190+ Original Photographic Proof Prints

**Meet The Amish** by Charles Scott Rice and John B. Shenk

Book Publication Portfolio

DESCRIPTION – This listing is for the c.1947 book MEET THE AMISH – by Charles Scott Rice and John B. Shenk – PLUS - Charles Rice’s 190+ print proofs that were sent to support publication efforts.  The book is occasionally on eBay and was reprinted in 2022.  However, the purpose of this listing is to offer a copy of the original 1947 hardcover book and the original publication portfolio with the book information circular and the proof images sent to the authors’ publication agent: Willis Kingsley Wing who was located New York.  The book is in good usable condition with some use marks – spine is good and tight, the cover has wear and bumps, inside pages are clean - the original cover has a plastic protector sleeve over it. 

THE PHOTOGRAPHS – The main body of the book features 198 images taken by Charles S. Rice.  I went chapter by chapter to match up the proof images and determined that the portfolio box was missing five – they just were lost at some point.  Unfortunately, the image used for the book cover is also missing.  A few images have duplicates.  All prints in the portfolio were used in the publication.  

I am not knowledgeable enough about older publication proof methods, but it appears to be a technique (this is well before Xerox copiers) of using “printing out paper” where the negative is placed in contact with the sensitized photo paper – you can see tape pieces securing some of the image.  The observable photo image is formed via light reactions onto the light sensitive paper.  This technique yields prints which tend to be reddish, brown, or purple.  I cannot possibly include all the images in this listing – please see the many examples in the eBay listing.

PRINT SIZES – Prints vary in size.  The majority of the prints generally are in the 4x5 to 5x7 range.  There are a few smaller and a few that are approximately 8x10 inches. 

PRINT CONDITION – Print condition varies – the vast majority are excellent.  Photographic print exposure, tone and contrast vary.  A few have curled edges.  A couple of the prints did not develop out very well.  The image paper is very thin, so some have folded corners from 70+ years of storage.  Overall, the images are super clean with excellent tone, contrast and detail.  Excellent viewing.

PROVENANCE – I have collected photography for many years.  In the mid-1990s. I received a telephone call asking if I want to buy some photography items.  When I traveled to Lancaster County, almost everything was already boxed.  Mrs. Rice had me disassemble the darkroom equipment – I assumed she was unfamiliar with it.  Among the boxed cameras and lenses were photography books and ephemera.  This publication agent box was packed with the items.  I found it interesting that Charles Rice used a Graflex “Baby Bertha” 4x5 camera.  The camera was crafted along the lines of the 5x7 Graflex Big Bertha that was developed for extended telephoto photograph sports, particularly baseball.  Rice used the camera to take photos of the Amish from a distance.  He was an accomplished and dedicated photographer of Amish country subjects.  He provided images for a number of publications.  I kept the camera for a number of years and eventually traded it to a collector or Graflex cameras.  

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