1948 Joe Louis Mounted Original Photograph by Irving Penn....

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1948 Joe Louis Mounted Original Photograph by Irving Penn. Extraordinary photographic work is that of one of the premier American lensmen of his day, and a check of the auction results archives of the Heritage Photography department will provide a sense of the market for Penn's images. This study of the number one man in Ring Magazine's ranking of boxing's hardest punchers derives from a series of Penn's "Corner Photos" which included Spencer Tracy, Marlene Dietrich, Igor Stravinsky and Marcel Duchamp, though the theme seems particularly apt for a professional boxer. The gelatin silver print is dry mounted and signed "Irvin Penn, New York, 1948" on the mount. Verso of mount features all the hallmarks a Penn collector seeks, with personal "Photograph by Penn" and Conde Nast stamping, and a handwritten inventory code at upper right.

The photo presents wonderfully but several condition issues must be addressed, notably scattered foxing, minor edge wear to the image, a couple surface scratches and minimal cracking of the photographic emulsion. A recently discovered work, this offering is expected to draw great interest in the advanced photography collecting community, and the superb quality of Penn's work clearly justifies the attention. Image is 7x9.5". Mount measures 11x15".