Architectural drawings and prints · Artist profile · Market guide
Hugh Ferriss
1889–1962 · New York. The dark poet of the skyscraper – whose charcoal visions shaped the image of the modern city.
Skyscrapers out of the dark
Hugh Ferriss trained as an architect in St. Louis and moved to New York, where he became the city's most famous architectural renderer – the delineator who drew buildings before they were built. His medium was charcoal and carbon pencil: towers that rise out of night and fog, lit from below.
In 1922 he drew a series of studies showing the maximum building mass allowed by New York's 1916 zoning law – stepped «envelopes» that became the model for the Art Deco skyscraper. His book The Metropolis of Tomorrow (1929) turned these ideas into a vision of the future city and influenced architects, illustrators and film.
Original Ferriss drawings are rare on the market; many are in the Avery Library at Columbia University. His auction record is $21,250 for New York at Night (Heritage, 2013). A rare print of his Chrysler Building rendering sold for $15,000 to the Chrysler Museum of Art.
Timeline
- 1889Born in St. Louis, Missouri.
- 1912Moves to New York; works for Cass Gilbert.
- 1922Zoning envelope studies with Harvey Wiley Corbett.
- 1929The Metropolis of Tomorrow.
- 1939Renderings for the New York World's Fair.
- 1962Dies in New York.
Techniques and media
Ferriss drew; the book and prints are reproductions of those drawings.
Charcoal and carbon pencil
His signature medium: soft, dramatic renderings of towers and cities.
Presentation renderings
Commissioned drawings for architects and developers.
Book illustrations
The Metropolis of Tomorrow (1929) and Power in Buildings (1953).
Prints
Reproductions of his renderings – some rare and collected.
What Hugh Ferriss works sell for
Prices below are public auction results. They show the range – not what a specific piece is worth.
Record: New York at Night, Heritage Auctions, 2013.
A rare print of his Chrysler Building rendering, sold to the Chrysler Museum of Art.
First editions of The Metropolis of Tomorrow are collected, but are printed books.
Highest auction results
| Work | Price | Auction |
|---|---|---|
| New York at Night, – | $21,250 | Heritage Auctions, 2013 |
| Chrysler Building rendering (print), – | $15,000 | Auction in Ohio, – |
Realized prices for Ferriss at auction range from very small sums to $21,250, depending on medium and size.
Real or not? What to check
Because Ferriss's images are known mainly through reproductions, check first whether you have a drawing – charcoal lies on the surface and smudges – or a printed reproduction.
- Drawing or print?: An original drawing shows pencil pressure, erasures, corrections and ink that sits on the paper. A print has no such traces; an etching also leaves a plate mark – a pressed rim around the image.
- Blueprint or copy?: Blueprints, diazo prints and photocopies are copies of drawings. They can be of interest for famous buildings, but they are not original drawings.
- Office stamps and signatures: Many drawings were made by assistants. Stamps, title blocks and signatures show which office and which project – and whether the architect signed personally.
- Edition: For etchings and portfolios, find out when the impression was printed: lifetime edition, later edition or modern restrike.
- Provenance: Drawings from an architect's office, a client's family or a documented collection are worth far more than loose sheets without history.
How much is a Hugh Ferriss drawing worth?
Original drawings have sold for up to $21,250 at auction. Prints and book plates are worth much less.
Do you own a work attributed to Hugh Ferriss?
Start with a free estimate from photos. For a sale, insurance or an estate, order a written appraisal by an independent expert with a notarized signature.
Sources (auction figures as published there):
ArtworkValue is not affiliated with any museum, archive or auction house. This page does not offer works by Hugh Ferriss for sale.