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Thread: Ansel Adams Fakes

  1. #11

    Ansel Adams Fakes

    Bill,
    I made it very clear in my first post that I am a collector of photography related items. Why does someone purchase a peice of art? Simply for visual satisfaction or investment purposes, hoping that someday it might be worth something. I purchased that copy negative because not only did I have a print of that image (which was larger then the copy negative itself) but it is something neat to have in your collection if your a collector. I have already reseached it abit, and found that it was most likly used in the production of one of the earlier printings of "The Negative" by Ansel Adams. You can lay the negative on top of the image in the book, and it matches up perfectly. When I get back to work on Thusday, I will reseach it more to try to find out more about what it was used for. I will be glad to post scans or text of the information I found.

    Just for your information, I also own 8x10 copy negatives of a few Edward Weston's images. One of "Pepper #30", a portrait of a man, and one of the chambered nautilius. These were all made by Brett before Edwards death and I am unsure of these reason of making them. Althought, I have came acrost several loose Edward Weston prints made from copy negatives in the CCP's collection, printed mainly by Brett.

    I could easily make myself a beautiful print of Pepper #30, but I have no desire or reason to atempt to print from ANY of these copy negatives I own, mainly out of respect for the photographer and preserving their vision in crafting the fine print. When a print is made of a photographers negatives by another photographer, the original vision is manipulated and lost, unless the photographer who made the image is there to instruct the printer and aprove the print.

    There is one photographer that I know that still makes prints of "copy negatives" but he is the grandson of a famous photographer, and makes these prints for educational purposes only...then the print is destroyed. Althought there is no laws ect to stop him from printing these, but he knows that a "Fine print" cannot be truly obtained by a reproduction negative.

    If you have any other questions for me, or are interested in discussing this topic with me in person, feel free to email me.

    Thanks,

    Ryan McIntosh

  2. #12

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    Ansel Adams Fakes

    "Althought there is no laws ect to stop him from printing these, but he knows that a "Fine print" cannot be truly obtained by a reproduction negative."

    Ryan,

    While I would agree with you generally. My reading of the Daybooks indicates that many if not most of Edward Weston's portraits were negative enlargements from Graflex negs. This includes many of the 20's and early 30's nudes, the Mexico portraits, etc. It may even include the Charis shots as well (though I have not read that this is the case). This is the same camera that Brett used for his earliest shots in Mexico.

  3. #13

    Join Date
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    Ansel Adams Fakes

    Mike - I think the difference here is not that it is an enlargement/copy of a neg (that sense of reproduction)...

    but rather that they are negatives shot in a repro camera with the necessary screens for lithographic reproduction. So - a print made from that negative would have a halftone (or stochiastic) screen pattern.

    I could be wrong.

  4. #14

    Ansel Adams Fakes

    Mike,
    You are correct. In the very early Weston years, Ed used a 2 1/4x31/4 Graphex camera. A VERY large portion of his early portraits were made with this camera, along with a very famous series of nudes of his son Neil. His nudes of Charis however were made with his 8x10 and 4x5.
    At a later date, these were enlarged and made into copy negatives for the ease of contact printing by Edward and Brett. If you would like to see some truly wonderful examples, The Center For Creative Photographer here in Tucson, AZ has his "box set" of 2x3 platinum prints of Neil on display in the gallery, along with 8x10 silver prints from these negatives.

    Thanks,

    Ryan McIntosh

  5. #15

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    Ansel Adams Fakes

    Ryan, I thought Weston's first Graflex camera was 3.25x4.25. Incidentally, there has been much speculation on the forums about exactly how both Weston and Paul Strand made their enlarged negatives. Do you have any information about that?
    Wilhelm (Sarasota)

  6. #16

    Ansel Adams Fakes

    Bill,
    Sorry...that was a typo on my behalf. It was a 3 1/4 x 4 1/4, not 2 1/4 x 3 1/4.
    As for how Weston and Strand enlarged negatives... I am unsure off the top of my head, but I will be glad to get the answer for you (and anyone else wondering) on Thursday when I return to work. I have not done much research into Strands work, but I will surly find out on Thursday. We are currently working on a VERY large project at the Center which will make the complete collection of over 70,000 "fine prints" available for research online. We are in the process of scanning every print in our collection from every photographer, and along with each image will include the title, date, size, photographic process, where and when it was exhibited, and when and where it was published.
    We are also scanning Edwards COMPLETE Negative Log book so viewers online will be able to virtually flip thru the pages of his book to research a certain negative that he made. We are doing the same with both his Daybooks and many important letters from Edward. You will be able to view the actual handwritten pages, rather then just a transcribed text version.

    Thanks,

    Ryan McIntosh

  7. #17

    Ansel Adams Fakes

    FWIW-I saw Weston's graflex at Wild Cat Hill and Edward's darkroom. Kim
    Weston and his wife live and work there.
    They have a cottage on the property that is available for nightly fee. I hope to stay there the next time I'm out there at Point Lobos. I don't think they include any workshop in the rent!

  8. #18

    Ansel Adams Fakes

    Gene,
    Kim and Gina rent out "Bodies House" as a guest house on their property (Which is truly lovely of course!) The cost of staying on their property does not include a workshop, but Kim's workshop prices are VERY reasonable for what you get. I have taken his Nude, large format and platinum printing workshops and they have all been REALLY fantastic! The last Nude workshop I did with Kim, I was able to build a whole photographic series of nudes. Kim also gave me a beautiful framed photograph of one of Edwards negatives printed by him! Just for the cost of paying the models, and Kim and Gina feding you a few good dinners...it is WELL worth more then the price.
    If you decided not to take a workshop, you still have the opportunity to photograph around the property and visit with the Westons. Kim is a VERY kind photography (unlike many arrogant photographs I have met over the years), and always willing to talk with other photographers.

    I HIGHLY recommend going over there when you get time.

    Ryan McIntosh

  9. #19
    Mark Sawyer's Avatar
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    Ansel Adams Fakes

    I'm afraid if I went to the workshop, I couldn't help but do an 8x10 of a nude woman in a gas-mask lying by some rocks on the beach with a nautilus shell in one hand and a pepper in the other. And maybe a dead pelican and some kelp in the foreground. Contact print it on Azo and develop it in Amidol...

    They'd probably throw me out of the workshop.

    But it would be a great photograph...
    "I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."

  10. #20
    Abuser of God's Sunlight
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    Ansel Adams Fakes

    It might already be a great photograph ...
    i forget the name of the photographer ... if that's what you'd call him. i saw an exhibit of his work in chicago, years before there was such thing as photoshop. he had weston's "exquisado" photograph of the toilet, but with a big hairy man sitting on it, his pants down around his ankles. and there was one of edgerton's freeze-frame bullets blasting through pepper #17. there was much more, of course.

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