Martin Munkácsi

ferrotyped, the photographer's 'Mauritius-Verlag, Berlin-Verlag' copyright, his 'Berlin—Wilmersdorf, Sächsische Str. 65' studio, his 'Berlin—Schöneberg, Erfurter Str. 9' studio (crossed out), and his 'Wilmersdorf, Sächsische Str. 65, Berlin, Germany' studio and reproduction rights stamps, and a typed caption label with credit, caption, and copyright on the reverse, circa 1930

Winn Doubleday Gallery, Ocean Ridge, Florida

Sotheby's New York, 18 April 1997, Sale 6979, Lot 316

Photographie (Arts et Métiers Graphiques, 1931), p. 87

Robert Marks, 'Portrait of Munkácsi,' Coronet, January 1940, p. 24

Nancy White and John Esten, Style in Motion (New York, 1979), p. 59

Retrospecktive Fotografie: Martin Munkácsi (Bielefeld/Düsseldorf, 1980), p. 50

Aperture: Martin Munkácsi (Millerton, 1992), cover and unpaginated

F. C. Gundlach, ed., Martin Munkácsi (New York: International Center of Photography, 2006), frontispiece and p. 101

Peter Baki, Eyewitness: Hungarian Photography in the Twentieth Century (Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2011), pl. 107

Maria Morris Hambourg and Christopher Phillips, The New Vision, Photography Between the World Wars (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1989), pl. 59

This early ferrotyped print, somewhat warm-toned and on double-weight paper, exhibits characteristics typical of the ferrotyping process: uneven glossing of the surface, most notably in the central portion of the print; and faint vertical striations near the left edge. The edges of the print are rubbed, and there are small losses of emulsion in the corners. Visible in raking light are the following: faint scuffing; deposits of original retouching, mostly near the left and right edges; a raised area of emulsion in the left boy's right foot; soft handling creases; and silvering. There is soiling on the reverse of the print, with deposits of indeterminate nature at the left edge and corners. In addition to the 4 stamps enumerated in the description, 'Elnzelf.' has been stamped at the upper right edge, and '(52' and '8e F' have been written in pencil.
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.

The present photograph, of boys bounding into the surf at Lake Tanganyika, is among Martin Munkácsi’s best-known images and embodies the dynamism that made him such a significant influence on the photography of the 20^th century.  Photographers as different from one another as Richard Avedon and Henri Cartier-Bresson acknowledged the formative impact Munkácsi had upon their work.  

"Probably in 1931 or 1932 I saw a photograph . . . of three black children running into the sea, and I must say that it is that very photograph which was for me the spark that set fire to the fireworks . . and made me suddenly realize that photography could reach eternity through the moment.  It is only that one photograph which influenced me.  There is in that image such intensity, spontaneity, such a joy of life, such a prodigy, that I am still dazzled by it even today." 

Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1977