Edward Weston

mounted, signed, dated, and inscribed with a copyright symbol in pencil on the mount, titled, numbered 'RH-R-6g,' inscribed with the Limited Editions Club copyright, and annotated 'Not For Sale' in pencil on the reverse, 1939 (Leaves of Grass, facing p. 51)

This luminous early print, on paper with a semi-glossy surface and mounted to cream-colored board, is in generally excellent condition. In raking light, age-appropriate silvering is visible, primarily at the periphery. Occasional tiny scratches and impressions, some of which appear to break the emulsion slightly, are also visible in raking light. These are not immediately apparent and do not detract in any way from the overall attractive appearance of this print. The print is mounted to thick, cream-colored board. The mount is lightly sunned at the print's periphery. There are 8 small tidelines along the left, lower, and right edges of the mount, and the mount corners are slightly lighter. On the reverse of the mount, there is evidence of previous exposure to moisture; this does not affect the print. There is minimal soiling on the reverse, and the upper right corner is lightly creased. Also on the reverse of the mount, 'LNMW-23' and '750-' are written in an unidentified hand in pencil.
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.

Redwood Highway is one of a number of photographs Weston made on assignment for the Limited Editions Club.   Founded in 1929, the Club had over the years commissioned a number of renowned artists, among them Matisse and Picasso, to illustrate new editions of classic works of literature.  In February of 1941, Weston was approached by the Club to illustrate a new volume of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass with photographs, a novel idea at the time.

In the Limited Edition Leaves of Grass, Weston’s Redwood Highway faces a page with these lines, among others:

‘We two, how long we were fool’d,

Now transmuted, we swiftly escape as Nature escapes,

We are nature, long have we been absent, but now we return,

We become plants, trunks, foliage, roots, bark,

We are bedded in the ground . . .’

There is no print of this image in the nearly-definitive Weston collection at the Center for Creative Photography, Tucson.