William Mortensen portfolio of 23 bromoil transfer prints

Lot: 262

(American 1897-1965)
Portfolio of 23 works: Historical, Erotic and Theatrical
Bromoil transfer prints.
Overall portfolio: 10 1/8 x 8 3/8 inches.
Each is signed in pencil lower right: Wm. Mortensen and the majority are titled in pencil along the bottom. Artist sticker on the outside of the portfolio: Pictorial Photography William Mortensen.
Provenance: From the estate of photographer John Funaro (Italian / American 1905-1986) a Sacramento CA photographer.
Literature: Most of the images in the collection can be found in the plates of American Grotesque: The Life and Art of William Mortensen editied by Larry Lytle and Michael Moynihan.
CONDITION: In overall good condition, the black fabric portfolio is in good repair with no visible tearing or areas of loss, the inner spine is cracked and weakened but this is not visible from the outside. The prints are in overall good condition with all the sheets in tact some of the images do have some discoloration likely from a reaction with the bromoil and the paper over time, on some of them this looks to have been intentional. A couple of the images do have slight water damage and wear to the edges due to being handled.
Titles in this portfolio include: Portrait of a Young Girl,Youth, Nightie, Caprice Vennois, Nude Study, A Siren of the South Seas, A Rowmany Maid, Torso, Mutual Admiration, The Kiss, Sojin, The Mark of the Borgia, Wind, La Chatte, An Indian Lyric, A Tebetan Priest, Human Relations 1932, Victoria, Rebecca, The Maid of Tunis, Patricia, Nicolo Paganini, Cesare Borgia and A Flemish Maid.

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