Lot 4
  • 4

Karl Struss

Estimate
6,000 - 9,000 USD
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Description

  • Karl Struss
  • 5th Avenue At 36th Street
  • signed, titled, and with annotations in pencil on the reverse
  • sepia-toned platinum print
  • 3¾ by 4¾ in.; 9.5 by 12.1 cm.
  • Executed circa 1912.
sepia-toned platinum print, signed, titled, and with annotations in pencil on the reverse, circa 1912 (Man with a Camera, p. 54)

Literature

Susan and John Harvith, Karl Struss: Man with a Camera, Lansing, 1976, p. 54

Condition

This highly-detailed sepia-toned platinum print is in generally excellent condition. It is trimmed to the image, and there is some slight wear and minor chipping along the edges. The reverse of the print is slightly darkened at the periphery. The following is written in an unidentified hand in pencil: '(C) Karl Struss Not To Be Reproduced,' '5'108,' '225,' and '16.'
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.

Catalogue Note

The bustling metropolis was a favorite subject of Manhattan-born photographer Karl Struss, who captured its architecture, skyline, and inhabitants at different times of day and night.  When Struss photographed 5th Avenue at 36th Street in 1912, luxury retailers were infiltrating this otherwise residential district.  B. Altman department store commanded Fifth Avenue between 34th and 35th Streets.  Other Fifth Avenue giants nearby included Tiffany & Co.; the famed millinery Kurzman Brothers; C. G. Gunter’s Sons, Manhattan’s premier purveyor of furs and sables; and the headquarters of Astor Trust Co. While the architecture of the area may have changed, it remains a shopping destination to this day with Lord & Taylor’s flagship store – opened in 1916 – still located on Fifth Avenue between 38th and 39th Streets.