Stupendous oversized Sarony albumen photograph of a seated Sherman in uniform, 16.25 x 21 on the original 18 x 24 photographer’s mount bearing an 1888 copyright label, signed and inscribed in the lower right corner of the image, “W. T. Sherman, General, New York, Feb. 25, 1888.” Matted and framed to an overall size of 29 x 35.5. In fine condition, with scattered light foxing and toning (appearing mainly in the background; one small, faint spot to Sherman’s cheek), scarcely affecting the remarkable visual impact. In 1886, two years after retiring from military service, Sherman moved to New York City, where he lived for the remainder of his life and where he was in great demand as a speaker and dinner guest. In 1888, he sat for Napoleon Sarony (1821–1896), the city’s undisputed king of celebrity photography. Sarony captured multiple views of Sherman in full uniform, including the present portrait. Sherman’s character-etched face was clearly the center of focus, while other details—the bullion of his epaulets, the tooling of his belt, the weave and tassels of his sash—summon the immediacy of battle and accent the dignity of the storied old soldier. While Sarony and his fellow photographers profited greatly from sales of cabinet-sized and carte-de-visite photos of contemporary personalities, the extra effort and expense incurred in the production of photos in this “mammoth” format generally limited their use to “art” photography or, as is likely in the present case, as special orders made expressly for presentation to important acquaintances, dignitaries, and organizations. As our research turned up only one other extant specimen of this oversized image—which was not signed by Sherman—we believe this item to be unique in the most rigorous application of the word. By way of direct comparison, the present photo occupies an area equal to more than forty standard CDVs. So, how best to sum up the sheer impressiveness of this one-of-a-kind treasure? Monumental? Colossal? Given the importance and desirability of the subject, the quality of the image, the razor-sharp signature, and, yes, the size, perhaps only “unprecedented” truly fits the bill. In December 2002, a well-known Midwestern auction house proudly trumpeted an 8 x 9.5 photo of Sherman as the “largest he ever signed.” As the example we offer is more than five times as large, we feel confident in stating that they quite clearly “jumped the gun”—and this trophy does to the previous “record” what Sherman himself did to Atlanta! The only caution we extend to the winning bidder is that this item will very likely dwarf—in every sense—all other photos in your collection! Auction LOA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA. Oversized.
