2 photographs, including 'The Defendant' and 'The Witness,' each mounted, signed, titled, and dated in pencil on the mount, the photographer's 'Dorothea Lange, 1163 Euclid Avenue, Berkeley, 8, California' studio label and a 'Photography Collection of the Polaroid Corporation' label, with typed credit, title, and process and accession information in ink, on the reverse, 1955, printed no later than 1958 (MoMA, p. 78; Photographs of a Lifetime, p. 150; Photography in America, p. 145; Davis, pp. 52 and 96, cropped variant; Heart and Mind of a Photographer, pp. 148 and 213, cropped variant) (2)

Each acquired from the photographer in June 1958 for the Library Collection

'The Defendant' - This print, on paper with a slight surface sheen and mounted to slick cream-colored heavy card, is in very good to excellent condition. Tiny strips of dry-mounting tissue extend slightly beyond the print along the lower edge. When examined in raking light, the following are visible: 6 raised areas between the mount and print, as if very small particles are trapped; and several tiny deposits of original retouching. The mount is lightly soiled, its edges are slightly rubbed, and there is faint age-darkening at the periphery. There are 4 remnants of cloth tape on the reverse. 'The Witness' - This print, on paper with a slight surface sheen and mounted to slick cream-colored heavy card, is in very good to excellent condition. Tiny strips of dry-mounting tissue extend slightly beyond the print along the left, upper, and lower edges. When examined in raking light, the following are visible: a crescent-shaped crease at the center right that does not break the emulsion; a tiny raised area in the lower right above the edge where a particle is likely trapped; and several small transparent deposits of indeterminate nature, in the right and left central portion of the print. The mount is lightly soiled, its edges are slightly rubbed, and there is faint age-darkening at the periphery. There is light soiling and 3 remnants of cloth tape on the reverse.
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.