Eugène Atget

albumen print, numbered '3869' in the negative, titled and numbered '3869' in pencil and with '63' in red crayon on the reverse, framed, circa 1900 (Atget's Seven Albums, p. 384)

Hyperion Press, Ltd., New York

Irving Galleries, Palm Beach, 2000

Grading this photograph on a scale of 1 to 10 -- a 10 being an albumen print with rich dark brown tones and highlights that retain all of their original detail -- this print rates an 8. While the dark tones remain rich and there is a high level of detail, the highlights have yellowed somewhat, particularly along the lower edge. When this print is examined closely in raking light, handling creases can be seen on the surface overall, none of which appears to break the emulsion. There is a pen-point-sized yellowed area in the central portion of the image. The upper left corner is clipped, and the tip of the upper right corner is folding back slightly. The reverse of the print is appropriately age-darkened at its periphery.
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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 mid-17th century shop pictured above was located originally on Paris’s Ile Saint-Louis.  The facade of the structure, lacking the original doors and decorative carved elements, was acquired by J. P. Morgan and given to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1920.  It is currently on view in the Museum's Wrightsman Galleries.