Man Ray

mounted on tan paper, signed and annotated 'Paris' in ink on the mount, mounted again to thick gray paper, circa 1925

Private collection, acquired from a gallery in Hamburg, circa 1970s

Sotheby's New York, 28 April 2004, Sale 7987, Lot 188

This rare, early print is on velvety double-weight paper with a matte surface. Its rich tonality subtly transitions from charcoal black to creamy white. This photograph is in generally excellent condition. Faint age-appropriate silvering is visible in the darkest areas when viewed in raking light. Upon very close examination, the following are visible: a one-inch thin deposit of original retouching to the left of sitter's eyebrow; a small, transparent brown deposit of indeterminate nature in the upper right quadrant; a few, faint, linear scuffs and surface scratches that do not appear to break the emulsion overall; and an eraser-head-sized matte droplet deposit in the lower right quadrant. This photograph is trimmed to the image, and there is some minor wear and chipping, primarily along the lower left edge. None of these detract in any way from the fine appearance of this scarce, early print. The photograph is mounted to tan paper, and mounted again to a larger sheet of gray paper. The photograph is lifting from the primary mount along the left, right, and bottom edges. The tan paper mount is torn in several places, which does not affect the print. The gray paper mount is worn at the corners and has a 1/2-inch loss along the left 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.

The sitter in this mysterious photograph is the English barrister Harry Edwards Melvill (1866-1931), a member of the social and artistic circles in France and England at the turn of the last century.  Oxford-educated, Melvill worked for British intelligence during the First World War.   His long-time partner was the actor and playwright Cosmo Gordon-Lennox, and he counted amongst his friends both Oscar Wilde and Jean Cocteau.   In his later years, he was part of a society set that revolved around the Duchess of Carracciolo at the Villa Olga in Dieppe, the center of a notable expatriate English community.   Melvill’s tapered, elegant hands are a prominent feature in the portrait of him painted by Jacques-Emile Blanche. 

The meaning of this extraordinary photograph remains, at present, obscure.  Melvill’s face is partially covered, possibly by stiff, folded paper.   Is he mimicking the act of photographing?  Was this originally intended as a study of hands?  Was the vain Melvill attempting to hide his aging face?   Or is this a sly reference to Melvill’s work with the censorship bureau of British intelligence during the War?

Another print of this image is owned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a gift of the photographer Carl Van Vechten in 1949; that print is inscribed on the reverse ‘Harry Melvill (friend of Oscar Wilde).’   At the time of this writing, two other prints are known: one sold at Sotheby’s Belgravia in 1978, originally from the collection of Richard Smart, a gift to him from Melvill; and one offered in Galerie Rudolf Kicken’s Katalog 6, possibly the Sotheby’s Belgravia print.