Brett Weston

mounted, signed and dated on the mount, initialed, numbered '22' (circled), and annotated 'Vintage Print' and '$15.00' on the reverse, framed, 1935

The Halsted Gallery, Michigan, as agent for the photographer, 1977

This early print, slightly warm-toned and on paper with a surface sheen, is mounted to slick light gray board. It is in generally excellent condition. The mount has several pale rust-colored deposits of indeterminate nature that are scattered overall and are concentrated in the lower left portion. These do not intrude upon the print and do not affect its otherwise very attractive appearance.
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 full catalogue information for this lot is as follows:

mounted, signed and dated by the photographer in pencil on the mount, initialed, numbered '22' (circled), and annotated 'Vintage Print' and '$15.00' by him in pencil on the reverse, matted, framed, 1935

In this image, the young Brett Weston brought his modernist vision to bear on a Ford Trimotor airplane.  The innovative aircraft was in production from 1926 to 1933, and was the Ford Company's first foray into aviation.  Nicknamed the Tin Goose, the Trimotor's design featured three air-cooled engines, which rendered it an extremely stable flier, and the novel application of light-weight corrugated aluminum for the outer skin of the aircraft.  Norman McLean, in his classic volume Young Men and Fire, writes that the Trimotor, with its relatively small hatch, was the favorite plane of smokejumpers.  It was also one of the first airplanes designed to carry passengers for commercial purposes.    

The plane's highly reflective corrugated surface presented Weston with an interesting compositional, as well as a technical, challenge.  In this print of the image, Weston was able to maintain an impressive amount of textural detail in the highlights, without sacrificing intensity or detail in the dark areas that mass around the plane.  The repetitive linearity of the plane's fuselage accentuates a complex composition of opposing diagonals that is completely balanced.  This same aesthetic sensibility can be seen in other early Weston images, especially Tin Roof, Mexico, 1925 (Brett Weston: Master Photographer, pl. 6), as well as in later images, such as Grain Silo, Oregon, 1975 (ibid., pl. 94), to say nothing of the dune studies he made throughout his career.