Ansel Adams

mounted, signed in pencil on the mount, mounted together with a remnant of the original frame backboard, inscribed 'For Beaumont Newhall - from Ansel Adams [and] Alfred Stieglitz - May this picture ever recall the many living hours we, you B. N., & I spent together at An American Place' and dated 'July 1940' by Stieglitz in ink, framed, 1940

Gift of the photographer and Alfred Stieglitz to Beaumont Newhall, 1940

The Estate of Beaumont and Nancy Newhall

Sotheby's New York, 6 April 2011, Sale 8730, Lot 44

The photograph, on a slick white mount, is in generally excellent condition. In raking light, the following are visible: faint silvering along the perimeter, and a few pin-point-sized impressions, not breaking the emulsion, overall. The remnant of the original frame backing, measuring 7-3/8 by 8-1/8 inches, is age-darkened. There is a 3-inch tideline near the right edge, as well as liquid staining overall. The edges are worn, and there is some deterioration. Stieglitz's inscription remains bold and strong. There is a strip of grey linen tape along the upper edge of the mount. The reverse of the mount exhibits light soiling from handling. '438' is 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.

Alfred Stieglitz's An American Place gallery was a mecca for aspiring artists, photographers, and collectors throughout the 1930s and 1940s.  It was there that Beaumont Newhall first met Stieglitz in the early 1930s, and there that Ansel Adams had a landmark exhibition of his photographs in 1936.