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Black and White Photography

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Black and White Photography For Sale
Period: 18th Century
Period: 1940s
Marx Brothers
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Karsh is a master 20th Century photographer. Karsh is known for his portraits of authors, scientists, artists, statesmen, musicians, and other dis...
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Kids with Circus Poster, NYC
Located in Dallas, TX
Signed in black ink on print margin. Signed in pencil on print verso. Paper size: 14 x 11 in. Image size: 13 1/4 x 11 1/4 in. Morris Engel was an American street photographer and ci...
Category

1940s Modern Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Henry Moore
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Karsh is a master 20th Century photographer. Karsh is known for his portraits of authors, scientists, artists, statesmen, musicians, and other dis...
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Homestead Works of US Steel Munhall, Pennsylvania
Located in New York, NY
ANONYMOUS. (American). Homestead Works of US Steel Munhall, Pennsylvania, Gelatin Silver print. Pouring white-hot steel for the new Carnegie Institute of Te...
Category

1940s American Modern Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

London #638
Located in Santa Monica, CA
René Groebli (b. 1927) was born in Zurich, Switzerland. In the 1940s he studied under the noted photographer, Hans Finsler. In 1949 he secured his place among European post-war arti...
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Portrait of Edward Weston
By Beaumont Newhall
Located in Dallas, TX
Edition of 125 Signed and dated in pencil on verso. Photograph is from The New Mexico Portfolio published in 1976 by the Center of the Eye P...
Category

1940s Modern Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

American Farmer and his Wife, Connecticut
Located in Dallas, TX
Signed, titled, and dated in pencil on print verso.
Category

1940s Modern Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Vick Beackstone on 'One Minute to Midnite' by John Stryker, Silver Gelatin Print
Located in Dallas, TX
Vick Beakstone on 'One Minute to Midnite' by John Stryker is a 10 x 8 inch silver gelatin print. This photograph is signed on print recto in ink and titled in pencil on print verso. Vick Beakstone on 'One Minute to Midnite' by John Stryker features a cowboy riding a bucking horse. Both figures are suspended in the air, creating a calm illusion amidst a chaotic scene. John Stryker was born in Rockford, Illinois, September 1, 1883. He is most remembered for his body of photographs he took of the "Olympic of Western sport"*- the Rodeo. During his lifetime he crossed America, working rodeos as an announcer, a producer, promoter and sometimes a rider. He invented the chute that the animals come out of and he developed new ways of photographing action during an event. Dramatic shots were taken from the ground, propping his camera on the toe of his right boot right next to a bucking bronco. Some historians believe that John Stryker was directly responsible for the growth and sophistication of the sport. His negatives are in the collection of the University of Texas at Permian Basin, Odessa. His photographs have been exhibited during his lifetime at the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyoming, and the Amon Carter Museum in Ft. Worth, Texas. His photographs have been published widely including Life, Look, The Cattleman, The Western Horseman, and The Quarter Horse Journal. In 1977, The Rodeo of John Addison Stryker...
Category

1940s Modern Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

End of 42nd Street, New York
Located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Unmounted, unsigned. Authenticated and stamped by the Brett Weston Archive. Printed later.
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

N.Y. Still Life I
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Horst began his photography career in 1931 working for Paris Vogue. Shortly after he succeeded his friend and mentor, George Hoyningen-Huene, as head photographer of Vogue's photo studios. It was during the 1930's that Horst established his trademark style, which incorporated dramatic lighting and an unparalleled eye for grace that enabled Horst to create images that portray his subjects as emblems of elegance. In his portrait of Coco Chanel, one of his most famous images, he captures a woman who was rarely photographed, and creates a striking composition with her regal profile and the exquisite chair. 
For sixty years, Horst photographed...
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

"Get the Party Started" ~ Winter Visitors from Nearby Trailer Park, Florida
Located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Winter Visitors from Nearby Trailer Park, Picnicking Beside Car on Beach, Near Sarasota, Florida “Get the Party Started” is a gelatin silver print, signed by the artist on the front ...
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Junio Eskew, Houston Fat Stock Show
Located in Dallas, TX
Signed and titled. Vintage gelatin silver print Johm Stryker was born in Rockford, Illinois, September 1, 1883. He is most remembered for his body of photographs he took of the "Olympic of Western sport"*- the Rodeo. During his lifetime he crossed America, working rodeos as an announcer, a producer, promoter and sometimes a rider. He invented the chute that the animals come out of and he developed new ways of photographing action during an event. Dramatic shots were taken from the ground, propping his camera on the toe of his right boot right next to a bucking bronco. Some historians believe that John Stryker was directly responsible for the growth and sophistication of the sport. His negatives are in the collection of the University of Texas at Permian Basin, Odessa. His photographs have been exhibited during his lifetime at the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyoming, and the Amon Carter Museum in Ft. Worth, Texas. His photographs have been published widely including Life, Look, The Cattleman, The Western Horseman, and The Quarter Horse Journal. In 1977, The Rodeo of John Addison Stryker...
Category

