Margaret Bourke-White

large-format, ferrotyped, mounted, annotations in ink on the reverse, framed, 1945 (Portrait of Myself, pp. 268-9; Callahan, pp. 152-153; Goldberg, pl. 45; Retrospective, p. 93; Best of Life, p. 20)

Originally from the collection of Margaret Bourke-White

This impressive early ferrotyped print, somewhat warm and with a range of gray tones, is in generally good condition. The edges are rubbed and creased, and there is a small emulsion loss at the lower left edge. In raking light, the following are visible overall: 1/2-to-one-inch crescent-shaped handling creases throughout that existed prior to mounting, and scratches and scuffs that do not break the emulsion. The mount has deposits of what appears to be red ink at the left and right edges. The reverse of the mount has adhesive glue remains overall, and the notations in blue ink in an unidentified hand When examined with unltraviolet light, this print does not appear to fluoresce.
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.

Bourke-White accompanied General George Patton and his Third Army troops into the concentration camp at Buchenwald on the morning of April 11, 1945.  German troops and SS administrators had abandoned the camp just two hours before.  This was the first liberation of any of the German concentration camps, and no one was prepared for what was there.  As Bourke-White recounted in her 1963 autobiography, Portrait of Myself,

'I saw and photographed the files of naked, lifeless bodies, the human skeletons in furnaces, the living skeletons who would die the next day because they had had to wait too long for deliverance, the pieces of tattooed skin for lampshades.  Using the camera was almost a relief.  It interposed a slight barrier between myself and the horror in front of me' (pp. 258-59).

Prints of this image are scarce, and it is believed that none have been previously offered at auction.  The present print, unusual for its size, was originally in Bourke-White's own collection.