Edward Weston

mounted, initialed and numbered '5/50' on the mount, numbered '11M' on the reverse, framed, 1925, no. 5 in a projected edition of 50 

Sotheby's New York, 1 November 1979, Sale 4295A, Lot 151

Conger 159; Edward Weston's Gifts to His Sister, p. 43; Edward Weston: A Photographer's Love of Life, p. 143

This early print, on paper with a slight surface sheen and mounted on a large, buff-colored heavy paper mount, is in generally very good condition. The periphery of the upper portion of the image exhibits a very slightly warm discoloration. In raking light, a pencil-point indentation that does not break the emulsion is visible in the lower right quadrant, as well as faint silvering in the dark areas at the periphery. The mount is age-darkened, particularly at the periphery, and has light soiling on the front and back. The corners are bumped, and there is a small paper loss at the lower right corner.
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, initialed and numbered '5/50' by the photographer in pencil on the mount, numbered '11M' by him in pencil on the reverse, matted, framed, 1925, no. 5 in a projected edition of 50 

This photograph was taken in the spring of 1925 in an estuary across from the harbor of San Francisco, where Weston was working between sojourns in Mexico.    

Conger points out that Weston made at least seven photographs of ships in the San Francisco harbor area, likely all on the same day in 1925.  Five of these studies, including the one offered here, depict The Daylight, a ship distinguished by the white figurehead of a woman on its prow.  Related ship images made at this time are reproduced in Conger 156, 157, and 159.  Conger suggests that one of these images (Conger 156) may have been the ship image exhibited in the important Film und Foto exhibition held in Stuttgart in 1929.

In a letter to five-year-old Cole, in southern California, Edward Weston tried to conjure up for his youngest son the vibrancy of the scene:

'The sun is just spreading its light over the great harbor of San Francisco – everything is clear and sparkling – little boats and big boats dot the water – great ocean liners – busy tugs – fishing smacks – ferries – a wonderfully beautiful sight – a place to dream is this' (Laughing Eyes, p. 34).

In his Negative Log, now in the collection of the Center for Creative Photography, Tucson, Weston notes that he made only 5 prints of this image.