"A Blue Globe Hanging in the Sky - Earth as seen from the moon" by Charles Bittinger collects about $2,250 during the auction at Christie's in New York, the United States, on Dec. 6, 2012. Over 200 iconic photographs and art works from "The National Geographic Collection: The art of Exploration", were on auction on Thursday, raising a total of $3,776,587, which will help maintaining the archive and supporting emerging photographers and artists. (Xinhua/Charles Bittinger/National Geographic/Christie's Images)

 "Afghan Girl" by Steve McCurry collects about $178,900 during the auction at Christie's in New York, the United States, on Dec. 6, 2012. Over 200 iconic photographs and art works from "The National Geographic Collection: The art of Exploration", were on auction on Thursday, raising a total of $3,776,587, which will help maintaining the archive and supporting emerging photographers and artists. (Xinhua/Steve McCurry/National Geographic/Christie's Images)

 "A diver swims with an octopus, whose arms measured three feet long, Mediterranean Sea" by Cousteau, Jacques, Tailliez, P. & Dumas, F. collects about $5,250 during the auction at Christie's in New York, the United States, on Dec. 6, 2012. Over 200 iconic photographs and art works from "The National Geographic Collection: The art of Exploration", were on auction on Thursday, raising a total of $3,776,587, which will help maintaining the archive and supporting emerging photographers and artists. (Xinhua/Underwood & Underwood/National Geographic/Christie's Images)

 "A photographer processes film among ice bergs in seawater, Alaska" by Oscar D. Von Engeln collects about $2,375 during the auction at Christie's in New York, the United States, on Dec. 6, 2012. Over 200 iconic photographs and art works from "The National Geographic Collection: The art of Exploration", were on auction on Thursday, raising a total of $3,776,587, which will help maintaining the archive and supporting emerging photographers and artists. (Xinhua/Oscar D. Von Engeln/National Geographic/Christie's Images)

 "A Nunamiut Boy and Mask, Alaska, c. 1958" by Thomas J. Abercrombie collects about $11,250 during the auction at Christie's in New York, the United States, on Dec. 6, 2012. Over 200 iconic photographs and art works from "The National Geographic Collection: The art of Exploration", were on auction on Thursday, raising a total of $3,776,587, which will help maintaining the archive and supporting emerging photographers and artists. (Xinhua/Thomas J. Abercrombie/National Geographic/Christie's Images)

 "A young Kenyan woman holds her pet deer, Mombasa, Zanzibar, Kenya, Africa" by Underwood & Underwood is estimated about $2,000-$3,000 during the auction at Christie's in New York, the United States, on Dec. 6, 2012. Over 200 iconic photographs and art works from "The National Geographic Collection: The art of Exploration", were on auction on Thursday, raising a total of $3,776,587, which will help maintaining the archive and supporting emerging photographers and artists. (Xinhua/Underwood & Underwood/National Geographic/Christie's Images)

 "The Duel on the Beach" by Newell Convers Wyeth (1882-1945) collects about $1,082,500 during the auction at Christie's in New York, the United States, on Dec. 6, 2012. Over 200 iconic photographs and art works from "The National Geographic Collection: The art of Exploration", were on auction on Thursday, raising a total of $3,776,587, which will help maintaining the archive and supporting emerging photographers and artists. (Xinhua/Newell Convers Wyeth/National Geographic/Christie's Images)

 "Cave of Crystals, Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico, c. 2008" by Carsten Peter (b. 1958) collects about $2,750 during the auction at Christie's in New York, the United States, on Dec. 6, 2012. Over 200 iconic photographs and art works from "The National Geographic Collection: The art of Exploration", were on auction on Thursday, raising a total of $3,776,587, which will help maintaining the archive and supporting emerging photographers and artists. (Xinhua/Carsten Peter/National Geographic/Christie's Images)

 "Charles Lindbergh pays a visit to crowd in England" by Corbis Corp. collects about $5,250 during the auction at Christie's in New York, the United States, on Dec. 6, 2012. Over 200 iconic photographs and art works from "The National Geographic Collection: The art of Exploration", were on auction on Thursday, raising a total of $3,776,587, which will help maintaining the archive and supporting emerging photographers and artists. (Xinhua/Corbis Corp/National Geographic/Christie's Images)

"People chat by a car parked by a field of oil rigs on Signal Hill, California, 1941" by B. Anthony Stewart collects about $1,250 during the auction at Christie's in New York, the United States, on Dec. 6, 2012. Over 200 iconic photographs and art works from "The National Geographic Collection: The art of Exploration", were on auction on Thursday, raising a total of $3,776,587, which will help maintaining the archive and supporting emerging photographers and artists. (Xinhua/B. Anthony Stewart/National Geographic/Christie's Images)

"Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay, Mount Everest, 1953" by Royal Geographical Society collects about $6,875 during the auction at Christie's in New York, the United States, on Dec. 6, 2012. Over 200 iconic photographs and art works from "The National Geographic Collection: The art of Exploration", were on auction on Thursday, raising a total of $3,776,587, which will help maintaining the archive and supporting emerging photographers and artists. (Xinhua/Royal Geographical Society/National Geographic/Christie's Images)

 "Balloonists Struggle to Escape a Doomed Gondola" by Tom Lovell (1909-1997) collects about $10,625 during the auction at Christie's in New York, the United States, on Dec. 6, 2012. Over 200 iconic photographs and art works from "The National Geographic Collection: The art of Exploration", were on auction on Thursday, raising a total of $3,776,587, which will help maintaining the archive and supporting emerging photographers and artists. (Xinhua/Tom Lovell/National Geographic/Christie's Images)

 "Huli Tribesman, Papua New Guinea, 1998" by Jodi Cobb collects about $1,250 during the auction at Christie's in New York, the United States, on Dec. 6, 2012. Over 200 iconic photographs and art works from "The National Geographic Collection: The art of Exploration", were on auction on Thursday, raising a total of $3,776,587, which will help maintaining the archive and supporting emerging photographers and artists. (Xinhua/Jodi Cobb/National Geographic/Christie's Images)