#24 • Johnny Johnson "In Harm's Way", "In the Land of Giants" & "The Wild Bunch" Photographs

Part of The Johnny Johnson Estate Auction (timed auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

Starting at $5.00

Status: Available

Bidding closes Nov 3, 2026 6:07 PM AKST

Category: Art

Three signed and numbered photographs by Alaska wildlife photographer Johnny Johnson (1947-2025). The first work, "In Harm's Way", is dated circa 2002 and numbered 451/950. It shows a large grizzly bear running across a gravel stream bed. Johnson described the scene: "Under a beautiful blue sky on a sunny June day I set up my camera along the Mikmik Creek to photograph brown bears fishing for red salmon. Late June is also the mating season for grizzly bears and I watched as a male made his advances towards a female grizzly. Just as the bear couple were getting romantic, out of the brush on the opposite bank came an enormous male grizzly. I thought there might be a confrontation so I focused my 600mm lens on the 'new' bear. Sure enough, the instant he spied the mating couple he charged them in a frightening burst of speed and power letting out a deafening roar. The mating bears split apart instantly and the male took off running for his life with the enormous 'new' grizzly in hot-pursuit. This huge carnivore was the scariest yet most magnificent bear I have ever seen in over twenty years of photographing Alaskan grizzlies. And I bet in the end he got the female!" The second work, "In The Land Of Giants", is dated circa 2007 and numbered 19/950. It shows a large grizzly bear standing on its hind legs in a lush, vibrant green meadow. Johnson described the scene: "Few sights are more memorable than a face-to-face encounter with a monster grizzly. Standing over eight feet tall, my 600mm lens only magnified the bear's power and my own sense of vulnerability and awe. Weighing in excess of a thousand pounds, these huge males keep to themselves and are rarely seen. Since I was downwind, the bear couldn't catch my scent and stood, nostrils flaring. I spoke to him in a calm tone. "Hey, big bear. Hey, big bear...... Hey, big bear". I kept talking as he dropped to all fours and slowly ambled away." The third work, "The Wild Bunch", is dated circa 2014 and numbered 195/950. It shows a mother bear with her three young cubs standing together at the edge of a verdant forest. Johnson described the scene: "In the world of momma grizzlies, bringing three youngsters into their second summer is a real success story. Now mom must teach her rowdy yearling triplets how to find food, how to cross a river, and where to dig a den. Of course, there is still time for fun. The triplets favorite game was 'king of the hill' using mom as the mountain-a real hoot to watch!" All pieces are signed, dated, and numbered in the lower left corner in gold leaf ink and printed on Fuji Crystal Archive Supergloss paper. A care guide and artist's biography are included on the reverse. Each one is shrink-wrapped on board, and the largest measures approximately 24.5" x 20.5".