BEN WITTICK Zuni [ From Gardens], New Mexico ,1885 c Albumen 10.25x13.3" ASG# BW2/1373 Showing a series of walled gardens, the dry arroyo or riverbed and the Pueblo rising up.

Likely taken with John Hillers larger camera, this 14x11" size camera was used by John Hillers extensively in the 1870-80 through the end of the century. Only a few western photographs had cameras this size or larger to make Mammoth plate prints. Hillers and Wittick were colleagues and Wittick published Hillers images under Wittick's imprint.

Provenance: From the collection of legendary Santa Fe American Indian Art and Trader Rex Arrowsmith, who was active from the late 1940s until his death in 2017.

G. Ben Wittick (b. 1845 Huntington County, Pennsylvania; d. 1903, Ft. Wingate, New Mexico). He was very successful in marketing as his photographs were more reminiscent of earlier delegation photographs and field views of the Geologic Survey photographers. Wittick's formats ranged from albumen print stereo cards to silver prints up to 11 x 14". He was friends of John Hillers and published Hillers images under his imprint

Fair Overall tones rich but yellowed, not faded, with emulsion damage, a tear on lower left through mount and 2" into print, severe wear, mount shows chipping, burning discoloration and is brittle with corners and edges missing. Overall 3 on a scale of 10