Jane Reece (1868-1961), Walter Frederick Seely (1886-1959), and Others

a group of 14 photographs, comprising 3 portraits of Modotti, one by Jane Reece; 3 Film Stills; Richéy Family Group by Walter Seely; Robo's Mother; 2 of Benvenuto Modotti; Modotti's Dog; Modotti's Funeral, 2 of Yolanda Modotti Magrini, circa 1900-1980 (14)

Gift of Modotti's sister, Yolanda Modotti Magrini, circa 1980, to Mildred Constantine (1913 – 2008), the founder of Tina Modotti studies, and the only Modotti biographer to have met the photographer

By descent to the present owner, 2009

These prints:

Mildred Constantine, A Fragile Life (New York, 1983), pp. 20-22, 25, 28-31, 33, 53, 57, and 188

Valentina Agostinis, Tina Modotti: Gli Anni Luminosi, pp. 21, 37, 39, and 40

Chrstiane Barckhausen-Canale, Verdad y Leyenda de Tina Modotti, p. 37

These prints, originally from a Modotti family album belonging to Yolanda Modotti Magrini, are in generally good to very good condition. Another print by Jane Reece appears in 'Soul Unbound: The Photographs of Jane Reece,' pl. 36. Most have slightly rubbed edges and bumped corners. Most have remnants of black paper on the reverse where they have been removed from the album pages. Tina Modotti at 4 Years, 1900 - This print has been trimmed as an oval and has '4 Years' written in the image in white ink. 'Tina Modotti, Natale (Christmas) 1918' - This print, on single-weight paper, exhibits some fading in the lower right quadrant. The corners are bumped and creased, and there is a tiny loss in the lower right corner. In raking light, small creasing is evident. The reverse is soiled, with adhesive remains. It is titled, dated, numbered '3' (circled), and annotated 'Natale' in pencil. Portrait of Tina by Jane Reece - This print, on warm-toned single-weight paper with a slight surface sheen, is worn at the edges. There are several sharp vertical creases at the left edge. At the right edge, there is a one-inch tear. In raking light, several handling creases not breaking the emulsion are visible. This image is usually dated 1919, but it has been dated 1921 in ink on the reverse. In addition, Tina Modotti's name and telephone number are written in a bold hand in pencil. The print has been numbered '15' and '31' in red crayon. Tina in exotic costume - This print, by Victoria Studio, is stamped, dated '1920,' and annotated in ink on the reverse. It is warm-toned and on double-weight matte-surface paper. The edges are rubbed, with tiny chipping at the left edge and top. The edges are bumped, and two are creased. There is silvering at the periphery, and there appear to be 2 linear abrasions in the upper right quadrant. The film stills are in very good condition. One with a male actor has white deposits of indeterminate nature at the right side. It also has the annotation 'Tina Modotti, Wils - 112' in pencil on the reverse. Richéy Family Group by Walter F. Seely - This warm-toned print, on double-weight paper with a matte surface is signed and dated in the negative. It is rubbed at the edges and has bumped and creased corners. Silvering is evident, particularly at the left and right edges. It has been numbered '5' (circled) on the reverse. Robo de Richéy's mother at his grave - This small print, on single-weight paper with a slight surface sheen, has a small ripple in the paper at the upper left corner. This does not affect the image. Benvenuto Modotti by Pietro Modotti (Tina's Uncle) - This carte de visite is somewhat soiled, and there is age-darkening at the edges. The credit, 'P. Modotti' and 'Udine, Via G. Carducci 1,' are printed in the lower margin of the carte. Tina's brother (probably Benvenuto) in a field gathering flowers - This small ferrotyped print has a printed border. There is a loss at the top edge. In raking light, several sharp creases are visible. Tina's dog - This print, on double-weight paper with a slightly pebbled surface, is in excellent condition. 'Tina's dog' and 'companion' are the annotations in ink on the reverse. Tina's Funeral, 1942 - This print, by Foto Mayo, is ferrotyped and on single-weight paper. When examined in raking light, several minor indentations are visible on the surface. There are reduction notations on the reverse in pencil, and it has been annotated 'Para papel couché' on the reverse. There are also the following numbers on the reverse: '100' and '#62' (in red crayon) and 'p.190,' '62' (underlined), and '11735' (both in pencil). Portraits of Yolanda Modotti Magrini - The earlier portrait is small and warm, with a ripple at the top, likely from a paper clip. There is a light gray linear mark that is faintly apparent in the sitter's face. The portrait from 1980 is ferrotyped, and also has a rippled indentation from a paper clip.
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.

These photographs and those in the lot following come originally from the collection of  the late Mildred Constantine (1913 – 2008), scholar, curator, author, editor, and the founder of Tina Modotti studies.  Constantine met Modotti in 1941, and is the only Modotti biographer to have met the photographer.

As an art historian, Constantine had encountered Modotti's images for Mexican Folkways in the 1920s.  In the 1930s, Constantine herself had traveled to Mexico, first as a graduate student in Mexican colonial art and later as a member of the Committee Against War and Fascism.  From 1948 to 1970, Constantine worked at The Museum of Modern Art, where she championed art that fell outside the mainstream—graphic, product and package design, typography, and posters—and in doing so, raised their status.  In addition to exhibitions about industrial and graphic designers Vignelli, Lustig, and Yokoo, she wrote scholarly works about art nouveau and package design.  Constantine's career at MoMA overlapped with that of Rene d'Harnoncourt, director of the museum from 1949 to 1967, and a member of Modotti's artistic and social circle in Mexico in decades prior.

After leaving the museum, Constantine was an independent consultant and curator and in 1971, while searching for photographs by Modotti for a proposed exhibition of her work at MoMA, she discovered more about the photographer's life.  In 1975, Constantine published Tina Modotti: A Fragile Life, the first monograph about the photographer.  The prints offered here were gifts to Constantine from Tina Modotti's sister, Yolanda Modotti Magrini, and are from a family album.  All were used to illustrate the book, and several have subsequently appeared in other books about the photographer.