Edward Weston

oversized dye-transfer print, twice mounted, 1947; accompanied by a letter of authenticity, signed by Cole Weston, the photographer's son (U. S. Camera 1959, p. 62; Edward Weston: Color Photography, cover and pl. 28; Edward Weston: A Photographer's Love of Life, pl. 96) (2)

Acquired from the photographer, circa 1950

By descent to the present owner

This vibrant dye-transfer print, on paper with a slightly pebbled surface, is in generally excellent condition. It is trimmed to the image and the edges are occasionally softly bumped and chipped. There is a linear impression near the right edge that runs the length of the print and a small crease in the upper left quadrant, neither of which appears to break the emulsion. There is some minor soiling on the mount, and a stray graphite deposit on the upper right side. On the secondary mount are the following: adhesive residue and abrasions overall, possibly from a previous overmat; measurement notations in ink; and some graphite deposits.
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.

In the late 1940s, Dr. George L. Waters, Jr., of Eastman Kodak Company, hired Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, and Paul Strand to experiment with Kodachrome and Ektachrome film.  The vibrant dye-transfer print offered here, acquired directly from Weston by the present owner’s father, resulted from this color experiment.  In correspondence quoted in a 3-page advertisement for Kodak in the May 1947 issue of Popular Photography, Weston commented: ‘I am air-expressing 13 transparencies today; so many because I wanted reactions to my first Kodachrome pictures, in fact my first serious attempt at color.  Several equal my best in black-and-white, or at least seem to in my enthusiasm!’  Kodak paid Weston $250 per transparency accepted to their advertising campaign, by far the greatest sum he received for a single image during his lifetime.

It is believed that only one dye-transfer print of this image previously has appeared at auction: a smaller print sold in these rooms in April 2006 from the collection of 7-Eleven, Inc.  There is a dye-transfer print at the Princeton University Art Museum, formerly in the collection of Minor White, and two Cibachrome prints in the photographer’s archive at the Center for Creative Photography.  There were several dye-transfer prints of the image in the collection of the photographer’s son, Cole Weston, which have passed to his heirs.