Paul Strand

American, 1890–1976

Wall Street, 1915

Platinum-palladium print
10.13 x 12.63 in. (25.73 x 32.08 cm.)
Frame: 25 x 22 x 1 in. (63.5 x 55.88 x 2.54 cm.)
Numbered "AP" in pencil on verso; blindstamped on colophon accompanying the print

Printed 1976–1977
AP of 10 aside from edition of 100
Richard Benson, prntr.

Lot ID

142531
Ending
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Susanna Wenniger
Head Of Photographs

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Lot Details

About This Lot

This impression was printed in 1976/77. The accompanying colophon states that Richard Benson printed the image under the supervision of Paul Strand. The colophon also is annotated "AP" and bears the blindstamp of the Paul Strand Archive, Silver Mountain Foundation (Aperture Foundation's name at the time of edition's production). All the platinum prints from this edition were printed by Richard Benson in 1976/77.

Paul Strand's Wall Street is one of the most recognizable and iconic modernist photographs of the twentieth century. It captures the movement of Wall Street workers commuting in the morning light past the monumental Morgan Trust Company building. The workers' small stature, and their reduction to silhouettes against the massively overwhelming structure in the background, allow for an empathetic reading of the photograph. There is clearly a complicated relationship between this developing new metropolis and the people who reside within it. Strand's Wall Street is an early example of the growing trend towards pure photography, also called straight photography, or the attempt to capture a scene as realistically and objectively as possible without the use of manipulation. This movement, championed by the Group f/64, became prevalent in the 1930s as a reaction against the soft-focus pictorialism which had previously been dominant in photographic community.

The work is accompanied by text by Milton Brown, 1983. The copyright date 1984 for the edition is printed and blindstamped on the colophon. The entire edition was ready for distribution in 1984.

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The seller has recorded the following condition for this lot:
Please contact Amelia Wilson at awilson@artnet.com to receive the condition report for this lot.

Definition Key
Area
Image The central image area, composition, or focal point; the area inside the margins/plate marks.
Margin Areas bordering the central image, outside the plate marks, or the perimeter area.
Edge The farthest edge of the object.
Verso The reverse/back of the object.



Degree
Minor An existing condition which generally does not involve risk of loss.
Moderate Noticeable damage, increasing in severity and/or size; should be monitored or corrected by a conservator.
Major Distinct, recognizable damage; the stability of the work is questionable and risk is a factor. Requires the attention of a conservator.
Extreme Advanced and severe damage; work is insecure and at great risk.

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Provenance:
  • Aperture Foundation, New York
  • Private Collection, Conneticut
  • Private Collection, New York
Exhibition:
  • (Another impression) Paul Strand: Master of Modern Photography, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania, October 21, 2014–January 4, 2015.
  • Ships From: New York, USA
  • Shipping Dimensions: 25 x 22 x 1 in. (63.5 x 55.88 x 2.54 cm.)
  • Frame Material: Wood
  • Framed Under: Plexi
Accepted: Wire Transfer
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