1940s Modern Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Horse Auction Couple - Brooklyn
Located in Dallas, TX
Signed, titled, and dated in pencil on print verso. Signed in ink on print margin
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Fluid Patterns
Located in Dallas, TX
Signed, dated and numbered. Portfolio "Twelve Photographs", No. 13 György Kepes was a Hungarian artist born in 1906. He studied painting at Budapest’s Academy of Fine Arts. In 1937,...
Category

1940s Bauhaus Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Chicago 48
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Aaron Siskind (1903-1992) started his career as a documentary photographer and a member of the Photo League. He and his colleagues were interested in photography as a tool to record and address social inequalities of the day. Many of his images from the 1930's for example explored life in Harlem. In the early 1940's Siskind drifted away from social depictions preferring to capture images that focused on textures and shapes. Images of advertising fragments, graffiti and sidewalks become engaging and hypnotic because of their abstract qualities rather than the subject matter. As a result he became one of the first "abstract" photographers. Siskind's aesthetic and sensibility evolved parallel to the Abstract Expressionist movement. As a result he was the only photographer to be included in the groundbreaking 9th Street Art...
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Sutton Place, New York
Located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Signed and dated on the front of the mount. Printed later in the artist's career.
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Couple at the Horse Auction, Brooklyn, New York
Located in Greenwich, CT
Black and white photograph of 2 figures in cowboy apparel at a horse auction.
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The King of Jazz: Louis Armstrong in Rome (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lucille Brown takes control of the Vespa scooter as her husband Louis Armstrong (1898 - 1971) displays his musical appreciation of the ancient Colosseum in Rome. Slim Aarons The Ki...
Category

1940s American Realist Black and White Photography

Materials

Digital, Black and White, Emulsion

Untitled ~ Ferns and Log
Located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Signed, dated and marked "$600" on the back of the mount.
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Woman Vendor
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Horace Bristol Woman Vendor, 1940s Black & White Photograph Image Dimensions: 9 3/4 x 9 3/4 inches (24.8 x 24.8 cm) Mounted Dimensions: 20 x 16 inches (50.8 x 40.6 cm) 14 x 11 inch...
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Untitled
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Horace Bristol Untitled , c. 1940s Black & White Photograph Image Dimensions: 10 x 9 3/4 inches (25.4 x 24.8 cm) Paper Dimensions: 14 x 11 inches Mounted Dimensions: 20 x 16 inches ...
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Checkered Coat, Jean Patchett, 1949
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer on the recto and verso
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Platinum

Girl Covered with Jewelry, circa 1940
By Herbert Matter
Located in New York, NY
Unsigned
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Balenciaga Checkered Suit, Jean Patchett, 1949
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Horst P. Horst 1906-1999 Balenciaga Checkered Suit, Jean Patchett, 1949 Signed, titled and dated in pencil on verso Platinum/Palladium Print Image: 9-1/2" x 7-1/2", Paper: 14" x 11",...
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Platinum

George Tooker with Paul Cadmus and Jared French
Located in New York, NY
This black and white photograph by George Platt Lynes is offered by CLAMP in New York City. George Tooker with Paul Cadmus and Jared French c. 1948 Studio stamp in ink, verso Vint...
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

In the Public Bar at Charlie Brown's, Limehouse
Located in New York, NY
In the Public Bar at Charlie Brown's, Limehouse, c. 1942 gelatin silver print mounted on board image: 13 1/2 x 11 3/8 in. (34 x 29.2 cm) mount: 20 x 16 in. (50.8 x 40.6 cm) framed: 2...
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Soho Nightclub
Located in New York, NY
Soho Nightclub, 1942 gelatin silver print mounted on board image: 13 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. (34.3 x 29.2 cm) mount: 20 x 16 in. (50.8 x 40.6 cm) framed: 22 1/2 x 19 7/8 in. (57.2 x 50.5 cm...
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

