The Seven Last Words, Self-Photographs from Life
Portfolio
Frederick H. Evans
British, 1853–1943
The Seven Last Words, Self-Photographs from Life
1898
Portfolio with platinum prints
Purchase
1973.0027.0001-0007
Inscriptions cover of accompanying folder (black ink): The Seven Last Words / Self-Photographs from life / by F Holland Day / Boston / u.s.a. / Printed by / FHE
interior of accompanying folder (black ink): THE / SEVEN LAST WORDS / A / SERIES OF / PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIES / BY AND FROM / F. HOLLAND DAY / BOSTON: U.S.A. / PRINTED IN PLATINOTYPE / BY / Frederick H. Evans [signed]
inside folder (applied paper): [introduction-see notes section for full transcription] (signed in black ink): Frederick H. Evans / 1912
[typewritten sheet attached to interior page of paper portfolio which originally housed all seven prints in this series (1973:0027:1-7)]:
"These studies in expression were made in 189- by my friend F. Holland Day in Boston, U.S.A, from his own hand and face. He wanted to make photography do what has been so frequently done by painters, with as full a sense of reverence but a greater human intimacy.
He had a mirror attached to the camera so that he could see his expression at the time of the exposure; he made the exposure himself, so that the whole effort was a purely personal one. He retired to his country seat for full leisure and privacy, allowed his hair and beard to grow for months till it was what he desired, and he made hundreds of negatives before he got these to fully satisfy his exquisite and artistic taste.
The original negatives, from which only a few (three or four) sets of prints were taken, were destroyed by a fire in his studio.
Two sets only of these seven pictures from the original negatives are in England, one belonged to the late poet, Miss Louise Imogen Guiney, and the other he gave to me. The vignetting was done by glycerining the platinotype prints before developing.
Years later he asked me to make new negatives from my set of prints. The impressions in this portfolio are from these new negatives, which are about half as large again as the originals.
These prints are finer in quality and tone than the original set, and that there has been no loss of any kind in the reproduction was Mr. Day's own verdict when I sent him a set of the new prints, he indeed thought them finer in every way than the old originals.
It was a unique effort, inspired by the upmost reverence and carried out with extraordinary success."
[signed in ink] Frederick H. Evans 1912
interior of accompanying folder (black ink): THE / SEVEN LAST WORDS / A / SERIES OF / PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIES / BY AND FROM / F. HOLLAND DAY / BOSTON: U.S.A. / PRINTED IN PLATINOTYPE / BY / Frederick H. Evans [signed]
inside folder (applied paper): [introduction-see notes section for full transcription] (signed in black ink): Frederick H. Evans / 1912
[typewritten sheet attached to interior page of paper portfolio which originally housed all seven prints in this series (1973:0027:1-7)]:
"These studies in expression were made in 189- by my friend F. Holland Day in Boston, U.S.A, from his own hand and face. He wanted to make photography do what has been so frequently done by painters, with as full a sense of reverence but a greater human intimacy.
He had a mirror attached to the camera so that he could see his expression at the time of the exposure; he made the exposure himself, so that the whole effort was a purely personal one. He retired to his country seat for full leisure and privacy, allowed his hair and beard to grow for months till it was what he desired, and he made hundreds of negatives before he got these to fully satisfy his exquisite and artistic taste.
The original negatives, from which only a few (three or four) sets of prints were taken, were destroyed by a fire in his studio.
Two sets only of these seven pictures from the original negatives are in England, one belonged to the late poet, Miss Louise Imogen Guiney, and the other he gave to me. The vignetting was done by glycerining the platinotype prints before developing.
Years later he asked me to make new negatives from my set of prints. The impressions in this portfolio are from these new negatives, which are about half as large again as the originals.
These prints are finer in quality and tone than the original set, and that there has been no loss of any kind in the reproduction was Mr. Day's own verdict when I sent him a set of the new prints, he indeed thought them finer in every way than the old originals.
It was a unique effort, inspired by the upmost reverence and carried out with extraordinary success."
[signed in ink] Frederick H. Evans 1912
PortfolioItem
