signed, dated, and annotated 'top' and '(courtesy Egan Gallery, N. Y. C.)' by the photographer in ink and numbered '7' (circled) in an unidentified hand in pencil on the reverse, matted, 1942, printed no later than 1954

Private Collection, New York

By descent to the present owners

Jan Howard, Interior Drama: Aaron Siskind's Photographs of the 1940s (Rhode Island School of Design, 2003, in conjunction with the exhibition at the Museum of Art), p. 43

This early, luminous, slightly warm-toned print, on double-weight paper with a semi-glossy surface, is in generally very good to excellent condition. The edges are lightly rubbed, and there are two minute emulsion losses at the lower edge. The corners are very slightly bumped. When examined in raking light, a very small soft handling crease is visible in the upper left quadrant of the print, and an extremely faint, soft 4 1/2-inch indentation is somewhat visible in the lower left quadrant of the print. There is slight age-darkening on the reverse of the print.
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 notation on t𒐪he reverse of this photograph refers to the Egan Gallery in New York, where exhibitions of Siskind's photographs were held in the late 1940s and early 1950s (see also Lots 198 and 199)𒐪. 

Painter Barnett Newman introduced Siskind to gallerist Charles Egan in 1947.  Egan showed the work of New York painters, such as Franz Kline and Willem de Kooning, long before their artistic contributions  received widespread acknowledgement, and certainly before handling the work was a lucrative prospect.  Egan's willingness to show unproven art led him to offer Siskind a series of one-man exhibitions.  The first show in 1947, titled Aaron Siskind: 30 Recent Photographs, was the first time E🌠gan's gallery had ever exhibited photographs, and it would not be the last.  Between 1947 and 1954, the gallery held five solo exhibitions of Siskind's work.