September Affair: A crowd watches Joan Fontaine and Joseph Cotten
Located in New York, NY
Estate embossed
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

George Rodger - Two Men, Photography 1942, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Two men in a bamboo house built on stilts in the Inle Lake, Shan States, Burma, 1942 All available sizes and editions: 16" x 20", Edition size 25 30"x 40", Edition size 25 40" x 60"...
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

George Rodger - Reconstruction, Photography 1945, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Reconstruction after the war. Winegrowers in the Village of Arganda, Spain All available sizes and editions: 16" x 20", Edition size 25 30"x 40", Edition size 25 40" x 60", Edition ...
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

George Rodger - American GI, Photography 1943, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
An American GI stationed in Naples spruces himself up with the help of the locals, 1943. All available sizes and editions: 16" x 20", Edition size 25 30"x 40", Edition size 25 40" x...
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

George Rodger - Directing Landings, Photography 1943, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
An American GI directs landings at Salerno, Italy, 1943. All available sizes and editions: 16" x 20", Edition size 25 30"x 40", Edition size 25 40" x 60", Edition size 25 This phot...
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

George Rodger - Tulips are growing again, Photography 1946, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Tulips are growing again in Alsmeer, documented for Life Magazine by photojournalist George Rodger, 1946. All available sizes and editions: 16" x 20", Edition size 25 30"x 40", Edit...
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

George Rodger - Running Home, Photography 1945, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Children run home from school in the small Spanish village of Brunete, 1945. All available sizes and editions: 16" x 20", Edition size 25 30"x 40", Edition size 25 40" x 60", Editio...
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

George Rodger - Winston Churchill with General Montgomery, 1945, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Winston Churchill with General Montgomery on the Rhine in Germany, 1945 All available sizes and editions: 16" x 20", Edition size 25 30"x 40", Edition size 25 40" x 60", Edition siz...
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

George Rodger - Bracelet Fighters, Photography 1949, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Kao-Nyaro Nuba bracelet fighters, Kordofan, Southern Sudan, 1949. All available sizes and editions: 16" x 20", Edition size 25 30"x 40", Edition size 25 40" x 60", Edition size 25 ...
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ted Williams - Sarah Vaughan Chicago, IL, Photography 1948, Printed After
Located in Greenwich, CT
Estate-stamped, gelatin-print silver A portrait of American jazz singer and Grammy Award winner, Sarah Vaughan in her dressing room at the Chicago theatre, IL, 1948. Available size...
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Espejo Negro (Black Mirror)
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Manuel Alvarez Bravo. Espejo Negro (Black Mirror), 1947, gelati silver print, Signed and annoted "mexico' by the artist in pencil on verso lower right ma...
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Despues del mercado
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Manuel Alvarez Bravo. Despues del mercado, c. 1940, platinum palladium print.
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Platinum

Woman In Dress, 1940's
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Attributed on verso Vintage Gelatin Silver Print Paper Dimensions: 11 x 14 inches Matted Dimensions: 16 x 20 inches
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Woman With White Gloves on Phone, 1940's
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Signed in pencil on recto Vintage Gelatin Silver Print Paper Dimensions: 10.25 x 11.5 inches Matted Dimensions: 16 x 20 inches
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lella
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Signed in ink on recto; Signed, titled and dated in pencil on verso
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Edward Hopper, 1947
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Signed and numbered in pencil on recto Gelatin Silver Print Image - 18"x23", Matted - 27"x33"
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Portrait of Lincoln Kirstein
Located in New York, NY
Studio stamp in black ink, verso; Also inscribed 'Lincoln Kirstein' in pencil, verso This work is offered by CLAMP in New York City. Contact gallery for price.
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lester "Prez" Young, New York City, 1948
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Gelatin silver print 14 x 11 inches. Signed, titled & dated in ink on recto
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Sandy Campbell, New Jersey
Located in New York, NY
Sandy Campbell, New Jersey c. 1940s Inscribed “Sandy Campbell New Jersey,” verso Vintage silver print 6.375 x 2.45 inches (16.2 x 10.8 cm) Con...
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Margaret French and Paul Cadmus, Charleston, South Carolina
Located in New York, NY
Margaret French and Paul Cadmus, Charleston, South Carolina 1948 Stamped “Collection of Paul Cadmus,” and “Collection of Jon Anderson,” verso; Also in...
Category

