VISHNIAC, Roman (1897-1990)

'Synagogue Court, Vilna, 1938' [an unnumbered example of Plate 12 from 'The Vanished World' Portfolio]

New York, Witkin-Berley Ltd., May 1977/ 1938.

A selenium-toned gelatin silver photograph (264 × 263 mm), mounted on board (505 × 405 mm).

Mount lightly marked (but well clear of the photograph, being at least 3" or 80 mm from the photograph at the closest point, and easily matted out while leaving a very wide margin); the print is in fine condition. The mount is signed in black ink by Roman Vishniac.

'The life of the Jews even before the Holocaust was hard and bitter.... Every normal occupation was forbidden; boycott made their sustenance impossible.... With photography I could save at least a memory of Jewish life and culture, and the faces of the people....' (from Vishniac's introduction to the portfolio).

Plate 12 from the portfolio, but the publisher's portfolio-specific adhesive label on the verso of the mount records no print or portfolio number: it may come from one of the five artist's proof copies. 'This place was made famous by the Gaon of Vilna, Elijah, who preached on these steps to the community two hundred years ago. At the time when I came, forty years ago, it still was a place where everybody gathered. It was a place for everybody to come to speak and ask advice' (Roman Vishniac). This image shows Lithuanian Jews (Litvaks) at the Great Synagogue of Vilnius, plundered and burned by Nazi troops and later razed by Soviet authorities.

The introductory booklet that accompanied the complete portfolio of 12 prints states: 'The edition is limited to fifty numbered portfolios with an additional five artist's proof copies. Numbers 1-25 have 11" x 14" prints mounted on 16" x 20" four ply acid free Museum boards. Numbers 25-50 have 16" x 20" prints ... All prints were made on Portriga-Rapid paper and were toned with selenium. The prints have been made ... under the direction and personal supervision of the photographer and have been processed to the highest archival standards'. These dimensions are at odds with the actual print, and the booklet fails to note the mounts are signed, but we will take the technical data at face value.

Item #145046

Price (AUD): $1,650.00
other currencies