a group of 7 photographs of Architecture in Salem, Cambridge, Somerville, and Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, each mounted, several with annotations in pencil on the reverse, circa 1930 (American Photographs, Part Two, pl. 26) (7)

These photographs are on semi-glossy to glossy paper. The highlights are warm-toned, and the photographs appear to have darkened with age. Varying degrees of silvering are visible in the dark areas of the images. Signs of age and wear -- edge chipping, small scratches, swipes, and impressions -- are visible upon close examination on all of the prints. The mounts show age-darkening, soiling, and edge wear, with a few small losses to some of the mount corners. House with two peaks - On the reverse of the mount, 'Salem' is written in an unidentified hand in pencil. Wooden Gothic Revival House, Cambridge, Massachusetts - On the reverse of the mount, 'Cambridge' is written in an unidentified hand in pencil. Unidentified (Small structure with trees) - This heavily silvered print is more matte-surface than the other photographs. This print has been conserved. In the lower left corner, small losses of emulsion along a 2-inch diagonal scratch were filled and in-painted. A treatment report is available from the department upon request. On the reverse of the mount, 'Walker Evans' and '31' are written in an unidentified hand in pencil. Gothic Revival House with Pointed-Arch Windows, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts - On the reverse of the mount, 'W Evans' and '7' are written in an unidentified hand in pencil. Gothic Revival House, Somerville, Massachusetts - This heavily silvered print is more matte-surface than the other photographs. On the reverse of the mount, '6' is written in an unidentified hand in pencil Gothic Revival House Behind Brick Wall, Salem, Massachusetts - There are significant abrasions to the mount, but which do not appear to affect the print. On the reverse of the mount, 'Salem' is written in an unidentified hand in pencil. Second Empire House with Bell-Shaped Dormer in Pediment, Cambridge, Massachusetts - This heavily silvered print is more matte-surface than the other photographs. On the reverse of the mount, '6' is written in an unidentified hand in pencil.
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.

This group of photographs by Walker Evans dates from the early 1930s, when the photographer was enlisted by Lincoln Kirstein and his colleague, architectural historian John Brooks Wheelwright, to produce images for a book on 19^th-century American architecture.  Evans made many of these photographs in the company of Kirstein and Wheelwright as they drove around the Boston area on the hunt for distinctive architectural elements.  While the book was never realized, Kirstein organized an exhibition of 44 of these photographs at The Museum of Modern Art in 1933, under the title Walker Evans: Photographs of Nineteenth Century American Houses, which traveled to 14 other venues.  Evans would remain preoccupied with American architecture throughout his photographic career.       

The format and mounted presentation of the photographs offered here are similar to those in the 1933 MoMA exh💞ibition, and to another group of architectural images dating to the early 1930s originally owned by Kirstein and now in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The present photographs, recently found in New England, were almost certainly intended for exhibition.