H. Herbert Sidman active 1890s-1910s

a group of 33 platinum prints, each mounted, the photographer's 'H. H. Sidman' and '8 East 42nd St. N.Y.' blindstamps on the mounts, accompanied by a gelatin silver print of an unidentified farmhouse, circa 1903 (Stanford White's New York, pp. 218 and 228) (34)

Sotheby's New York, 28 April 2004, Sale 7987, Lot 107

These early mounted platinum prints are in generally very good to excellent condition. The corners of the mounts are all bumped, and some of the mounts are chipped.
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.

Henry W. Poor, son of railroad journalist, business editor, and artist Henry Varnum Poor, was a well-educated (Harvard, 1865), socially and financially prominent New York resident known for his love of literature, music, and art.  Financial publisher of the Railroad Manual and a securities broker, Mr. Poor was also a scholarly man who could read a dozen languages. His library rivaled the other great libraries of New York at that time, including those of James Lenox (one of the founders of the New York Public Library) and J. P. Morgan.

A close friend of the architect Stanford White, Poor was convinced by White to purchase the two buildings at 125 and 127 East 21^st Street, across Lexington Avenue from his own residence in the Gramercy Park enclave.  Instead of demolishing the building and constructing a new one, White preserved the exteriors and, from 1899 to 1901, completely renovated the interiors, 'among the most exquisite Stanford White ever devised,' showing 'him to the fullest as the great interior designer he was' (Lowe, p. 226).  The opulent mansion, with its emphasis on architectural elements and well-proportioned rooms, was filled with furnishings, ceilings, fireplaces, and doorways purchased by White in Europe--ceilings from Venice and Umbria, gold and silk portieres from Portugal, and a rare 12^th-century white marble Italian altar tabernacle (now housed at the Cloisters Museum).

Mr. Poor and his family lived in the mansion until his securities firm failed and he declared bankruptcy in 1907.  The mansion's contents were sold in 1909 in a four-day sale.  The mansion was later demolished to make way for the construction of 1 Lexington Avenue.

For more information, see David Garrard Lowe, Stanford White's New York, pp. 218-29, and The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Vol. 16, pp. 33-4