Pirkle Jones

mounted, signed in pencil and with the photographer's '2279 - 40th Avenue, San Francisco 16, Calif.' studio stamp and a 'Photography Collection of the Polaroid Corporation' label, with typed title, credit, and process and accession information in ink, on the reverse, 1952, printed no later than 1957 (California Photographs, frontispiece)

Acquired from the photographer in May 1957 for the Library Collection

This early print, on paper with a lustrous sheen and mounted to beige board, is in generally excellent condition. The print is matted on the reverse of the mount with 3 segments of cloth tape. The reverse of the mount is scuffed and lightly soiled.
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 photographer Pirkle Jones was long an associate of Ansel Adams, who selected several of Jones's images for the Library Collection.  Initially Adams's student at the California School of Fine Arts in 1946, Jones later served as Adams's assistant from 1947 to 1953.   In 1956, Jones collaborated with Dorothea Lange on a photographic essay of the Berryessa Valley, and with Adams in 1958 on a series of photographs of the Paul Masson Vineyards.   Early prints of Jones's now-classic photographs of San Francisco, several of which are offered in this catalogue, are scarce.