James Francis (Frank) Hurley Australia, 1885-1962
Past Sales
Sales by Medium
Where to buy or sell art works by Frank Hurley
Auction Houses
About Frank Hurley
Born in Sydney in 1885, Frank Hurley was a photographer, film maker and adventurer. In 1910 he joined Sir Douglas Mawson's Antarctic expedition as the official photographer. He was official war artist in both world wars, and in 1919 joined the pioneer aviator Ross Smith on the final leg of the historic flight from England to Australia. Hurley made films of the Torres Strait Islands and of Papau New Guinea. He was pictorial editor for the 'Sun' and in the 1930s produced documentaries for Cinesound. He died in 1962. Hurley is said to be the most powerful force to shape Australian documentary film before World War II.
The earliest auction listing we have for Frank Hurley is in 1994 and in total 36 works by the artist have been offered for sale, of which 30 (83%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $18,198 for A Good Collection of 20 Views from Shackletons's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, (20) sold by Bonhams in February 2019. This year one work has been offered for sale. Works by Frank Hurley are held by the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria and a further three major public national galleries (see list below).
Frank Hurley is listed in the following standard biographical references:
- Dictionary of Australian Artists Online, an online resource for biographical data about Australian artists, designers, craftspeople and curators.
- The Find New Zealand Artists web site: a database of artist names that directs researchers to the rich resources found in New Zealand's libraries, art society exhibition histories and published sources.
- Australian Prints + Printmaking, a database listing printmaking artists from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region based on the print collection of the National Gallery of Australia.
Artists' Resale Royalty
Could the second and subsequent works by this artist sold after June 9, 2010 for over $1,000 be liable for the Artists' Resale Royalty? More info…
Yes, eligible, subject to the artist satisfying the residency test. The artist is alive or has been deceased for less than 70 years. Contact the Copyright Agency for information on the residency test.
The Australian Art Sales Digest is a database of over 610,000 works by more than 12,000 artists who are listed as having either lived or worked in Australia or New Zealand, and an additional 36,000 foreign and other artists, offered for sale by auction in Australia and New Zealand from the early 1970s to the present day.
Access to the database is available on either a monthly or annual subscription. During the subscription period you have unlimited access to the site. If you would like to subscribe, please proceed to our Subscription Form.