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CAMERA WORK. Number 49/50.
CAMERA WORK. Number 49/50. Edited by Alfred Stieglitz. With 11 modernist photogravures by paul strand. 4to, original gray wrappers, front cover partially detached, chipped; several leaves loose. in a boards box with strand's and stieglitz's handwritten notations. New York, 1917
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Notes: the rare final issue, and a wonderful association copy.
From the collection of Milton Brown, an art historian and friend of Strand's, who wrote several articles about his work; to a New York collector.
The last issue of "Camera Work," dedicated to Strand's modernist imagery. Attempts to clarify the number of subscribers to Stieglitz's fine art journal have been difficult to confirm. However, research has indicated that interest in the publication waned over the years, despite Stieglitz's grand attempts to cultivate a sophisticated fine art audience of American readers.
Each of the plates are printed on a wove paper and feature Strand's refined abstractions. There are two "aerial" views, New York rooftops and shadow of a structure; the iconic White Picket Fence; a dynamically skewed scene of striated shadows; overlapping bowls; and 6 compelling street portraits, that undoubtedly pay homage to his teacher, Lewis Hine.
Includes eight photogravures titled "Photograph--New York," and three titled "Photograph."
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Condition: This beautiful copy of Camera Work Number 49/50 is in very good to excellent condition. The front cover is nearly fully detached and shows the usual chipping and small tears to the edges. The backstrip is split at the center and partially detached. There's offsetting on each of the facing leaves.
This rare, last issue of Stieglitz's publication is internally very clean. Nearly all of the photogravures are loose but are in fine condition. A few of the plates evidence a very faint, unobtrusive ink transfer (?): plate 1 at the very top margin (which is not near the image area), plate 8 (bird's-eye-view with 2 people) at the lower left corner and top margin; and plate 11 (Picket Fence) at the top and bottom margins.
The extreme bottom left corner of the margin of Plate 3 (Blind Woman) shows a small, soft crease and a tear about one-inch long (which starts at the bottom edge of the wove paper). And, there are residual glue spots on print verso of Plate 3, at the very top and bottom right corners.
The top edge of Plate 4 (woman in hat) shows small crimps at the topmargin. The very extreme upper left corner of Plate 6 (bearded man holding sandwich board) displays a triangular crease measuring about one-eighth of an inch. Plate 7 (bird's eye view with house) has a tiny tear measuring about 1/32 of an inch at the bottom edge.
Overall, the photogravures of Strand's modernist photographs are very rich, with dark, velvety blacks and contrasting,striking whites.
In a boards box with Strand's and Stieglitz's handwritten notations.
From the collection of Milton Brown, an art historian and friend of Strand's, who wrote several articles about his work; to a New York collector.
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