Edward Weston

flush-mounted to board, mounted again, initialed and dated in pencil on the mount, signed, dated (twice), titled 'Eel River Ranch' (erased) and 'Drift Twigs, Mono Lake,' and numbered 'ES-ML-1G' in pencil, and with a 'Bureau de Paris Batignolles' stamp on the reverse, 1937 (Conger 1056)

Sotheby's New York, 26 April 1990, Sale 6004, Lot 104

This print, on paper with a surface sheen, is flush-mounted to heavy board and is mounted again to what appears to be a later board (medium-weight, smooth, cream-colored) that the photographer initially titled 'Eel River Ranch' and then erased. This print is in generally excellent condition. There is age-appropriate silvering at the periphery of the print. In raking light, tiny deposits of original retouching, a small ¼-inch horizontal indentation and other pinpoint indentations, not breaking the emulsion, are visible on the surface of the print. There is light soiling on the mount, with what appear to be tiny dark blue deposits of indeterminate nature, possibly ink, in the upper right near the corner. On the reverse are three cloth tape hinge remnants at the top edge and two linear rust-colored deposits in the center. None of these issues affect the image. According to Weston authority Paul Hertzmann, this print is believed to have been exhibited in Weston's important 1946 one-man show at the Museum of Modern Art. It bears the MoMA exhibition number in pencil on the reverse of the mount. It is flush-mounted in the fashion similar to a number of prints in the exhibition. In addition, the 'Bureau de Paris Batignolles' stamp is on the reverse of the mount, which is an indication that this print was also included in the photographer's important solo exhibitions in Paris in 1950. Based on the print's paper and surface quality and the fact that it was originally mounted to a heavy board, we believe this to be a print made in the late 1930s that has been mounted to a 1940s mount.
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.

The stamp on the reverse of the mount indicates that this photograph was likely included in the important solo exhibition of Edward Weston's work, Une exposition d'oeuvres du photographe Edward Weston, that opened in Paris in January 1950, first at the Maison Kodak and then at the American Embassy.