Doris Ulmann

a group of 10 platinum prints, each on the original mount, 2 signed in pencil on the mount, circa 1932 (Handicrafts of the Southern Highlands, p. 106, variant; American Portraits, pp. 173 and 205) (10)

This group of 10 early, warm-toned platinum prints are in overall excellent condition. Each print is trimmed to the image and in its original presentation: mounted on buff-colored card with an overmat. Small deposits of original retouching, tiny shiny deposits, and a few very soft scuffs are visible overall upon close examination. The mounts are appropriately age-darkened, especially at the edges, and a few show the following: rust-colored foxmarks; scattered soiling and fingerprints; and stray adhesive from the mounting process. Descriptive titles of the images are as follows: -Man in Fedora -African American Couple Seated on a Porch -Chair maker: This print is annotated 'c/o Hale' and 'LC' on the reverse of the mount. -Farmer -Group of Men -Child Seated on a Porch -Man Seated with a Hat: There is a tideline on the mount at the upper right edge and the print appears very slightly more yellowed in the area adjacent. -Man Seated with a Pipe -Fiddler -Tobacco Farmer
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 photographs offered here come originally from the collection of Allen H. Eaton (1878-1982), a scholar and early appreciator of American folk art.  In 1937, he published what was at the time the definitive study of Appalachian folk culture, Handicrafts of the Southern Highlands, a volume profusely illustrated with Doris Ulmann photographs.  Eaton had met Ulmann through Clarence White, with whom Ulmann had studied, and her photographs of the South had impressed him.  Eaton later served as an officer of the Doris Ulmann Foundation.