EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THBA Photographer and his Camera, An Intimate Series of Photographs Including Self-Portraits and Family Snapshots
About Seller
6270 Este Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45232
United States
With offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver, Cowan’s holds over 40 auctions each year, with annual sales exceeding $16M. We reach buyers around the globe, and take pride in our reputation for integrity, customer service and great results. A full-service house, Cowan’s Auctions specializes in Am...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $500 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
About Auction
LiveNov 16, 2018
Cowan’s Fall American History: Premier Auction features over 200 lots including early photographs, documents, manuscripts, broadsides, flags, and more dating from the Revolutionary War period to the mid-20th Century, many representing important landmark moments in American history. Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com
View Full Catalog (222)
- Lot Description
Lot of 24 photographs by Herbert Stanton Smith (1855-1938) of Brooklyn, New York, ca 1890s-1910s. Most images mounted on paper with numbers and inscriptions, identifying sitters and locations or offering insight into Smith's photographic processes. Includes:
Four family snapshots set in an interior space (labeled "at 474" on mount, possibly a home address) taken in 1891. Images show three generations of the Smith family, and the artist has noted on mounts that he "ran in" on all exposures. The two young children are identified in each image by their full names, Dorothy and Oakley, or by first initials.
Three self-portraits from the 1890s, two of which feature Smith with his camera. Handwritten notes on mounts explain his processes, including the use of lights and/or mirrors to capture the image.
Seven cyanotypes of various subjects, including a landscape featuring the "Douglas and Turner families" at left, several self portraits with cameras, and the Smith family seated for a meal, all ca 1890-91.
Six photographs of Smith in costume. In four, he appears against a blank studio backdrop, clad in women's attire. He wears a long, dark gown with lace and tulle trim, along with a patterned shawl, brooch, and fan. A wig with a braid at the crown, hairnet, and long sausage curl completes the look. The remaining two show Smith dressed as a clown, with mismatched socks, baggy striped culottes, a crimped wig, floppy hat, and what appears to be a slate cradled in his left arm. Inscription on verso of first image in this series reads: "Photo. clown / Taken Apr. 5/12 - by A.O.S. / Costume as 'Chiquita' / 'Just escaped from a missionary barrel' Jany. 17/12 / 1st pose."
Two images taken at Drummond Falls, Saugerties, NY on September 6, 1891.
Two images taken at Kaaterskill High Peak, Hunter, NY on September 21, 1893.
Herbert Smith was born December 20, 1855 into one of Old New York's wealthy Knickerbocker families. After the death of his first wife in 1896, Smith married Harriet Sedgwick Merritt in 1904, and the couple had three children: Dorothy (b. 1888), Allan Oakley (b. 1891), and Eloessa (b. 1894). The family resided in Brooklyn, where according to early twentieth-century census records, Smith was self-employed, dabbling in both real estate and investments. Photography was likely a hobby he pursued in his spare time, evidenced here by the images taken on family vacations in upstate New York. According to ships' passenger logs, Smith also traveled to England, Ireland, and Bermuda. Dorothy and Eloessa both attended Vassar College, while Allan Oakley (the A.O.S. mentioned on the back of the clown photograph), graduated from Yale in 1914 and worked in Mt. Vernon, NY as a city forester. As World War I escalated, the younger Smith, who was engaged to opera singer Marguerite Lovewell, enrolled at an aviation school outside of Wilmington, DE. However, on the day before graduation, July 21, 1917, Allan Smith died in a plane crash. Herbert and Harriet were travelling out West at the time and did not hear of the fatal accident until after their son's funeral. Herbert Smith continued to reside in Brooklyn until his own death on January 25, 1938.
Provenance: Steve Roden Collection: Music in Vernacular PhotographsSome brittleness and discoloration, particularly to unmounted photographs.Condition
- Shipping Info
-
Buyers are required to pay for all packing, shipping and insurance charges. Overseas duty charges are the responsibility of the successful Bidder. Be aware that for larger and/or valuable items, shipping charges can be substantial. - If there is no shipping amount on listed your invoice, you will need to make arrangements to pick up or ship your purchase through an alternative shipping company. Our shipping department can be contacted at 513.871.1670 (ext. 219) or email shipping@cowans.com. - Shipping charges include insurance for your order while in transit. If you have private insurance we will adjust your charge to include only packing and shipping. - Please allow 14 – 21 days after payment to package and ship your purchase as carefully as possible.
-
- Buyer's Premium
