Lot Notations & Glossary
Lot Notations
Please note that all statements and terms in this catalogue are subject to the provisions of the Conditions of Sale. For questions about any lot, it’s notations, or condition please contact Kate Kelley at kate@silvereye.org.
AUTHORSHIP — The name in BOLD TYPE indicates the photographer who, in our best judgment, is the author of the work. No unqualified statement regarding authorship is made or intended. (Residence, or life dates, of the photographer, when known, is provided).
TITLE — The title is indicated in italics. The title is as given by the photographer or donor, or by which the photograph is generally known, with identifying details when known.
DATE — A date that appears in italics is part of the title. When the donor has provided it, the date of the negative or digital capture precedes the date of the print, i.e., 1995/2000. A print with one date is considered a vintage print. This is more important with older work, when fewer prints were made by the photographer at the time of the negative. Prints made recently from the original negatives are called later, or modern prints. When a date is approximate, the Latin word circa, abbreviated to ca., is indicated.
MEDIUM — This indicates the type of photographic print. See the glossary for more detailed information on the prints offered in this auction or call the Executive Director for more information.
MEASUREMENTS — These refer to image size and are approximate, given in inches, height before width.
EDITION STATEMENT — Since a photograph is reproducible, artists may limit the number of prints that can be made from a single negative or image. The edition statement is as given by the photographer or donor, and is left blank when not given. Edition size is a factor in the price of a work. The number of the edition is indicated in sequence, (1/20 means this is the first print of twenty to be printed of this photograph) and may include Artist's Proofs (see glossary for more details.)
SIGNATURE STATEMENT — This refers to where the print is signed and who signed it. In cases where the artist is not living it may be stamped or signed by someone from their estate. When a signature statement is not given the print is not signed.
PROVENANCE — This refers to the history of the ownership and transmission of an object. In the art world, provenance includes the artist's studio, auction houses, dealers, or galleries that have sold an item, the private or institutional collections in which the item has been held.
DESCRIPTION — Brief information on the lot to be sold and the photographer, is given. For questions please contact Kate Kelley at kare@silvereye.org.
ESTIMATES $000—000 —These are approximate retail price ranges of the normal retail market or are estimates given by the photographers themselves. As this is a benefit auction, the realized prices may not reflect the actual market value of the work. (See Conditions of Sale). A reserve, or minimum price below which a photograph will not be sold, has been set for some Lots. Some of the material in this auction has been consigned.
Glossary
ARCHIVAL PIGMENT PRINT — Also known as an inkjet print, giclée or dye sublimation print, these are printing out processes for ink on paper from a computer-generated source. Silver Eye accepts only archival inkjet prints for benefit auctions.
ARTIST’S PROOF (AP) — Traditionally, Artist’s Proofs were an impression of a print taken in the printmaking process to see the current printing state. Today, an Artist's Proof is a good impression of the finished work that is identical to the numbered copies. Artist's Proofs can be particularly desirable to collect because of their rarity and especially in the case of working trial proofs, which represent a record of the work in process.
BROMOIL PRINT — A process by which a gelatin silver-bromide contact print or enlargement is treated with a potassium bichromate solution that simultaneously bleaches the dark silver image and bichromates the gelatin so that it selectively hardens to absorb more or less oil pigment. The pigment is usually applied by hand and may be in a variety of colors.
BUYER’S PREMIUM — A 10% charge added to the successful bid price and payable by the purchaser as part of the total purchase price. The buyer's premium helps to provide archival matting and framing for prints at the Silver Eye Auction.
CHROMOGENIC PRINT — A print from a color negative made on paper with an emulsion containing silver salts and colored dyes. A digital chromogenic print is a color print from a color digital file.
CYANOTYPE — A permanent print made by exposing negative to a paper impregnated with iron salts and potassium ferricyanide, which darkens when exposed to light. The image is usually white on a blue ground.
PHOTOGRAVURE — A photogravure is a photograph printed from an engraved steel, copper or other metal plate rather than on photographic paper directly from the negative.
PLATINUM OR PALLADIUM PRINT — This contact printing process is extremely permanent, and has no gelatin emulsion. The base archival paper is often hand coated, the final print having a matte surface with a deposit of platinum/palladium absorbed slightly into the paper support.
POLAROID — A type of instant photographic film which contains the chemicals needed for developing and fixing the photograph, and is developed inside the camera. The Polaroid Corporation introduced the film in 1948, and it was manufactured until 1992.
RECTO & VERSO — Recto refers to the front of the print and verso to the back side of a print.
SILVER GELATIN PRINT — A generic term referring to black and white prints made on paper coated with silver salts. Until the introduction of inkjet prints, most black-and-white photographs were silver gelatin prints.
TONED PRINT — A chemical process that alters the appearance of a print by converting the image to, or coating it with, another compound. Selenium or gold toners are often used for better archival processing and distinctive color shifts.