NEW YORK—Sotheby's New York will sell a collection of 40 black-and-white Edward Weston photographs with an unusual story on April 8, Bloomberg reports.

Weston had given the photos to his older sister, Mary Weston Seaman, who stored them on the floor of her closet in her bedroom. Her grandson, John W. Longstreth acquired the dusty, dirty photos after her death. Over the years, he has donated many to the Dayton Art Institute in Ohio and to family and friends.

Although Weston was not well regarded during his lifetime, he has come to be known as a preeminent American photographer, and Longstreth's collection (which he is selling for money for his grandchildren's education) is estimated to be worth $1.4 million. Charis on the Dunes (1936), a nude image of Weston's wife, is estimated to sell for as much as $180,000. The sale also includes nine photos by Weston's son Brett.