Edward Weston

mounted, initialed and dated in pencil on the mount, signed, titled, dated, and numbered '47SO' in pencil on the reverse, 1936, probably printed in the 1940s

Acquired by Homer A. Jones, Jr., from the photographer, around 1952

Other prints of this image:

Conger 945

Merle Armitage, ed., Fifty Photographs: Edward Weston (New York, 1947), p. 13

Nancy Newhall, ed., Edward Weston: The Flame of Recognition (New York, 1997), p. 47

Ben Maddow, Edward Weston: Fifty Years (Millerton, 1973), p. 168

James Enyeart, Edward Weston's California Landscapes (Boston, 1984), pl. 15 

Jennifer Watts, Edward Weston, A Legacy (The Huntington Library, 2003), pl. 18

In addition to the print of this image in the Center for Creative Photography, Tucson, Conger locates prints in the following institutional collections: Harrison Memorial Library, Carmel; Art Institute of Chicago; George Eastman House, Rochester; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Special Collections, University of California, Santa Cruz (a Project Print); San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and the Springfield Museum of Art, Missouri. This luminous print, on paper with a surface sheen and mounted to cream-colored board, is in generally excellent condition. When examined very closely in high raking light, the following are visible: a very faint ¾-inch surface scuff in the upper left quadrant; and a few tiny matte deposits, likely original retouching. ¼-inch from the edges of the print, there is a thin band of the mount that is age-darkened. There is also minimal light-colored soiling from handling on the front and reverse of the mount.
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.

This iconic Edward Weston dunes study was purchased directly from the photographer by Homer A. Jones, Jr., around 1952.  Jones, a native of Bristol, Tennessee, was an active and successful attorney, certified public accountant, and businessman, as well as a talented amateur photographer.  When Jones learned that photographs could be purchased from Weston by mail, he corresponded with the photographer and acquired the print offered here.