Lot 5
  • 5

Ansel Adams

Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 USD
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Description

  • Ansel Adams
  • 'PORTFOLIO TWO: THE NATIONAL PARKS & MONUMENTS'
  • Gelatin silver prints
(San Francisco: self published, 1950, an edition of 100 and 5 presentation copies), a portfolio of 15 photographs, each mounted, signed and numbered sequentially in pencil on the mount, the portfolio stamp, sequential numbers and '47' in red pencil, on the reverse, framed, 1942-49, printed in 1950; together with the letterpress title, poem by Walt Whitman, plate list, and colophon, with '47' in red pencil.  Folio, silver-stamped black and white cloth portfolio with flaps and ties, no. 47 in a total edition of 105

Provenance

Sotheby's New York, 26 April 1990, Sale 6004, Lot 133

Condition

These prints are in generally excellent condition. The mounts are faintly darkened at the edges. The plates are as follows: 1. Noon clouds, Glacier National Park, Montana, 1942 2. Forest, early morning, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, 1949 3. Dunes, hazy sun, White Sands National Monument, Mexico, 1941 - Upon close examination, a very small, film-like adhesion is visible in the lower right quadrant of this highly detailed image. 4. White House Ruin, morning, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona, 1949 5. From Hurricane Hill, Olympic National Park, Washington, 1948 6. Moth and stump, Interglacial Forest, Glacier Bay National Monument, Alaska, 1949 7. Sentinel Rock, winter dusk, Yosemite National Park California, 1944 8. Afternoon sun, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, 1943 9. In Joshua Tree National Monument, California, 1942 10. Rain, Beartrack Cove, Glacier Bay National Monument, Alaska, 1949 11. Dead tree, Sunset Crater National Monument, Arizona, 1947 12. Zabriskie Point, late evening, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, 1942 - A few tiny deposits of original retouching are visible in the lower portion of the image. 13. Old Faithful Geyser, late evening, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, 1942 14. The Atlantic, Schoodic Point, Acadia National Park, Maine, 1949 15. Dawn, Autumn forest, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, 1948 - A small mounting crease is visible upon very close examination near the lower edge of the print. The portfolio case is in generally fair condition. The laminated white cloth is yellowed and soiled. The spine and folds along the flaps appear somewhat fragile and are cracked in parts. On the lower flap is a small printed label: '6004 133.' The front matter is somewhat age-darkened.
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.