Ansel Adams

mounted, signed on the mount, the 'Photograph by Ansel Adams for The American Trust Company' stamp, titled, numbered '1-SF-46,' and annotated 'Wells Fargo Bank' by Adams on the reverse, 1952, probably printed in the 1950s

Ansel Adams California, p. 19; The Pageant of History in Northern California, pl. 41

This early print of a rare Adams image is in generally fair condition. While the condition issues outlined below bear mentioning, it should be noted that they do not significantly undermine the appearance of this interesting photograph. The edges are lightly worn, resulting in minor chipping in the emulsion. There are 2 small areas of rubbing on the surface and a ½-inch linear deposit of indeterminate nature at the lower left portion, as well as two tiny circular, buff-colored deposits of indeterminate nature in the lower right quadrant. The 'Bank of America' sign in the lower portion of the print has been retouched in the negative. There are 3 tiny, barely noticeable rust-colored discolorations near the 'Bank of America' sign. The photograph has begun to pull away from its mount slightly in several places – this has been corrected by the application of archival rice paper hinges to the reverse of the print. The following are visible in raking light: silvering in the dark areas of the print; and pinpoint indentations and linear surface scratches visible throughout that do not break the emulsion. Many of these issues are noticeable only upon close inspection, and do not detract from the generally attractive quality of this early print. There is staining and soiling on the mount, including small circular grey stains, along the entire left edge that do not affect the image. On the reverse, brown paper tape is attached along all the edges, as well as remnants of masking tape along the top edge. There is a 12-inch linear graphite mark on the reverse that penetrates the stamp. On the reverse, the print is annotated with the negative number '1-SF-46' by the photographer in ink. The stamp on the reverse of the mount is not included in Karen Haas's and Rebecca Senf's book, 'Ansel Adams in the Lane Collection,' which has the most comprehensive list to date of the studio stamps and labels Adams used throughout his career.
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 by the photographer in ink on the mount, his 'Photograph by Ansel Adams for The American Trust Company' stamp, titled, numbered '1-SF-46,' and annotated 'Wells Fargo Bank' by him in ink on the reverse, matted, 1952, probably printed in the 1950s

In 1954, The American Trust Company commissioned San Francisco-based Ansel Adams to produce photographs of Northern California for a publication that would become The Pageant of History in Northern California. The book, with text by Nancy Newhall, honored the bank's centennial and was distributed to important clients. While Adams did include select photographs from his inventory, most of the photographs in the book were new, including the photograph offered here, San Francisco from Twin Peaks.

By 1960, The American Trust Company and Wells Fargo Bank had merged, and within two years, the company was known only as Wells Fargo. It is likely that Adams used 'The American Trust Company' stamp on the mount of the present photograph before 1960 and that the photograph was still in his possession when the merger occurred. Adams then presumably corrected the stamp to read 'Wells Fargo Bank [annotated by him in ink], The American Trust Company.' For a detail of this stamp, please see the additional illustration on www.sothebys.com.

As in his famous photograph, Winter Sunrise, Adams retouched the present image to remove details he found distracting. In this case, it was the Bank of America sign that appeared on one of the buildings. At the time, Bank of America was a competitor of Wells Fargo, who had commissioned the photograph. In Conversations with Ansel Adams (University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library, 1972-75), the photographer had this to say:

'...the cloud shadow was just coming on City Hall. There's a very funny thing about this: Down here, at the west end of Market Street, is a Bank of America sign, and we had to take that out. No one would know it had ever been there! In fact, the engraver's retoucher put in a couple of extra buildings so you can't see it. It was a great big sign, "Bank of America." [Laughter] Perhaps not 'purist' photography, but...'

While it is true that the 'Bank of America' sign is not visible in the printed version of the photograph in The Pageant of History in Northern California, it is visible, albeit retouched and less noticeable, in the photograph offered here.