Lot 42
Lot 42
Lot Details
Timothy O'Sullivan
1840 - 1882
'Ancient Ruins in the Cañon de Chelle, N.M.'
albumen print, on the two-toned Wheeler Survey mount, the photographer's credit, title, 'No. 10,' survey information and decorative cartouche in letterpress on the mount, framed, 1873
image: 10 ⅞ by 7 ⅞ in. (27.6 by 20.2 cm.)
frame: 20 ¾ by 16 ¾ in. (52.8 by 42.7 cm.)
Condition Report
Please note the colors and shades in the online catalogue illustration may vary depending on screen settings.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 representing the darkest, deepest albumen print with highlights that retain their original detail, this print is a strong 9. The highlights are creamy, and the darks are aubergine in tone and remain exceptionally saturated. A high degree of detail is visible throughout, with no fading or degradation.
This photograph is in generally excellent condition. When examined closely, the following are visible: a tiny, soft crease bisecting the bottom left corner where the print is lifting somewhat from the mount; a matte deposit of indeterminate nature near the bottom edge.
The mount is lightly sunned at the periphery of the image in a thin band. There are scattered tiny rust colored deposits, possibly foxing, scattered overall but not affecting the image.There is a tideline along the lower right edge of the mount, which is also visible on the reverse, and the lower right corner is creased. The reverse of the mount is soiled, there are glossy yellow deposits of indeterminate nature near the bottom edge, and remnants of previous hinges along the upper and bottom edge. None of the aforementioned issues affects the appearance of this photograph.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.
Literature
Beaumont Newhall and Nancy Newhall, T. H. O'Sullivan: Photographer (Rochester: The George Eastman House, 1966), pl. 37
James D. Horan, Timothy O'Sullivan: America's Forgotten Photographer (New York, 1966), p. 310
Joel Snyder, American Frontiers: Photographs of Timothy H. O'Sullivan, 1867-1874 (Aperture, 1981), p. 95
Rick Dingus, The Photographic Artifacts of Timothy O'Sullivan (Albuquerque, 1982), fig. 17
Weston J. Naef and James N. Wood, Era of Exploration: The Rise of Landscape Photography in the American West, 1860-1885 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, 1975), pl. 62
Dover Publications, Wheeler's Photographic Survey of the American West, 1871-1873 (New York, 1983), frontispiece and pl. 41
Daniel Wolf, The American Space: Meaning in Nineteenth-Century Landscape Photography (Middletown, 1983), pl. 58
Oliver Mathews, Early Photographs and Early Photographers: a Survey in Dictionary Form (London, 1973), pl. 138
Robin Kelsey, Archive Style: Photographs & Illustrations for U. S. Surveys, 1850 - 1890 (Berkeley, 2007), fig. 1, p. 2