# A. Aubrey Bodine artist context and auction value notes Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/a-aubrey-bodine/ Profile generated: 2026-05-02T03:30:00.000Z Quality: high confidence, strong sources ## Artist identity - Birth date: 1906-07-21 - Nationality: American - Movements: Pictorialism - Common media: gelatin silver prints, photographic prints ## About A. Aubrey Bodine A. Aubrey Bodine (1906–1970) was an American photographer and photojournalist best known for his decades-long association with The Baltimore Sun, where he contributed to the Sunday Sun Magazine for roughly fifty years. A practitioner in the pictorialist tradition, Bodine produced evocative images of Maryland landmarks, Chesapeake Bay maritime life, and regional traditions that helped shape how mid-twentieth-century Americans saw the Mid-Atlantic. His published books—including My Maryland (1952), Chesapeake Bay and Tidewater, Face of Maryland, and Face of Virginia—circulated his work widely and remain reference points for collectors of American pictorial photography. Bodine is recognized in major library authority files including the Library of Congress and VIAF, and is documented by the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History as an American photographer within the pictorialist lineage. ## Common works and media Collectors most frequently encounter Bodine's work as gelatin silver photographic prints depicting Maryland and Chesapeake Bay scenes—harbors, skipjacks, oystermen, marshlands, covered bridges, and rural landscapes. He also produced portrait, architectural, and industrial subjects for The Baltimore Sun. Prints range from small newspaper-format reproductions to larger exhibition-sized photographs. His books, particularly My Maryland and Face of Maryland, occasionally appear as collectible first editions. ## Market and appraisal context A. Aubrey Bodine has a well-established and liquid secondary market, with 674 auction lots recorded from November 2001 through August 2025, of which 636 carry realized prices. The price distribution is moderately wide: the median stands at $175, the interquartile range spans $100–$325, and the recorded maximum is $8,750, indicating that exceptional or large-scale works can reach a significantly higher tier. The bulk of trading occurs at regional American auction houses—Alex Cooper, Weschler's, Potomack Company, and Sloans & Kenyon—with confirmed appearances at Christie's and Heritage Auctions as well, lending institutional credibility to the market. Recent lots (2024–2025) show individual gelatin silver prints in the $20–$650 range, with multi-print lots often selling between $55–$250. Liquidity has softened in the most recent twelve months (2 priced lots versus 32 in the prior twelve-month window), which may reflect a temporary market lull rather than declining demand, given the long track record and deep lot history. ## Auction-house-backed market evidence A. Aubrey Bodine has a well-established and liquid secondary market, with 674 auction lots recorded from November 2001 through August 2025, of which 636 carry realized prices. The price distribution is moderately wide: the median stands at $175, the interquartile range spans $100–$325, and the recorded maximum is $8,750, indicating that exceptional or large-scale works can reach a significantly higher tier. The bulk of trading occurs at regional American auction houses—Alex Cooper, Weschler's, Potomack Company, and Sloans & Kenyon—with confirmed appearances at Christie's and Heritage Auctions as well, lending institutional credibility to the market. Recent lots (2024–2025) show individual gelatin silver prints in the $20–$650 range, with multi-print lots often selling between $55–$250. Liquidity has softened in the most recent twelve months (2 priced lots versus 32 in the prior twelve-month window), which may reflect a temporary market lull rather than declining demand, given the long track record and deep lot history. ### Appraisal notes Appraisily would use the 674-lot auction record as a comparable-sales foundation, filtering by medium (gelatin silver print, photographic print), dimensions, subject, signature status, and condition to isolate the most relevant comps. Key appraisal inputs beyond the auction data include: (1) whether the print is a lifetime vintage print or a later printing, as auction results show explicit 'printed by the artist' descriptions commanding a premium; (2) size, with larger sheets (e.g., 16×20 in. and above) tending toward the upper price quartile; (3) signature and title inscription along the lower margin, which is noted in many lot descriptions; (4) provenance connecting the print to a notable collection, exhibition, or The Baltimore Sun archive; (5) condition issues such as foxing, creasing, or fading; and (6) whether the image is one of Bodine's well-known published compositions (e.g., 'Ocean Ballet,' 'Zebra,' 'Harpers Ferry'), which tend to generate more competitive bidding. The auction record spans over two decades and multiple houses, providing a robust comparable-lot pool for formal appraisal. ### Valuation factors - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] ### Collector notes - Bodine's market is accessible: the median auction price of $175 places individual prints within reach of most photography collectors. The deepest liquidity is at Mid-Atlantic regional houses—Weschler's, Potomack Company, and Alex Cooper—which together handle the majority of Bodine lots. Buyers should prioritize signed, lifetime prints of recognized subjects in the 16×20 in. range for the strongest appreciation potential, as these align with the upper quartile and maximum recorded prices. Multi-print lots can offer value but require careful examination to assess condition and attribution individually. The recent twelve-month drop in volume (2 lots versus 32 in the prior period) may present a buying opportunity but also means fewer comparable data points for near-term price discovery. Collectors should verify that a print is a vintage or artist-made example rather than a reproduction, as Bodine's published books and newspaper work mean many reproduced images circulate outside the fine-art print market. ### Market caveats - The recent twelve-month auction volume (2 priced lots) is sharply lower than the prior twelve-month period (32 priced lots); this may reflect market cyclicality, consignment timing, or reporting lag rather than structural demand decline. - Auction records are derived from the Appraisily auction-record index, which aggregates public auction feeds; not all lots may include complete provenance, condition reports, or edition details. - The maximum recorded price of $8,750 likely represents an outlier or a particularly significant work; the interquartile range of $100–$325 is a more reliable indicator of typical market value. - Some recent lots lack realized prices (noted as null), indicating either unsold lots (buy-in) or results not yet reported; these lots are excluded from the priced-lot count but their absence of sale may signal soft demand for certain subjects or conditions. - Bodine's long career at The Baltimore Sun and multiple published books mean a large body of reproductions exists; collectors should distinguish between original gelatin silver prints and later book or newspaper reproductions when assessing value. ### Market evidence sources - undefined: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/a-aubrey-bodine/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0 ## Appraisily data basis Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from library authority files, museum records, and published references with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. ## Sources - Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4647532 - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._Aubrey_Bodine - VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/57898819/ - Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79125723 - RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/383757