O. G. Rejlander

2 photographs, comprising an arched-top albumen print and a vignetted oval salt print of Hands Holding a Clay Ewer, both mounted, the second signed, titled 'Study of Hands,' and numbered 'No. 2' in ink on the mount, both framed, Buhl Collection and Guggenheim Museum exhibition labels on the reverse, 1850s (2)

William L. Schaeffer Photographs, Chester, Connecticut

Hans P. Kraus, Jr., Inc., New York, 1994

New York, Guggenheim Museum, Speaking with Hands: Photographs from The Buhl Collection, June - September 2004, and the salt print to 4 other international venues through 2007 (see Appendix 1)

The albumen print:
West Palm Beach, Norton Museum of Art, A Show of Hands: Photographs and Sculpture from the Buhl Collection, January - March 2008

Seoul, South Korea, Daelim Contemporary Art Museum, Speaking with Hands: Photographs from The Buhl Collection(Asian tour), March - May 2009, and 2 other Asian venues through 2011 (see Appendix 1)

The salt print:
Middletown, Delaware, Warner Gallery at St. Andrew's School, In Good Hands: Selected Works from the Buhl Collection, October - November 2011

Jennifer Blessing, Speaking with Hands: Photographs from The Buhl Collection (Guggenheim Foundation, 2004), pp. 60 and 242 (these prints)

Study of Hands (oval salt print) - This salt print is overall slightly yellow in tonality. The print maintains good depth of detail in the center of the image, but appears to have faded towards the periphery. Upon close examination, evidence of minor foxing is visible on the image and mount. The mount is soiled, and the corners are bumped. On the reverse of the mount, 'MXTTB / 1232' and 'GA' are written in pencil.Study of Hands (arched-top albumen print) - Grading this albumen print on a scale of 1 to 10 -- 10 being an albumen print that has deep brown dark tones and highlights that retain all of their original detail -- this print rates 8. The tones are generally strong and rich. Upon close examination, the following are visible: a 3-and-1/2-inch tear extending from the upper image edge, with smaller starburst-shaped tears visible near the vessel; and tiny losses along the right and upper left edges. In high raking light, deposits of original retouching are visible in the lower right corner, as are graphite marks in the upper arched corners. The print is mounted to thin card that exhibits heavy foxing. The mount corners are bumped, and there is a one-inch tear along the upper mount edge.
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.