Ansel Adams

mural-sized, flush-mounted, framed, 1944, probably printed in the 1960s

Acquired from an auction to benefit the Redwood City, California, Unitarian Fellowship, circa 1966

Other prints of this image:

Andrea G. Stillman, Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs (Boston, 2007), p. 261

Ansel Adams (Morgan & Morgan, 1972), pl. 80

Ansel Adams, Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs (Boston, 2002), p. 66

Ansel Adams: Yosemite and the Range of Light (Boston, 1979), pl. 46

This commanding mural-sized print, mounted to rigid paper-backed board, is in generally excellent condition. Its presentation in a thin white-painted frame and unglazed was Adams's preferred staging for his mural-sized prints. This luminous print is remarkable both for its impressive print quality and for its present condition, having survived these many years unprotected by glass with minimal issues. This print has never been conserved. This print may have been varnished, as very faint broad streaks are visible in raking light. Upon very close inspection, the following are visible: a pen-point-sized impression that breaks the emulsion in the upper left quadrant; 2 pin-prick-sized losses of emulsion in the lower left corner; a small deposit of original retouching that has turned a greenish hue with age in the lower central area; and a one-inch linear graphite impression not breaking the emulsion along the upper left edge. Occasional small deposits of original retouching are also visible, primarily in the sky area, as well as some retouching that is visible in the negative. None of these issues are immediately apparent, and they do not detract from the overall impressive quality of this print. Adams's original thin white-painted frame is in generally very good condition with minimal wear. 'Ansel Adams' is written in an unidentified hand in pencil on the lower inner lip of the frame.
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.

Throughout the 1960s, Adams donated a number of mural-sized photographs to auctions benefiting the Redwood City Unitarian Fellowship, of which Adams's daughter was a member.  The print offered here was purchased at such an auction around 1966, and it has remained with the same owner since that time.