Carleton E. Watkins

a photograph from the album Photographs of the Columbia River and Oregon (San Francisco: C. E. Watkins, 1872), mammoth-plate albumen print, on the original two-toned folio mount, titled in a calligraphic hand, likely that of Fulgenzio Seregni, in ink on the mount, 1867 (Naef 511; Fraenkel, pl. 101; Friends of Photography, pl. 46)

The University Club, New York
Swann Galleries, New York, 10 May 1979
Acquired by the Weston Gallery, Carmel, from the above
Acquired by the present owner from the Weston Gallery

Grading this albumen print on a scale of 1 to 10, a 10 being an albumen print that has rich dark tones and highlights that retain all of their original detail--this print rates between an 8 and 9. The dark tones are a satisfying purplish brown and are generally strong. The highlights range from a cream color in the water area to a slightly warmer tonality in the sky and at the edges. There is some edge fading at the vertical and lower edges. The print is in generally very good condition. In the lower left corner, there is retouching visible in the negative. When examined closely, there are two small round areas of very slightly darker tonality in the sky area--possibly old retouching--that has discolored slightly. When examined in high raking light, there are very faint, minor surface abrasions throughout that likely occurred during the mounting process. These are not at all apparent while viewing the print under normal circumstances. The print is mounted to a smooth, stiff, cream-colored two-toned board that exhibits minor edge wear and has some small losses. There is age-darkening at the vertical and lower edges on both the front and the back. None of this encroaches upon the image. The dimensions of the mount are 21 1/2 by 27 inches.
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.

When he arrived in Oregon in 1867, Carleton Watkins was best known for his award-winning views of San Francisco and Yosemite, a city and a valley both noted for their dramatic geological features.  Along Oregon's Columbia River, however, Watkins would encounter a different landscape, one with broad vistas and low horizons.  Uncoupled from the traditionally picturesque, the best of Watkins's Columbia River studies explore form in the landscape, culminating in what Martha Sandweiss has called Watkins's 'essentially modern photographic sensibility' (Carleton E. Watkins: Photographer of the American West, p. xvi).  The minimalism of the view offered here presages the work of the New Topographics school, especially, perhaps, the photographs of Robert Adams (see Lot 182). 

Tum Water was originally part of the album of Watkins's Oregon photographs sold at a celebrated auction at Swann Galleries, New York, in 1979.  The album's 51 plates were subsequently exhibited at The Friends of Photography in Carmel, California, in 1980, and published in the companion volume, Carleton E. Watkins: Photographs of the Columbia River and Oregon, before being dispersed to institutional and private collections.   

Naef locates only four other prints of this image, all in institutions: in the Oregon Historical Society, the Oregon State Library, the Royal British Columbia Museum, and the Stanford University Library.  The present print is believed to be the only one in private hands.