$3,690
Ansel Adams (American, 1902-1984) Waterwheel Falls, Yosemite National Park, California , c. 1940, printed later. Unsigned, inscribed "1 gd print Toullumne [ sic ]Cascade" in ink on the verso l.r. Gelatin silver print on double-weight paper, image size 32 x 32 5/8 in. (81.3 x 82.9 cm), unmatted, unframed. Condition: Scattered handling creases and wear primarily at the edges, 4-inch vertical tear into image u.c., 13-inch horizontal crease in image u.c., cellophane tape remnants primarily on the verso, abrasions/minor losses to image surface l.l. and along top edge of image, graphite cropping lines at various points along image edges, several of which have broken through the emulsion. Provenance: From the collection of a former Polaroid Corporation employee (1966-1989). N.B. Adams's interest in printing mural-size photographs began in the mid-1930s. Typically they were affixed to plywood or Masonite panels and coated with a thin layer of varnish. Adams preferred a smooth, matte double-weight paper with neutral tone, and looked for subjects that emphasized "design, pattern, and sheer beauty of tonal relationships."1 While Adams likely oversaw the printing process, the reason for the creation of this work is unclear. 1. Ansel Adams, "Photo-Murals," U.S. Camera I, no. 12 (November 1940): 53.
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2016-09-23
