NEW YORK.- Three Christie’s Photographs sales planned for October will showcase the very finest in the medium, from 19th century landscape works through to contemporary explorations. The 350-lot view that precedes the auctions will offer the public a fine opportunity to enjoy a museum-quality exhibition, set to run for five days, and three collections within the sales include masterpieces from the early pioneers, modernist giants and current practitioners. The three auctions in their entirety are expected to realize in excess of $7.5 million.

On Artists: Photographs from the Collection of Rex Inc. - October 17, 2007 at 5.30pm. A remarkable 50-lot group of artist portraits, sourced from Rex, Inc., a Rhode Island private equity firm, provides a comprehensive survey of 20th century photographic history. Entrenched in movements from modernism to conceptualism, iconic selections by Alfred Stieglitz (of wife Georgia O’Keeffe) and Chuck Close (of Keith Hollingworth) are two major highlights.

Rare early self-portraits by Man Ray, Constantin Brancusi and Claude Cahun represent the early 20th century Parisian circle. A photograph by Irving Penn of Picasso and Brassaï of Dora Maar provide other examples of 20th century visionaries both in front of and behind the camera. American documentarians Harry Callahan, Lee Friedlander, Garry Winogrand and Richard Avedon are all represented with images of their contemporaries. Winogrand on Arbus, Friedlander on Winogrand and Avedon on Frank.

A strong grouping of important female artists include Cindy Sherman, Shirin Neshat, Francesca Woodman and Ann Hamilton; conceptual artists including Sigmar Polke, Vito Acconci, and Joseph Beuys, along with present day artists Janine Antoni, Gillian Wearing and Richard Prince, who round out the collection.