Because of his years of experience, Michael Dawson is uniquely qualified to appraise rare books, photography, and regional ephemera.

Michael Dawson has over twenty-five years of experience in the field of Rare Books and Fine Art Photography. Michael has a broad array of experience doing Fine Art Photography Appraisal, Historic Photography Appraisal and Appraisals of Photographic Archives for current insurance value, estate and trust valuation, and charitable donations. Michael has recently appraised a large archive of photography documenting the work of designers Charles and Ray Eames, the archives of world-renowned music photographers William Claxton, Herman Leonard and Jim Marshall. Michael has worked with the Bancroft Library, the Huntington Library and the UCLA Library Special Collections in the Research Library on a number of large appraisal projects.

Michael Dawson graduated from the University of California-Santa Cruz in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the humanities. Michael is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA). Through seminars and newsletters, the members of the ABAA are kept informed of problems of appraising and Internal Revenue Service regulations. Michael is also a member of the Association of International Photography Art Dealers  AIPAD. AIPAD is dedicated to creating and maintaining high standards in the business of exhibiting, buying, and selling photographs as art. AIPAD members provide a wide range of services to the public, such as exhibitions, appraisal, expert opinions, and consultations. Michael Dawson has a reference library numbering more than 2000 volumes, including records and price guides.