Framed Harvey Caplin Photograph - Ranch Hand, 1947
**First Time At Auction**
Harvey Caplin (American, 1914-1984). Photograph of Bell Ranch, 1947. A mesmerizing black and white photograph of Bell Ranch in New Mexico created by Harvey Caplin, a postwar photographer of the Southwest who has been rightly praised for the clarity and depth of his compositions, a magnificent command over light and shadow, as well as a unique understanding of composition. Caplin actually worked and rode with cowboys in New Mexico. This enabled him to take incredible shots of cattle drives, campfires, and chuckwagons. This photograph, for example, depicts Bell Ranch in Tucumcari, New Mexico where Caplin worked. Interestingly, four of Caplin's cowboy images have been printed in the Stetson hat box since the 1960's! Size of photo: 15.25" L x 19.25" W (38.7 cm x 48.9 cm) Size of frame: 20.25" L x 24.25" W (51.4 cm x 61.6 cm)
Raised in upstate New York, Harvey Caplin attended the Rochester Institute of Technology, and first went to New Mexico as a World War II ground photographer at Kirtland Field with the Army Air Force. When the war ended, he returned to New Mexico to begin his photographic career. His oeuvre is one of a kind, as Caplin simultaneously could capture the history as well as the beauty of the post-war American Southwest. His eye for the Four Corners region has been compared to that of the Taos artists.
According to the Rochester Institute of Technology Libraries, "Harvey Caplin (1914-1984) lived with his family in Rochester, New York, in the early 40s. He attended Rochester Institute of Technology and majored in photography. In 1942, he enlisted in the military and was sent to New Mexico as a damage photographer. It was when Caplin was on leave or had spare time that he began his vast library of images of the Southwest. Many of his photos were taken on the Bell Ranch, a one-million acre ranch in Tucumcari, NM. Caplin actually worked on the ranch. He shot right alongside the cowboys, often from the back of a horse. These are authentic depictions of life on a working ranch. It was not easy to use a 1940s Speed Graphic 4x5 camera back when "automatic" settings were non-existent, but it was second nature to Caplin. In the late 40s and 50s, he began shooting photos of Native Americans in the New Mexico area. Commissioned by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to capture and preserve the Indian way of life, Caplin shot photos of the Pueblo, Navajo and Zuni Indians. From Ceremonial Apache Dancers in Gallup to Maria Martinez, the now world famous San Ildefonso potter, Caplin covered a wide variety of Native American lifestyles. Caplin also excelled in landscape shots of the Four Corners Region — Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. His photos graced the cover of Life Magazine, Smithsonian, and Look- to name a few. The Saturday Evening Post hired him for a landscape series, which gave way to River of Aspens. Caplin continued to capture images until 1984. Along with his legacy of photos, he left behind complete catalogs of every one of his 55,000 shots."
Provenance: private Los Angeles County, California, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#160148
Condition Report: Photograph has not been examined outside the frame but appears to be in excellent condition. Minor scuffs and nicks/chips to the frame. Glass is intact. Note on verso reads, "Bell Ranch, maybe the largest privately owned ranch in N.M. (New Mexico) / Photo the Ranch Horse Head by Harvey Caplin 1947." Suspension hardware on verso and ready to display.
View it on
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
**First Time At Auction**
Harvey Caplin (American, 1914-1984). Photograph of Bell Ranch, 1947. A mesmerizing black and white photograph of Bell Ranch in New Mexico created by Harvey Caplin, a postwar photographer of the Southwest who has been rightly praised for the clarity and depth of his compositions, a magnificent command over light and shadow, as well as a unique understanding of composition. Caplin actually worked and rode with cowboys in New Mexico. This enabled him to take incredible shots of cattle drives, campfires, and chuckwagons. This photograph, for example, depicts Bell Ranch in Tucumcari, New Mexico where Caplin worked. Interestingly, four of Caplin's cowboy images have been printed in the Stetson hat box since the 1960's! Size of photo: 15.25" L x 19.25" W (38.7 cm x 48.9 cm) Size of frame: 20.25" L x 24.25" W (51.4 cm x 61.6 cm)
Raised in upstate New York, Harvey Caplin attended the Rochester Institute of Technology, and first went to New Mexico as a World War II ground photographer at Kirtland Field with the Army Air Force. When the war ended, he returned to New Mexico to begin his photographic career. His oeuvre is one of a kind, as Caplin simultaneously could capture the history as well as the beauty of the post-war American Southwest. His eye for the Four Corners region has been compared to that of the Taos artists.
According to the Rochester Institute of Technology Libraries, "Harvey Caplin (1914-1984) lived with his family in Rochester, New York, in the early 40s. He attended Rochester Institute of Technology and majored in photography. In 1942, he enlisted in the military and was sent to New Mexico as a damage photographer. It was when Caplin was on leave or had spare time that he began his vast library of images of the Southwest. Many of his photos were taken on the Bell Ranch, a one-million acre ranch in Tucumcari, NM. Caplin actually worked on the ranch. He shot right alongside the cowboys, often from the back of a horse. These are authentic depictions of life on a working ranch. It was not easy to use a 1940s Speed Graphic 4x5 camera back when "automatic" settings were non-existent, but it was second nature to Caplin. In the late 40s and 50s, he began shooting photos of Native Americans in the New Mexico area. Commissioned by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to capture and preserve the Indian way of life, Caplin shot photos of the Pueblo, Navajo and Zuni Indians. From Ceremonial Apache Dancers in Gallup to Maria Martinez, the now world famous San Ildefonso potter, Caplin covered a wide variety of Native American lifestyles. Caplin also excelled in landscape shots of the Four Corners Region — Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. His photos graced the cover of Life Magazine, Smithsonian, and Look- to name a few. The Saturday Evening Post hired him for a landscape series, which gave way to River of Aspens. Caplin continued to capture images until 1984. Along with his legacy of photos, he left behind complete catalogs of every one of his 55,000 shots."
Provenance: private Los Angeles County, California, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#160148
Condition Report: Photograph has not been examined outside the frame but appears to be in excellent condition. Minor scuffs and nicks/chips to the frame. Glass is intact. Note on verso reads, "Bell Ranch, maybe the largest privately owned ranch in N.M. (New Mexico) / Photo the Ranch Horse Head by Harvey Caplin 1947." Suspension hardware on verso and ready to display.
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
