Alfred Stieglitz, Editor

(New York: Alfred Stieglitz, 1903-17), the complete set of 50 Numbers, the Steichen Supplement, and the 2 Special Numbers, illustrated with photogravures and halftones after photographs by Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, Paul Strand, George Seeley, Adolf de Meyer, Karl Struss, Alvin Langdon Coburn, Gertrude Käsebier, Heinrich Kühn, Anne Brigman, Clarence White, and many others.  Numbers 1 through 47, the Steichen Supplement, and two Special Numbers bound without wrappers or advertisements in 12 volumes, red 3/4 morocco, marbled endpapers, edges trimmed, spines and top edges gilt; an E. Weyhe Camera Work prospectus and the pamphlet Photo-Secessionist and Its Opponents: Another Letter—The Sixth laid in, a Century magazine article bound in after Number 8; Numbers 48 and 49/50 in the original wrappers as issued (14)

Numbers 1 – 48:
Likely E. Weyhe, New York
Collection of Arthur Siegel
Christie’s East, 15 May 1980, Sale 100A, Lot 30

Numbers 49/50:
Sotheby’s New York, 16 May 1981, Sale 4611M, Lot 19

As stated in our catalogue description of this set, Numbers 1 through 47, the Steichen Supplement, and the Special Numbers have been bound into twelve volumes, without wrappers or advertisements. The leaves have all been trimmed to a uniform size of approximately 11 ½ by 8 inches. In no instance does this trimming intrude upon any of the plate images or text. The Numbers are bound into volumes as follows: 12 bound volumes: Nos. 1 – 4 Nos. 5 – 8 Nos. 9 – 12 Nos. 13 – 15 and the Steichen Supplement Nos. 16 – 19 Nos. 20 – 23 Nos. 24 – 27 Nos. 28 – 31 Nos. 32 – 36 Nos. 37 – 39 and the Special Number dated August 1912 Nos. 40 – 43 and the Special Number dated June 1913 Nos. 44 – 47 2 unbound numbers: No. 48 No. 49/50 The red ¾ morocco bindings are attractive, in generally very good condition, as pictured in our catalogue illustration. There are occasional scuffs and light rubbing, especially at the tips and occasionally at the spines, but overall the set is in very good shape. One exception is the rear cover of the first volume, which has some long thin linear scuff lines in irregular patterns. With the exception of, for the most part, minor condition issues to the plates noted below, the majority of the text and plate leaves of the bound volumes are in generally fine condition, crisp and clean. This is almost certainly a result of these numbers having been bound at an early date, presumably by the firm of E. Weyhe. These are the defects as noted to the plates and mounts: No. 1 -'Serbonne' by Käsebier: there is a 3/4-inch crimp extending from the lower image edge, which appears to have occurred prior to mounting as it was laid down. No. 4 -'York Minster: Into the North Transept' by Evans: the plate and mount appear to previously have been separated at all corners from the leaf, but are now laid down; there are attendant very small tears at the upper corners and lower right corner of the mount. -'Ely Cathedral: A Grotesque' by Evans: the mount is torn at the upper left corner, not affecting the image. No. 10 -Illustration for 'Madame Butterfly' by Abbott: the upper and lower plate corners appear to have torn previously but are laid down; the lower right mount was previously torn away from the leaf, but is now laid down. No. 14 -'William M. Chase' by Steichen: there is a stray stain in the upper right quadrant. -Facing page 17, there is an extra plate of A. Radclyffe Dugmore's photogravure 'Fish' (this image was originally published in No. 17, where the photogravure is also present). No. 15 -'After the Blizzard' by Coburn: the upper right mount corner appears to have previously torn, but is now laid down. No. 20 -'Snapshot−From my Window, Berlin,' by Stieglitz: the mount was previously separated from the leaf at the lower right corner resulting in a tiny tear but not affecting the image; it is now laid down. No. 23 -'Boys Going to School by White': the mount was previously separated at the upper right corner from the leaf resulting in a small tear but not affecting the image; it is now laid down. No. 32 -The pamphlet 'Photo-Secessionism and its Opponents: Another Letter – The Sixth' is bound in before issue No. 32. Steichen Supplement -'The Model and the Mask': the photogravure appears to have been retouched (?) in places with a medium of indeterminate nature, possibly watercolor or gouache. -'Landscape in Two Colors': the upper and lower right plate corners appear torn, but are laid down. -'Profile': there is a crease in the lower left corner that has been laid down. As stated in our catalogue description, the Camera Work prospectus issued by E. Weyhe describes how the Weyhe firm received from "the publisher" (Alfred Stieglitz) the remainder of his stock of Camera Work. From this remainder stock, the Weyhe firm sold individual issues and also assembled sets. Within the twelve bound volumes offered here, certain plates were missing, or plates were incorrectly substituted, when the present owners of this set purchased it at auction in 1980. The present owners located other copies of these missing or substituted plates, and had them re-inserted into the correct issues by a professional conservator. The plates have been expertly and seamlessly re-inserted, creating a set complete with all of the plates called for in the plate lists of each number. The previously missing plates that have been inserted are: No. 1 -'Portrait (Miss N.)' by Käsebier No. 2 -'Rodin' by Steichen No. 8 -'Miss R' by Coburn No. 13 -'Pomeranian Motif' by Henneberg -'Roman Campagna' by Kühn -'Poplars and Clouds' by Watzek No. 18 -'Mary' by Sears No. 19 -'Stirling Castle' by Annan -'Pastoral – Moonlight' by Steichen No. 20 -'The Burning of Rome' by Seeley -'Nude' by Renwick No. 21 -'The Duck Pond' by Coburn -'Rodin' by Coburn -'Bernard Shaw' by Coburn No. 36 -'The Aeroplane' by Stieglitz Steichen Supplement -'Duse' by Steichen The wrappers of the two unbound numbers are as pictured in our catalogue illustration. The spine of each volume is chipped or separated at parts; each volume is loose in its wrappers. Internally, both volumes are crisp and clean.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This well-preserved set of Camera Work, offered here bound in red morocco, is believed to have been sold by the New York art dealer and publisher Erhard Weyhe (1882-1972), whose gallery and bookshop on Lexington Avenue promoted not only prints and art books, but also photography.  Weyhe and Stieglitz were friends who frequented each other’s galleries and worked with some of the same artists.  Laid in the present set’s first volume is a prospectus issued by the Weyhe firm, announcing that ‘we have recently obtained from the publisher a large stock of Camera Work, the remainder of this unique publication, and we are now offering the public a chance to obtain copies, both singly and in sets.’

All but the last issue of this complete set of Camera Work comes originally from the collection of the photographer Arthur Siegel (1913-1978), best known for his association with Chicago’s New Bauhaus, later the Institute of Design (ID).  First a student, and then a teacher, at this pioneering institution, Siegel organized the ID’s first course in the history of photography.  His connoisseurship of the medium’s history was evident in the breadth of his collection which included an Albert Sands Southworth self-portrait daguerreotype and early prints by Moholy-Nagy, Cartier-Bresson, Edward Weston, Minor White, Weegee, and others.