Edward Weston

signed and dated in pencil on the reverse, framed, 1927; accompanied by a fragment of the original mount, signed and dated in pencil, and a manuscript letter and a Los Angeles Museum exhibition brochure, signed and inscribed by Weston in pencil and ink (4)

Gift of the photographer to Euliel Ballenger White, circa 1927

By descent to the present owners

Gilles Mora, ed., Edward Weston: Forms of Passion (Paris, 1995), fronstispiece

This bravura print from Edward Weston's iconic shells series is rendered with extraordinary clarity and nuance. The present print is a definitive example of his printing style in the late 1920s: it is on matte-surface paper and carries Weston's early, robust signature and date in pencil, both on the reverse of the print and on the accompanying fragment from the original mount. This early print features a wide range of tones including creamy-white highlights and rich dark areas. This is particularly apparent in the lower portion of the shell with its alternating pattern and in the smooth, glowing surface of the upper part of the shell. Upon close inspection in raking light, very faint age-appropriate silvering is visible in the dark areas of the image near the lower edge. There is a very small linear deposit of retouching along the lower edge. Near the edges on the reverse is a faint white linear area, likely from when the print was affixed to its original mount. '6' is written in an unidentified hand in pencil at the center on the reverse. This photograph has undergone conservation, primarily to address surface soiling and adhesive remnants from the original mount. A treatment report is available upon request from the department. The fragment of the original mount is appropriately age-darkened. There are several small rust-colored deposits, possibly foxing. Weston's signature on the mount is very slightly trimmed. The Los Angeles Museum exhibition brochure is worn, with a few small rips at the edges. The full inscription reads: '-For Euliel - who likes my work - Edward Weston.' The manuscript letter from Weston has been expertly reinforced. The full inscription reads: 'Flora - Here is print for Euliel - - It is not one of the imperfect "extras" - Sorry I could not give her a choice. I have few of the shells printed - Edward -'
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.

This elegant double-shell composition, a study in shades of gray and printed on lush matte-surface paper, is easily distinguished from Weston’s more well-known shell images pictured before plain, dark backgrounds.  Prints of it are exceedingly rare and it is not recorded in Conger.  According to Leslie Squyres of the Center for Creative Photography, Tucson, this shell is number ‘3S,’ only the third negative in Weston’s celebrated series of shell studies.  The photographer’s negative log, now in the collection of the Center, suggests that Weston made only 3 prints of this image, one of which he destroyed.  At the time of this writing, it is believed that only one other print of this image has appeared at auction.

The photograph offered here has a remarkable unbroken family provenance from the time it was made in 1927 until now.  It was acquired directly from the photographer by Euliel Ballenger White, an early admirer of Weston’s work.  White taught at Columbus Elementary School in Glendale, California, alongside Flora, the photographer’s first wife.  Of this photograph, Weston wrote to Flora, ‘Here is print for Euliel – It is not one of the imperfect “extras” – Sorry I could not give her a choice.  I have few of the shells printed.’  This photograph and the accompanying manuscript note and exhibition brochure were treasured by White and her family for nearly a century. 

This photograph is accompanied not only by the manuscript note described above, but also an inscribed brochure from Brett and Edward Weston’s joint exhibition at the Los Angeles Museum (October - November 1927).  Of this show, Weston wrote in his diary: ‘Brett is showing with me, and a fine showing it is.  He has hung 18 prints, I have 102,—all on one line, well-spaced, and in rooms well-suited to photographs.  It is the finest exhibit I have ever given, both in general appearance and in individual prints’ (Daybooks II, p. 39).  According to the listing in the brochure, Weston included nine of his shell studies in that exhibition (cats. 38 – 46).  A photograph by Brett Weston, 'Bay Window' (Victorian House, San Francisco) (see Lot 24) was also in White’s collection.