Front / Recto
- Title Refugees
- Negative Date 1916
- Print Date 1916–25
- Medium Gelatin silver print
- Dimensions Image 9 1/2 × 12 1/2" (24.2 × 31.7 cm)
- Place Taken Sun River
- Credit Line Thomas Walther Collection. Gift of Thomas Walther
- MoMA Accession Number 1645.2001
Back / Verso
- Mount Type No mount - evidence previous mount
- Marks and Inscriptions Inscribed in pencil on sheet verso, top left: REFUGES/1916. Inscribed in pencil on sheet verso, top center: First attempt of modern Photography. Stamped in black ink on sheet verso, center: PHOTO BY/CLARENCE SINCLAIR BULL.
-
Provenance
The artist. Robert Hershkowitz, Sussex, England; sold through Sotheby's New York (sale 6407) to William L. Schaeffer Photographic Works of Art, Chester, Conn., April 6, 1993 [1]; purchased by Thomas Walther February, 1995 [2]; given to The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2001.
[1] MacGill/Walther 2001(4), p. 2.
[2] William L. Schaeffer Photographic Works of Art invoice, February 16, 1995. Thomas Walther bought the print from Schaeffer at AIPAD 95.
Surface
- Surface Sheen Semireflective
- Techniques Retouching (additive)
-
PTM
View of the recto of the artwork made using reflectance transformation imaging (RTI) software, which exaggerates subtle surface details and renders the features of the artwork plainly visible. Department of Conservation, MoMA -
Micro-raking
Raking-light close-up image, as shot. Area of detail is 6.7 x 6.7 mm. Department of Conservation, MoMA
Raking-light close-up image, processed. Processing included removal of color, equalization of the histogram, and sharpening, all designed to enhance visual comparison. Department of Conservation, MoMA
Paper Material
- Format Unknown
- Weight Double weight
- Thickness (mm) 0.30
- UV Fluorescence Recto negative Verso negative
- Fiber Analysis Softwood bleached sulfite 13% Rag 68% Bast 19%
- Material Techniques Developing-out paper
-
XRF
This work was determined to be a gelatin silver print via X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry.
The following elements have been positively identified in the work, through XRF readings taken from its recto and verso (or from the mount, where the verso was not accessible):
- Recto: Al, Si, P, S, Cl, Ca, Cr, Zn, Rb, Sr, Ag, Ba
- Verso: Al, Si, S, K, Ca, Cr, Fe, Zn, Rb, Sr, Ba
The graphs below show XRF spectra for three areas on the print: two of the recto—from areas of maximum and minimum image density (Dmax and Dmin)—and one of the verso or mount. The background spectrum represents the contribution of the XRF instrument itself. The first graph shows elements identified through the presence of their characteristic peaks in the lower energy range (0 to 8 keV). The second graph shows elements identified through the presence of their characteristic peaks in the higher energy range (8 to 40 keV).
Areas examined: Recto (Dmax: black; Dmin: green), Verso or Mount (blue), Background (red)
Elements identified: Al, Si, P, S, K, Ca, Cr, Ag, Ba
Areas examined: Recto (Dmax: black; Dmin: green), Verso or Mount (blue), Background (red)
Elements identified: Fe, Zn, Rb, Sr, Ag
In Context
Related People
-
Artist
