Sam Haskins personal archive heads to Sloane Street Auctions

A collection of 78 original works by Swinging Sixties photographer Sam Haskins will be auctioned at Sloane Street Auctions on Sept. 24. The sale includes images from Five Girls, Cowboy Kate and November Girl, offering rare prints tied to books that helped define 1960s fashion and figure photography.

Why it matters: - The auction puts rare original Sam Haskins prints back in play for collectors of photography, fashion history and 1960s culture. - The works come from a photographer who helped shape the visual identity of the Swinging Sixties and early Hippy era. - Several lots are described as unique or among only a few known copies, which raises their appeal to serious buyers.

What happened: - Sloane Street Auctions will offer the personal collection of Sam Haskins on Sept. 24. - The collection was consigned by Ludwig Haskins, the photographer’s son. - The sale includes 78 original images from Haskins’ three best-known photobooks: Five Girls (1962), Cowboy Kate & Other Stories (1964) and November Girl (1967). - Live online bidding is available through Sloane Street Auctions.

The details: - Sam Haskins, born in South Africa in 1926, built his name in 1960s figure photography while working in a commercial studio in Johannesburg. - Haskins began studying photography in London in 1949 after arriving there in the late 1940s. - Norman Hall, picture editor at The Times, wrote that Haskins built his own sets, personally printed his work and made the makeup for November Girl. - Hall also said Haskins returned permanently to London in 1968 with his wife and two sons and opened a studio in Glebe Place, Chelsea. - Haskins later worked with celebrity models, but his early reputation came from turning friends, family, colleagues and street subjects into fashion images. - Featured lots include cover and interior images from Five Girls, Cowboy Kate and November Girl. - Listed estimates for the highlighted works are generally £300-500 each. - Specific works include the Five Girls cover image Hat, Gill Staring Into Stream, Gill and Curl and Anna in Notch Set. - Cowboy Kate highlights include Vivi in the Long Grass, Vivi Behind Flowers, the front cover image, Kate Gunbelt Standing Front Both Hands, Cheating the Ace, Kate Running – Single Bum and Kate in Jail with Three Windows. - November Girl highlights include Pensive on the Beach, November Girl Flower Dream and November Girl Running Across Marsh. - The auction house said the images helped shape the zeitgeist of the Swinging Sixties and early Hippy era. - Daniel Hunt, owner of Sloane Street Auctions, said the firm is grateful to Ludwig Haskins for entrusting the works. - Hunt also said the auction house sees itself as a premier source for material of this kind after the demise of Christie’s South Kensington. - Hunt noted that auctioneer Hugh Edmeades was formerly chairman of Christie’s South Kensington.

Between the lines: - The sale leans on scarcity as much as fame, with several prints identified as the only known copy or one of very few. - Haskins’ legacy sits at the intersection of photography, publishing and fashion, which can broaden the buyer pool beyond traditional photo collectors. - The references to Christie’s South Kensington suggest Sloane Street Auctions is positioning itself as a successor venue for this niche market.

What's next: - Bidding will open for the Sept. 24 sale, with online participation available through the auction house website. - Collectors will likely watch the unique and limited-edition prints most closely, since those lots carry the strongest rarity profile. - The auction may offer a market read on demand for vintage Swinging Sixties photography and Haskins’ long-term standing with collectors.