mounted, initialed  and dated in pencil on the mount, signed, titled, and dated in pencil on the reverse, 1941; accompanied by a manuscript letter to Ichiro Misumi, on the photographer's Wildcat Hill letterhead, signed and dated ’12-16-‘46’ by Weston in ink (Conger 1674) (2)

The photographer to Ichiro Misumi, 1946
By descent to the current owners

New York, The Museum of Modern Art, Edward Weston, February - March 1946

This photograph is on paper with a semi-glossy surface. Age-appropriate silvering can be seen in the print's dark areas. When examined closely in raking light, a faint crescent-shaped indentation can be seen just above the sitter's head. Also in raking light, a number of marks, likely fingerprints, are visible. These condition issues are not visible when the print is viewed straight-on in normal light. The photograph is mounted to thin, stiff board which has age-darkened considerably on the front. The age darkening on the reverse is far less pronounced, and is confined primarily to the edges. There are deposits of near-translucent paper-tape in the corners.
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.

Weston refers to this image in two separate letters he wrote to Ichiro Misumi.  In in the letter accompanying Lot 74, Weston asks which image of Charis Weston Misumi has requested: ‘Is it a 4x5 print shown in my retrospective at Civic Center? A head with slight smile, eyes down?’  A subsequent footnote indicates that he has clarified that this is, indeed, the portrait Misumi had indicated.  In the letter that accompanies this lot, Weston notes that this photograph ‘is the same print which was in my Museum of Modern Art “retrospective” in N. Y.’