BEN SHAHN | Family of Negro Sharecropper, Little Rock, Arkansas

annotated '6019M4' in pencil on the reverse, 1935

The photographer to John Cunningham, 1936 Acquired from the above by the present owner

Ben Shahn, Photographer: An Album from the Thirties (New York, 1973), pl. 80

This photograph, trimmed to the image and on semi-matte surface paper, is in generally excellent condition. When examined extremely closely in high raking light, the following are visible: a 1/2 inch crease which does not appear to break the emulsion in the upper right quadrant, and a few small hairline scratches overall. There is minor wear to the edges of the print. The paper is very faintly rippled at the upper and lower edges. There are some minor abrasions on the reverse. The photograph is hinged to a support along the upper edge on the reverse. When examined under ultraviolet light, this print does not appear to fluoresce.
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.

Unlike his glossy prints made for reproduction, the two Ben Shahn photographs offered here (Lots 198 and 199) are on the lush matte-surface, double-weight paper that the artist favored for exhibition.  These photographs come originally from the collection of John Cunningham, who, in addition to his job as a manufacturer of store mannequins, was employed in 1936 by the Resettlement Administration (RA) as Chief Designer of the Department of Exhibitions. In this position, Cunningham planned traveling exhibitions featuring RA photographers such as Shahn, Walker Evans, and Dorothea Lange. Another print of Family of Negro Sharecropper and Rehabilitation Client is in the Ben Shahn Archive at the Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Cambridge, M. A.