This is an authentic (NOT a computer scanned reprint), genuine1970 photogravure print (also known as héliogravure) by the American photographer E.J. Bellocq. The master print for this photogravure was created from the original glass plate negative Bellocq made in circa 1912 and is part of a historically significant collection of 89 negatives recovered after his death. The image itself was made with a glass plate view camera and the subjects are New Orleans, Louisiana prostitutes who worked in the then legal red light district known as "Storyville".

This quality sheet fed gravure print was originally issued as part of a bound compilation of photo-gravures printed in 1970 as part of a special publishing project funded by the Museum Of Modern Art in New York City. The photogravures coincided with MOMA's 1970 public exhibition of photo-chemical prints made directly from Bellocq's original glass negatives. Upon public exhibition these photographs were immediately acclaimed for their unique poignancy and beauty.

ABOUT E.J. BELLOCQ:
E.J. Bellocq was born in a wealthy white French Creole family in the French Quarter of New Orleans. He became an amateur photographer before setting himself up as a professional, making his living mostly by taking photographic records of landmarks and of ships and machinery for local companies. However, he also took personal photographs of the hidden side of local life, and most notably the prostitutes of Storyville. These were only known to a small number of his acquaintances. In the latter part of his life, he lived alone and acquired a reputation for eccentricity and unfriendliness.

After his death in 1949, most of his negatives and prints were destroyed. However, the Storyville negatives were later found. All the images were portraits of women. Some are nude, some dressed, others posed as if acting a mysterious narrative. Many of the negatives were badly damaged, in part deliberately, which encouraged speculation. Many of the faces in the images had been scraped out; whether this was done by Bellocq, his Jesuit priest brother who inherited them after E. J.'s death or someone else is unknown. Bellocq is the most likely candidate, since the damage was done while the emulsion was still wet. In other pictures the women wore masks obscuring their identity. After many years, the negatives were purchased by a noted art photographer and subsequently printed for the Museum Of Modern Art.

This photogravure plate is guaranteed to be authentic and comes with a hand signed CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY (COA) with unique individual registered serial number from the Finephoto Vintage Archive & Database. Under magnification this plate shows a tight "honeycomb" cell structure, uniform pressing of ink and a wide range of tone - all indicative of a quality sheet fed gravure print. The watermark word "Finephoto" does not appear on the actual print.

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