Adam Clark Vroman

platinum print, with credit and '#23' in pencil on the reverse, circa 1904

Andrew Smith Gallery, Santa Fe

Private collection

Christie's New York, 29 April 1999, Sale 9150, Lot 113

This skillfully-rendered platinum print is in generally excellent condition. A remarkable level of detail is visible, from the drawings on the rock face to the ascending figure. There is some warm-toned discoloration on the reverse which does not affect the image.
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.

Adam Clark Vroman spent almost a decade photographing Southwestern pueblo tribes and their cultures after witnessing a Hopi snake dance performance in 1895.  Working with a large-format camera and printing mainly in platinum, Vroman created a body of work that is distinguished by its sensitivity.  His photographs have neither the rigidity of formal ethnographic studies, nor the sentimentality of Pictorialism, the then-current trend in photography. 

The present photograph comes from Vroman’s last trip to the Southwest, and his only to Canyon de Chelley.  Located in the northeast corner of Arizona, Canyon de Chelley derives its name from the Navajo, meaning ‘among the cliffs.’  Vroman’s photograph is not a study of the noted White House ruins, but rather the scale of canyon, the texture of the sandstone, the ascending figure in the immense space, and the famous pictographs of the Spanish Conquistadors on their horses.  Over one hundred Navajo were massacred by the Conquistadors during the winter of 1804-05.   

Vroman did not print his images in great quantities, and his individual platinum prints are scarce.  Most of his output was bound into albums Vroman made for himself and for friends who shared his interests.  The majority of these albums now reside in institutional collections, among them the Pasadena Public Library, The Huntington Library, The Autry National Center of the Museum of the American West, and the Denver Art Museum.