Crossing America: Christie’s Takes in the Panorama with Photographs from the Consolidated Freightways Collection

New York – March 18, 2011 – This spring, Christie’s will offer an insightful coast-to-coast look at the 20th Century American landscape with Crossing America: Photographs from the Consolidated Freightways Collection. The highly anticipated sale has more than 250 lots and will be offered in two parts, beginning on April 7, 2011, followed by a second auction to take place in the fall, at Christie’s Rockefeller Center.

The collection, hailing from the freight transportation giant, has been lauded by photography cognoscenti since its inception in the 1980s. Featuring an exhilarating array of photographs of the American Landscape that span from the 1920’s to the 1990’s, the group offers a poignant narrative of the American life from vast, seemingly endless highways to the skyscrapers of Manhattan. Crossing America: Photographs from the Consolidated Freightways Collection is expected to realize upwards of $1.5 million.

Dorothea Lange Migrant Mother, Nipomo,California, 1936 Estimate: $40,000-60,000

Robert Mapplethorpe Flag, 1987 Estimate: $70,000-90,000

Robert Frank US 285, New Mexico, 1956 Estimate: $50,000-70,000

Of the 130 lots in the April 7 sale, standout works include those by Ansel Adams, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Dorthea Lange, Robert Mapplethorpe, Walker Evans and William Eggleston, which depict a strong representation of the Depression Era and Color Photography. Until now, the Consolidated Freightways’ photography collection has been displayed at Con-way Inc.’s San Mateo, CA headquarters. The collection also has been shown publicly over the years at various museums and galleries.

Tom Nightingale, Vice President Communications and Chief Marketing Officer for Con-way Inc. remarks: “This collection was assembled more than two decades ago by prior leaders who at the time believed it would help broaden awareness of Consolidated Freightways and provide unique recognition of philanthropy in support of the arts,” “The collection is a legacy from a different era. The company felt it was the right time to divest the collection, making it available to serious collectors who are better suited to care for these historic works and give them the visibility they deserve to a wider and more appreciative public.”

Laura Paterson, Christie’s Vice President and Photographs Specialist comments: “This expertly curated collection was originally inspired by a commitment to assembling a comprehensive group of seminal photographs that could have been shot from the cab of a truck, and what it evolved into was a veritable testament to the American Spirit. Documenting a coast-to-coast journey from the depression-era fields of California to Wall Street, this unique collection captures some of the most influential moments of the Twentieth Century, offering a rare opportunity to view the evolution of the United States from the perspective of the open road.”

Cathy Elkies, Christie’s Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate and Special Collections concurred: “We are looking forward to bringing this rare and dynamic collection to the auction market on the heels of 2010’s successful corporate collections sold at Christie’s, including those from Daimler, Advanta and Playboy.”

Standouts from the April sale include Robert Frank’s US 285, New Mexico, 1956 (estimate: $50,000-70,000) pictured on page 1, right, an enigmatic image that wholly encapsulates the sentiment of the open road. In the mid 1950’s, Frank went on an inspired journey with funding from a Guggenheim Fellowship, to capture the essence of American life, delving into themes of family, politics, culture, race relations, and consumerism. The present lot emotively illustrates the journey itself, and the allure of an outstretched highway.

Robert Mapplethorpe’s Flag, 1987 (estimate: $70,000-90,000) pictured on page 1, center, is a striking example of the artist’s provocative Flag photographs. Taken from the back of the flag with the sun shining through, the present lot is distinguished for representing an anti-portrait of the American Flag. Mapplethorpe’s atypical composition of the American flag conveys a rare countercultural depiction of this keystone of American iconography.

Dorothea Lange’s Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California, 1936 (estimate: $40,000-60,000) – pictured on page 1, left, is one of the most recognized images of the 20th century, being reproduced in virtually every history and anthology of photography. Migrant Mother is a distinctly American picture, one of very few, that have achieved icon status.

Additional highlights include:

Cindy Sherman Untitled Film Still 1980 gelatin silver print Estimate: $30,000-50,000	Alfred Stieglitz Equivilent, c. 1929 gelatin silver print Estimate: $25,000-35,000
Walker Evans 42nd Street New York, 1929 gelatin silver print Estimate: $20,000-30,000	Ansel Adams Winter Sunrise, Lone Pine, Sierra Nevada, 1944 gelatin silver print, printed in 1978 Estimate: $25,000-35,000
Diane Arbus Man at Parade on Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 1969 gelatin silver print, printed later Estimate: $8,000-12,000	Sally Mann Gorjus, 1989 gelatin silver print, printed in 1978 Estimate: $15,000-25,000
Edward Weston Lettuce Ranch, Salinas Valley, 1938 gelatin silver print Estimate: $12,000-18,000	William Eggelston Black Bayou Plantation near Glendora, Missisippi, 1974 dye-transfer print, printed in 1980 Estimate: $15,000-25,000
Hiroshi Sugimoto Studio Drive-In, Culver City, LA 1993 gelatin silver print Estimate: $20,000-30,000	Bernd & Hilla Becher Toledo, Ohio, 1974 gelatin silver print, printed in 1992 Estimate: $10,000-15,000

Auction: April 7, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.

Viewing: Christie’s Rockefeller Center Galleries, April 2-6

About Christie’s
Christie’s, the world’s leading art business had global auction and private sales in 2010 that totaled £3.3 billion/$5.0 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie’s conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 450 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie’s has 53 offices in 32 countries and 10 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai and Hong Kong. More recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging and new markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai.

Visit Christie’s Website at www.christies.com

About Con-way
Con-way Inc. (NYSE:CNW) is a $5.0 billion freight transportation and logistics services company headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich. A diversified transportation company, Con-way delivers industry-leading services through three primary operating companies: Con-way Freight, Con-way Truckload and Menlo Worldwide Logistics. These operating units provide high-performance, day-definite less-than-truckload and full truckload freight transportation, as well as logistics, warehousing, multimodal and supply chain management services, and trailer manufacturing. Con-way Inc. and its subsidiaries operate from more than 500 locations across North America and in 20 countries. For more information about Con-way, visit us on the Web at www.con-way.com

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium

Images available on request

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