Examples of slides from the Asher collection sold for $160,000 (£126,500) at Revere.
The Frederick M Asher and Catherine E Asher photograph collection comprised probably more than 10,000. The 35mm colour and black and white slides depicting architecture, art and artefacts were offered in a single lot at Revere Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) in St Paul, Minnesota, on July 18.
Also included was their organisational catalogue with black and white prints of each slide affixed to an index card indicating the location. Additional film negatives were offered along with miscellaneous books, notebooks, and ephemera from their archive.
Estimated at $2000-4000, the lot made a huge $160,000 (£126,500).
Prominent scholars
The Ashers, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, were prominent scholars in the field of art history. The auction house said: “They dedicated their lives to the education of students, teaching for many years as professors at the University of Minnesota.
“They both had a passion for south Asian art, travelling extensively throughout India, Asia, and the Middle East. Selections from their travels and careers as avid art historians were offered in this auction. Their collection includes Indian jewellery, Japanese woodblock prints and much more.”
