 12 months)
- $0
- Sales recorded (last 12 months)
- 1
- Median shift vs prior year
- 0.0%
- Latest recorded sale
- 2025-06-27
Artist context
About Thomas Handforth
Born
1897
Died
1948
Nationality
American
Also known as
Thomas Schofield Handforth, Thomas Scofield Handforth
Thomas Handforth (1897–1948) was an American painter, illustrator, and etcher whose documented work spans fine-art media and children's publishing. Authority records and the National Gallery of Art identify him under the fuller name Thomas Schofield Handforth, while a biographical source uses the variant Thomas Scofield Handforth. This variation is relevant when matching catalog records and auction listings. Handforth is especially associated with Mei Li, the children's picture book he wrote and illustrated from experiences in China; the book received the 1939 Caldecott Medal for illustration. Collectors may encounter his name in connection with etchings, paintings, illustration art, and book-related material rather than through one documented artistic movement. Records at the National Gallery of Art, Getty ULAN, VIAF, and Wikidata provide a strong identity framework for distinguishing his work from that of similarly named people. The available sources do not support assigning Handforth to a named movement, so descriptions should emphasize documented media and publication connections.
EtchingPaintingIllustration
Common works and media
Authority records document Handforth as a painter, illustrator, and etcher. Auction and appraisal searches may consequently encounter etchings, paintings, original or reproduction illustration material, and items associated with children's-book publishing. Mei Li is the best-documented publication connection in the collected sources. Because the pack does not describe individual objects or editions, each item should be classified from its physical characteristics and cataloging evidence rather than from the artist's name alone.
Market and appraisal context
An appraisal should begin by matching the artist's identity against documented name variants and determining whether the object is an etching, painting, original illustration, or book-related printed item. A demonstrated connection to Mei Li may provide useful context, but the source pack does not establish edition details or a market premium for that association. Public auction comparisons should use records from the same medium and object category, keeping autonomous works of art separate from books and reproductions. Appraisily has an auction-record page for Handforth, but the collected research does not include individual lot descriptions, realized prices, or trend evidence. No price prediction or general market direction can therefore be supported from this pack alone.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Etchings
- Paintings
- Illustration and book-related material
Value drivers
- Correct attribution across the documented Thomas Handforth, Thomas Schofield Handforth, and Thomas Scofield Handforth name forms
- Classification of the object as an etching, painting, or illustration-related work
- A documented relationship to Mei Li or Handforth's children's-book illustration work
- Comparison with public auction records for the same medium and work category
Appraisal caveats
- The collected pack contains no lot-level descriptions, realized prices, edition information, or major-auction-house biography from which to infer a price trend.
- Book pages, reproductions, and other printed material should not be treated as original illustration art without object-specific evidence.
- No named artistic movement is supported by the collected sources.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context is based on collected public records: medium confidence, adequate source quality.
- Wikidata library authority
- VIAF library authority
- National Gallery of Art museum or university
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- Appraisily appraisily artist page
Data basis
This page is built from Appraisily's public auction market index. Private transactions, incomplete sale feeds, and attribution changes may not be fully represented.
Artist value FAQ
How much is Thomas Handforth worth?
Comparable public auction sales are the best starting point, but final value depends on the specific artwork, condition, size, medium, provenance, and attribution confidence.
Can Appraisily value my Thomas Handforth artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.