About Penelope Dixon & Associates

Penelope Dixon & Associates has special expertise in providing appraisals of documentary and fine art photography for donations, insurance, sales, and estate purposes.    Serving an array of clients, including private collectors, museums, galleries, corporations, estates and archives, the firm’s work also includes marketing advice, collection management and cataloging services.

Penelope Dixon & Associates is proud to have had the privilege of appraising some of the most renowned photographic collections including:  The Petersen Publishing Group (over five million images); The New York Times (over one million photographs); the Gilder/Lehrman Civil War Collection (over 5,000 items); Blackstar Picture Agency (over 280,000 items); The Gilman Paper Company (over 1,300 items); Magnum New York (over 196,000 items); the Associated Press (over four million items); and National Geographic (over seven million items).

Other important estates and archives which we have appraised include those of the Berenice Abbott, Walker Evans, Arnold Newman, O. Winston Link, Linda McCartney, August Sander, Bruce Davidson, Elliot Erwitt, Larry Fink, David Levinthal, and James Nachtwey, among others. Three interesting document archives have included those of George Eastman, Time/Life and Beaumont Newhall.

In addition to our appraisals in the United States, we have worked extensively in Canada, Europe and Central America.  Over the past forty years, members of Penelope Dixon & Associates have given a number of lectures and participated in panel discussions on the topics of appraising and collecting photographs. Among these are talks at the Houston Museum of Art, The Norton Gallery of Art, West Palm Beach, the Appraisers Association of America Conference in New York, the New School for Social Research, New York City, Albright  Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York, Photo Sante Fe, and Contact Toronto. We always have a representative monitoring the major auctions and attending photography fairs to ensure that we have the most up-to-date knowledge of the market.

Penelope A. Dixon began the firm in 1981. Formerly a Certified Member of the Appraisers Association of America (1990-2019), she was also the first specialist in photography with the American Society of Appraisers (1981-2007).  In 1995, she hired Edward Yee as a computer consultant and provided him with the opportunity to learn about appraising photography.  Under her tutelage Edward learned the best methods and approaches to appraise photographic collections, ultimately making him a partner in 2003 and encouraging him to apply for his status as a Certified Member in photography with the Appraiser’s Association of America (2007 to Present).

Edward and Penelope continue to work closely together on every appraisal project.  Supported by their diligent staff, everyone at the firm shares a passion for photography and a commitment to the highest standards of appraisal practice.

Be sure to visit our News and Gallery pages to review the latest information about the photographic art market and our company.