Umbo (Otto Umbehr)

oversized, the photographer's estate/copyright stamp, signed and dated by his daughter, Phyllis Umbehr, in ink, and with annotation '851-19/A' in pencil on the reverse, 1952, probably printed in the late 1950s

Villa Grisebach Auktionen, Berlin, 23 November 2000, Lot 1476

Herbert Molderings, Umbo: Otto Umbehr, 1902-1980 (Düsseldorf, 1995), pl. 136 (variant)

This very large print, on double-weight paper with a slight surface sheen, is in generally excellent condition. The edges are rubbed, with small attendant chipping, and the corners are rounded. The area of the print near the lower right corner is very slightly warm-toned. The white specks visible in the bay/water area in the right portion of the print are in the negative. When examined in raking light, the following are visible: small deposits of original retouching and soft handling creases, none of which breaks the emulsion. When examined with ultraviolet light, this print appears to fluoresce somewhat.
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.

Umbo (Otto Umbehr) was among twenty German photographers and journalists invited by the United States government to come to America as part of its post-war re-education program.  The photographs of the Bauhaus-trained Umbo captured the dynamism of the time, and he brought his penchant for unconventional vantage points into his work as a photojournalist.  The German group traveled for three months, along the East Coast from New York to Washington, south to New Orleans, west to California, and returned east by way of Colorado, Kansas, and Chicago.  Umbo was particularly fascinated with structural and industrial aspects of the country and made a number of photographs of the Golden Gate Bridge.  This was his last large-scale photographic project.