Weed Beauty
date: label: date made
content: before 1937
name: label: maker
content: Fassbender, Adolf
notes: label: Description
content: From <i>Pictorial Artistry: The Dramatization of the Beautiful in Photography</i>
label: Description
content: "Away from the road, in back of the farmhouse, there is a little pool. A tiny spring of a nondescript origin is the source of its existence. This murky little pond is the delight of ducks and pigs.
label: Description
content: Here, near its muddy shore thrives the beautiful white flower called a “Weed”. Bathed in sunshine and reflections, and nourished by the richness of the soil beneath, one forgets its sinister surroundings and sees beauty where one does not expect it. It all happens in photography.
label: Description
content: Composition:
label: Description
content: Separation of the motive from the surroundings is demonstrated forcefully in this composition. Making use of the dark reflection of a house, the bunch of white flowers is set off in great contrast and to take the necessary prominence. Tone balance is so arranged that the brightest light and dark culminates below and around the flowers. The broken flower in a horizontal position breaks the otherwise monotonous repetition of the many vertical stems.
label: Description
content: Technical Problems:
label: Description
content: Local reduction of the negative was used on the top and sides to avoid restlessness in the picture. Emphasis was placed on the flowers by retouching. Etching and more retouching removed unnecessary twigs and rubbish in the water. Balancing of tone was done in the printing.
label: Description
content: Data:
label: Description
content: Camera: Jewel A (Zeiss)
label: Description
content: Lens: Tessar
label: Description
content: Stop: f.8
label: Description
content: Filter: Medium Yellow
label: Description
content: Film: Agfa Plenachrome
label: Description
content: Exposure: 1/5 second, on tripod
label: Description
content: Print: 14x17 Tuma Gas, direct"
label: Description
content: by Adolf Fassbender, 1937
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Photographic History
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content: Adolf Fassbender, Pictorial Artistry
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content: Photography
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PG.004116.26
label: catalog number
content: 4116.26
label: accession number
content: 146001
objectType: label: Object Name
content: photograph
label: Object Name
content: photogravure
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: image: 11 in x 8 5/8 in; 27.94 cm x 21.9075 cm