1940s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

La petite fille aux feuilles mortes, 1946
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Signed in ink on recto. Signed, titled and dated in pencil on verso. Gelatin silver print 12 x 16 inches
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lella, Bretagne, 1947
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Signed in ink on recto; Signed, titled and dated in pencil on verso Gelatin Silver Print Image 11 x 14", Paper 12 x 16", Mat 16x20"
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Le Pont Neuf, Paris, 1948
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Signed in ink on recto; titled and dated in pencil on verso Gelatin silver print Image 10" x 10", Paper 16" x 12", Matted 20" x 16"
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Café nior et blanc, 1948
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Signed in ink on recto; titled and dated in pencil on verso Gelatin silver print Image 9-1/2" x 11-1/4", Paper 12"x16", Matted 16" x 20"
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

La Derniere Valse Du 14 Juillet, 1949
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Signed in ink on recto; titled and dated in pencil on verso Gelatin Silver Print Image 11" x 9-1/2", Paper 16" x 12", Matted 20" x 16
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

La Stricte Intimité [In the Strictest Intimacy], Rue Marcelin Berthelot, Montrou
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Signed in ink on recto; titled & dated in pencil on verso Gelatin silver print Image 11" x 9-1/2", Paper 16" x 12", Matted 20" x 16"
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Paris, 1948
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Signed in ink on recto; Signed, titled and dated in pencil on verso Gelatin silver print Image 10-3/4" x 10-1/4", Paper 16" x 12", Matted 20" x 16"
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Christian Dior at his Millhouse, Milly-la-Forêt, 1946
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer One of less than 20 prints made in this size and signed
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Profil sur Argeut, 1941
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer One of less than 10 prints made in this size and signed
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Kew Gardens, London
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Signed, titled and dated in pencil on verso Vintage gelatin silver print Image 9" x 7", Paper 10" x 8", Matted 20" x 16"
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Children with Broken Mirror, New York
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Signed and dated on verso Image 11" x 8", Paper 14" x 11", Matted 20" x 16"
Category

1940s Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Shop Black and White Photography

There’s a lot to love about black and white photography.

The unique and timeless quality of a black and white photograph accentuates any room. Some might argue that we’re naturally drawn to color photography because it’s the world we know best. This is a shared belief, particularly in the era of camera-phone photography, editing apps and the frenetic immediacy of sharing photos on social media. But when we look at black and white photography, we experience deep, rich shadows and tonal properties in a way that transfixes us. Composition and textures are crisp and engaging. We’re immediately drawn to the subjects of vintage street photography and continue to feel the emotional impact of decades-old photojournalism. The silhouettes of mountains in black and white landscape photography are particularly pronounced, while portrait photography and the skylines of urban cityscapes come to life in monochrome prints.

When decorating with fine photography, keep in mind that some color photographs may not be suitable for every space. However, you can be more daring with black and white photos. The gray tones are classic, sophisticated and generally introduce elegance to any corner of your home, which renders black and white prints amazingly versatile.

Black and white photography adapts to its surroundings like a chameleon might. A single large-scale black and white photograph above the sofa in your living room is going to work with any furniture style, and as some homeowners and designers today are working to introduce more muted tones and neutral palettes to dining rooms and bedrooms, the integration of black and white photography — a hallmark of minimalist decor — is a particularly natural choice for such a setting.

Another advantage to bringing black and white photography into your home is that you can style walls and add depth and character without worrying about disrupting an existing color scheme. Black and white photographs actually harmonize well with accent colors such as yellow, red and green. Your provocative Memphis Group lighting and bold Pierre Paulin seating will pair nicely with the black and white fine nude photography you’ve curated over the years.

Black and white photography also complements a variety of other art. Black and white photos pair well with drawings and etchings in monochromatic hues. They can also form part of specific color schemes. For example, you can place black and white prints in colored picture frames for a pop of color. And while there are no hard and fast rules, it’s best to keep black and white prints separate from color photographs. Color prints stand out in a room more than black and white prints do. Pairing them may detract attention from your black and white photography. Instead, dedicate separate walls or spaces to each.

Once you’ve selected the photography that best fits your space, you’ll need to decide how to hang the images. If you want to hang multiple photos, it’s essential to know how to arrange wall art. A proper arrangement can significantly enhance a living space.

On 1stDibs, explore a vast collection of compelling black and white photography by artists such as Mark Shaw, Jack Mitchell (a photographer you should know), Berenice Abbott and David Yarrow.

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