Philippe Halsman

numbered '83.0' in pencil on the image, mounted, with red ink cropping notations and the Famous Photographers School lesson stamps, with numbers in pencil, on the mount, and the FPS stamp on the reverse, framed, 1959, printed no later than 1964 (Retrospective, p. 135, variant)

This early print, on semi-glossy paper, exhibits the full range of tones-- from the creamy light tones in the sitter's skin and hair to the deep black of her embroidered gown. The upper right corner of the image is sharply creased, which likely occurred prior to or as a result of mounting. Upon close examination in raking light, the following are visible: soft creases and impressions that do not break the emulsion; deposits of original retouching; and minor soiling. The print is trimmed to the image and the edges are rubbed. The print is mounted to slick off-white board that is lightly soiled and worn at the periphery from handling. The FPS lesson stamps are annotated in pencil: Lesson '3'; Page '33'; and Key 'B.' Also on the mount are 'P3.113' [crossed out] in pencil and 'PH' in ink. This photograph is also reproduced in: Famous Photographers Course, Volume I, Lesson 3, 'Composing Your Photographs,' pp. 33 and 42. The dating of this print is based upon its being used for reproduction in the Famous Photographers Course volumes, which were published in 1964. The technical information is as follows: Rolleiflex with a 75mm f/3.5 lens; Tri-X film; exposure for electronic flash at f/22; electronic flash.
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