Diane Arbus Photographs to Headline Bonhams Upcoming Auction

Mar 28, 2026

Pesala Bandara

Two older women sit at a table, both wearing hats and patterned outfits. One woman holds a cigarette, and there are small bottles on the table. They look at the camera with neutral expressions. The photo is in black and white. — ‘Two Ladies at the Automat, NYC’, 1966, by Diane Arbus (1923-1971) | Estimated at $20,000 – $90,000

A group of photographs by Diane Arbus will headline an upcoming sale at Bonhams in New York, drawn from the personal collection of Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner.

The auction, titled Lily Tomlin & Jane Wagner: Wit, Women & The Art of Collecting, will feature 33 lots of photography and fine art assembled by entertainment icons over the course of their five-decade partnership. The sale places particular emphasis on the photography that Tomlin and Wagner have collected.

A young girl and boy stand closely together on a sidewalk, with the girl’s arm around the boy, in front of a brick wall. They both wear coats and look directly at the camera with serious expressions. — ‘Courtship, Teenage Couple, Hudson St.’, 1963, by Diane Arbus (1923–1971), estimated at $60,000 – 90,000.

Leading the sale is Diane Arbus’s Courtship, Teenage Couple, Hudson St. (1963), estimated at $60,000 to $90,000. The photograph is considered one of Arbus’s notable portraits from the early 1960s. Arbus’s photograph of the teenage couple on Hudson Street shows a young boy and girl posed with a familiarity that appears beyond their years. Their formal clothing and serious expressions give them the appearance of an older couple. The portrait reflects the direct and observational style that runs through Arbus’s work.

Four elegantly dressed people stand together in a formal setting, three men in tuxedos and one woman in a long evening gown, holding drinks and conversing against a plain wall. — Diane Arbus (1923-1971); ‘Four People at a Gallery Opening, N.Y.C.’ | Estimated at $5,000 – $7,000

A modern glass-walled house at night overlooks a city full of lights. People sit inside on stylish furniture, with large windows and ceiling beams framing the dramatic, elevated view. — Julius Shulman (1910-2009); Case Study House #22 (Stahl House, Architect Pierre Koenig, Los Angeles) | Estimated at $6,000 – 9,000

Another work Two Ladies at the Automat, NYC (1966) carries an estimate of $20,000 to $90,000. The image shows two women seated in a New York City automat, holding cigarettes and lighters as they face the camera directly. The setting reflects a style of dining that was already becoming outdated at the time, with food sold from coin-operated machines and eaten at nearby booths. The subjects are presented plainly, seated against a marble wall and looking straight at the viewer. The sale also includes two photographs by Annie Leibovitz, both depicting Tomlin and estimated at $3,000 to $5,000.

In parallel with the live auction on April 8, Bonhams will also present an online sale of Tomlin and Wagner’s collection, running from March 31 to April 9. Dedicated exclusively to photography, the sale features more than 50 works by pioneering photographers including Irving Penn, Julius Shulman, and Richard Avedon among others.

“Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner’s collection is a deeply personal reflection of two visionary women whose influence and creative output span generations,” Anna Hicks, Bonhams Head of Private & Iconic Collections, US, says. “Each work speaks to a moment in their life together and embodies the extraordinary partnership that has shaped their remarkable careers.”

Image credits: All photos courtesy of Bonhams.