CARLETON E. WATKINS | 'Yosemite Valley, The Three Brothers'

mammoth-plate albumen print, mounted, with title in pencil and annotations in grease pencil on the reverse, framed, 1865-66

Peter E. Palmquist, Carleton E. Watkins: Photographs 1861-1874 (San Francisco, 1989), pl. 18 Weston Naef and Christine Hult-Lewis, Carleton Watkins: The Complete Mammoth Photographs (Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011) no. 169

Grading this albumen print on a scale of one to 10 – a 10 being an albumen print that has deep brown dark tones and highlights that retain all of their original detail – this print rates a 7. The highlights are yellowed overall, especially near the edges. When examined in raking light, the following are visible: silvering in the darkest areas of the print; a sharp scratch at the upper left corner which might break the emulsion; scuffs and scratches overall which do not appear to break the emulsion; and occasional small raised areas, likely the result of mounting. This photograph is mounted to thick, flexible board, which is age-darkened and worn with several uneven losses to the edges overall. There are several circular liquid stains in the lower portion of the mount as well as other general soiling on the front and reverse. There are several hinge remnants along the edges on the reverse. 'John J. O'Doran, Port Richmond, Staten Island, N. Y.' is stamped on the reverse. 'Presented to S. L (?). A. A. and S. (?)' is written twice in crayon, likely in an old hand. '57th Mad 3 [circled]' is written in an unidentified hand in pencil.
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