Edward Weston 1886-1958

mounted, signed and dated by the photographer in pencil on the mount, inscribed 'to Zohmah Daisy o o o o x x x' and signed 'Edward' and numbered '37SO' by the photographer in pencil on the reverse, matted, 1936

The photographer to Zohmah Charlot

Zohmah Charlot to Stephen White Gallery, Los Angeles, early 1980s

Acquired by the present owner from the above, early 1980s

Other prints of this image:

Conger 941

Jennifer A. Watts, ed., Edward Weston: A Legacy (Los Angeles: The Huntington Library, 2003, in conjunction with the exhibition), pl. 11

James Enyeart, Edward Weston's California Landscapes (Boston, 1984), pl. 73

Kurt Markus, Dune: Edward & Brett Weston (Kalispell, 2003), p. 5

Judith Hochburg, Sarah Lowe, Michael Mattis, and Dody Weston Thompson, Edward Weston: Life Work (Revere, 2004), pl. 73

Brett Abbott, In Focus: Edward Weston (The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2005), pl. 74

This photograph, on paper with a slight surface sheen, is in generally very good to excellent condition. When the print is examined closely in raking light, thin diagonal scratches and scuffs are visible at the center of the print. Also visible in raking light are the following: a few small deposits of the photographer's original retouching, mainly along the periphery; two light pencil-point-sized impressions at the upper left and right quadrants; a very small circular spot of soiling at the bottom left edge, where the dark and light sand meet; and faint silvering along the periphery in the darkest areas of the print. There is one very small chip at the bottom right, just above the photographer's signature. The mount is thin board with a smooth, faintly glossy, finish on either side. The edges and corners are very lightly worn. The back of the mount has light soiling along the top and bottom edge. There are two light-green, leaf-shaped pieces of linen tape adhered to the top edge. There is also a 4-inch strip of brown paper tape adhered to the corner of the bottom edge. The photographer's presentation of this print, mounted to slick white board and with his full signature and date on the front of the mount, is typical of prints made during the 1930s.
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.

The present photograph is inscribed by Edward Weston to Zohmah Charlot, the wife of Jean Charlot (see Lot 5).  Edward Weston first met Zohmah in 1933, when Jean Charlot brought her with him to Carmel for a long summer stay.  Weston described her in his daybook as 'a strange little sprite of whom we became quite fond' (Daybooks, California, 14 September 1933, p. 275).  At that time, not yet married to Charlot, she was Zohmah Day; Weston's affectionate inscription on the reverse of the photograph offered here, 'to Zohmah Daisy,' is undoubtedly Weston's wordplay on Zohmah's maiden name.  In her autobiography, Through Another Lens (New York, 1998), Charis Wilson calls Zohmah 'a total original' and explains that Zohmah was a name she had invented for herself, 'because she wanted to have a name that wasn't like everyone else's' (p. 130).   

Please see Lot 5 for more information regarding the present print's provenance.