Yasuhiro Ishimoto

a group of 3 photographs, each mounted, signed and 2 titled in pencil on the mount, 2 with Fort Dearborn Camera Club exhibition labels, signed, titled, and annotated with the photographer's '4827 N. Winthrop Chicago' address, and one inscribed 'This is my newest one. I hope you like. Y. Ishimoto,' in pencil on the reverse, 1940s (3)

These luminous photographs made for exhibition, on paper with a surface sheen and a pebbled texture, are in generally very good condition except where noted. The mounts are age-appropriately darkened and bumped or creased at the corners. Along the lower edge of each of the mounts there are tidelines (measuring between 1/4- and 4-inches high). 'Abstract Design' - In raking light, the following are visible: a few deposits of original retouching; and mounting irregularities along the right side of the print. On the reverse of the mount is the Fort Dearborn Camera Club exhibition label and annotation 'This is my newest one. I hope you like. Y. Ishimoto' in pencil. 'Spring Shadow' - In raking light, two 2-inch linear creases are visible in the upper central portion of the image. In the lower left quadrant, 2 small creases and 3 raised areas are visible; the raised areas may have occurred as a result of aging or as a failure of the mounting adhesive. On the reverse of the mount is the Fort Dearborn Camera Club exhibition label. Composition with Filament - The print is flush against the upper edge of the mount. The upper right corner is bent, which appears to break the emulsion ever-so-slightly.
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.

As indicated by the labels on their mounts, the early photographs offered here were submitted by Yasuhiro Ishimoto to the Fort Dearborn Camera Club, presumably for exhibition or competition.  In 1945, Ishimoto, born in San Francisco but raised in Japan, moved to Chicago to study architecture at Northwestern University after his release from the Amache Internment Camp in Colorado.  As a member and student of the Fort Dearborn Camera Club, however, Ishimoto encountered the writings of Gyorgy Kepes and László Moholy-Nagy and, in 1948, he transferred his studies to the more experimental Institute of Design.  There, Ishimoto studied photography under Aaron Siskind, Gordon Coster, and Harry Callahan, another member of the Fort Dearborn Camera Club, among others. 

In 1951, the Fort Dearborn Camera Club, established in 1924, merged with the Chicago Camera Club, founded in 1895, to form the Fort Dearborn-Chicago Camera Club.  It is known today as The Fort Dearborn-Chicago Photo Forum.