Frederic May Sale 1918

The Frederic May Sale was held over three days in May 1918, at the rooms of the American Art Association in New York City. Afternoon sales featured objects of art, with the evening sales dedicated to Japanese prints.

Among the bidders were many of the major names in Japanese print collecting at the time, including Frederick W. Gookin, Kano Oshima and John Spaulding. Prominent dealers Otto Bernet and Rose Lorenz were also represented.

Given here is a transcription of the sale catalog including the purchaser of each item and the winning bid amount. The information is based on a facsimile scan in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which itself purchased several items. Where the handwritten names or prices cannot be read, the information is omitted or noted as unclear.

Where the provenance can be established, images for each lot are of the actual item sold at auction. It is also noted where the image is possibly of the actual item, e.g. when the current provenance indicates a print once belonged to the purchaser. In most other cases, images are examples of the same print taken from current online collections. In some cases, black and white images from the catalog are used where a color image cannot be found. These are of poor quality and will be replaced if better examples are found.

A note about the prices: the modern collector may be astounded to see such rare and beautiful prints selling for as little as $5.00. What may be more astounding is that based on the consumer price index, $5.00 in 1918 had a purchasing power of approximately $108 in 2024 dollars. The top price was for a bijin picture by Utamaro, bought by Kano Oshima, who paid $410 – the equivalent of about $9,000 today.

Lot 220. KANAYA

Image is an example from the Metropolitan Museum of Art ANDO HIROSHIGE (B. 1797, d. 1858) Porters preparing to carry a daimyo cortege across the ford. [from] TOKAIDO GO-JU-SAN TSUGI Nineteen prints of the half-block set published by Sano-ki. Good impressions of the prints of this set are rare. Purchaser: Benjamin Kimball Price: $7.50 (Lots…
Lot 221. KAKEGAWA

Image is an example from the Art Institute of Chicago ANDO HIROSHIGE (B. 1797, d. 1858) The bridge and Akihasan Torii. [from] TOKAIDO GO-JU-SAN TSUGI Nineteen prints of the half-block set published by Sano-ki. Good impressions of the prints of this set are rare. Purchaser: Benjamin Kimball Price: $7.50 (Lots 219-222) |
Lot 222. MITSUKI

Image is an example from the Art Institute of Chicago ANDO HIROSHIGE (B. 1797, d. 1858) The ferry across the Tenryugawa. [from] TOKAIDO GO-JU-SAN TSUGI Nineteen prints of the half-block set published by Sano-ki. Good impressions of the prints of this set are rare. Purchaser: Benjamin Kimball Price: $7.50 (Lots 219-222) |
Lot 223. MAIZAKA

Image is an example from the Art Institute of Chicago ANDO HIROSHIGE (B. 1797, d. 1858) Ferry boats crossing to Imakiri. [from] TOKAIDO GO-JU-SAN TSUGI Nineteen prints of the half-block set published by Sano-ki. Good impressions of the prints of this set are rare. Purchaser: Benjamin Kimball Price: $7.50 (Lots 223-226) |
Lot 224. FUTAGAWA

Image is an example from the Art Institute of Chicago ANDO HIROSHIGE (B. 1797, d. 1858) Travelers seeking shelter from a shower at a wayside teahouse. [from] TOKAIDO GO-JU-SAN TSUGI Nineteen prints of the half-block set published by Sano-ki. Good impressions of the prints of this set are rare. Purchaser: Benjamin Kimball Price: $7.50 (Lots…
Lot 225. YOSHIDA

Image is an example from the Art Institute of Chicago ANDO HIROSHIGE (B. 1797, d. 1858) View of the castle and the bridge over the Toyo river. [from] TOKAIDO GO-JU-SAN TSUGI Nineteen prints of the half-block set published by Sano-ki. Good impressions of the prints of this set are rare. Purchaser: Benjamin Kimball Price: $7.50…
Lot 226. FUJIKAWA

Image is an example from the Metropolitan Museum of Art ANDO HIROSHIGE (B. 1797, d. 1858) A traveller on horseback approaching the village in a snow storm. [from] TOKAIDO GO-JU-SAN TSUGI Nineteen prints of the half-block set published by Sano-ki. Good impressions of the prints of this set are rare. Purchaser: Benjamin Kimball Price: $7.50…
Lot 227. SHONO

Image is an example from the Art Institute of Chicago ANDO HIROSHIGE (B. 1797, d. 1858) A traveller in a kago carried at a rapid pace along the road through the rice fields. [from] TOKAIDO GO-JU-SAN TSUGI Nineteen prints of the half-block set published by Sano-ki. Good impressions of the prints of this set are…
Lot 228. TSUCHIYAMA

Image is an example from the Metropolitan Museum of Art ANDO HIROSHIGE (B. 1797, d. 1858) Travellers passing Suzukayama in a shower. [from] TOKAIDO GO-JU-SAN TSUGI Nineteen prints of the half-block set published by Sano-ki. Good impressions of the prints of this set are rare. Purchaser: Benjamin Kimball Price: $7.50 (Lots 227-229) |
Lot 229. KYOTO

Image is an example from the Art Institute of Chicago ANDO HIROSHIGE (B. 1797, d. 1858) The Sanju big bridge. [from] TOKAIDO GO-JU-SAN TSUGI Nineteen prints of the half-block set published by Sano-ki. Good impressions of the prints of this set are rare. Purchaser: Benjamin Kimball Price: $7.50 (Lots 227-229) |