Edward Weston

Young Edward Weston with a camera. Unknown author, via Wikipedia. 

Who was Edward Weston ?

Edward Henry Weston (1886-1958) , an American photographer of the 20th century, is often hailed as a pioneering and influential figure in the field. Considered a master of his craft, he embarked on a 40-year journey capturing a wide range of subjects, including landscapes, still lifes, nudes, portraits, genre scenes, and even playful parodies. What set him apart was his distinctively American, particularly Californian, approach to modern photography, as he focused on portraying the people and places of the American West. In 1937, Weston made history as the first photographer to be awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. Over the following two years, he utilized his 8 × 10 view camera to create nearly 1,400 negatives, leaving an indelible mark on the art form. Among his most renowned works are the captivating photographs he took of trees and rocks in the vicinity of Point Lobos, California, where he resided for an extended period.

Born in Chicago, Weston relocated to California at the age of 21. From an early age, he knew he aspired to become a photographer. Initially, his work reflected the prevalent style of the time, characterized by soft focus and pictorialism. However, within a few years, he abandoned this approach and became a leading advocate for highly detailed photographic images.

Unfortunately, in 1947, Weston received a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, which prompted him to cease his photographic pursuits. For the remaining decade of his life, he devoted himself to overseeing the printing of more than 1,000 of his most iconic images, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of photography.

Edward B. Weston, M.D., the photographer's father, by Edward Weston. Edward Weston - The American Annual of Photography for 1921, via Wikipedia. 

Life (1886–1906)

Weston was brought into the world in Highland Park, Illinois, as the second child and sole son of Edward Burbank Weston, a skilled obstetrician, and Alice Jeanette Brett, a renowned actress specializing in Shakespearean plays. Tragedy struck early in his life when his mother passed away when he was just five years old. Subsequently, he was predominantly raised by his older sister Mary, whom he affectionately called "May" or "Maisie." Their bond grew remarkably close over the years and remained one of the few stable relationships in Weston's tumultuous existence.

At the age of nine, Weston's father remarried, yet neither Weston nor his sister formed a harmonious connection with their new stepmother and stepbrother. Following May's marriage and departure from their household in 1897, Weston's father redirected most of his attention to his new spouse and her son. Consequently, Weston found himself increasingly alone, often left to his own devices. He gradually withdrew from school and sought solace within the confines of his own room, located within their spacious abode.

On his sixteenth birthday, as a special gift, Weston's father bestowed upon him his very first camera: a Kodak Bull's-Eye No. 2, a simple box camera. Weston took this camera along on a vacation in the Midwest, and upon returning home, his fascination with photography had blossomed to such an extent that he decided to invest in a used 5 × 7 inch view camera. He commenced capturing images in Chicago parks and on his aunt's farm, developing his own film and prints. Looking back, he recollected that even at that tender age, his work displayed distinct artistic merit. He remarked, "I believe that my earliest works from 1903 ‒ though unrefined ‒ exhibit a closer kinship, in terms of technique and composition, with my latest creations than several of my photographs dating from 1913 to 1920, a period during which I aspired to create art."

In 1904, May and her family relocated to California, leaving Weston further isolated in Chicago. He found employment at a local department store to support himself financially, yet the majority of his spare time remained dedicated to his photographic endeavors. Within a span of two years, he gained enough confidence in his craft to submit his work to the magazine Camera and Darkroom. In the April 1906 issue, his photograph titled "Spring, Chicago" was published, marking the first documented appearance of his work in any publication.

In September 1904, Weston participated in the men's double American round archery event at the 1904 Summer Olympics, where his father also competed in the same event.

Edward Weston portrait, 1916. Edward Weston - Studio Light vol. 8. no. 5 July 1916, via Wikipedia.

The encounter with photography

Encouraged by his sister, Weston departed Chicago in the spring of 1906 and relocated near her residence in Tropico, California (now part of Glendale). He made the decision to settle there and pursue a career in photography, but soon realized that he required further professional training. Consequently, a year later, he ventured to Effingham, Illinois, and enrolled at the Illinois College of Photography. The college offered a nine-month course, yet Weston completed all the required coursework within a remarkable six months. However, the institution insisted on withholding his diploma unless he paid for the full nine-month program. Refusing to comply, Weston instead returned to California in the spring of 1908.

Initially, he found employment as a negative retoucher at George Steckel's photography studio in Los Angeles. After a brief period, he transitioned to the more established studio of Louis Mojonier. Under Mojonier's guidance, Weston spent several years mastering the techniques and business aspects of operating a photography studio.

During his visit to Tropico, Weston was introduced to Flora May Chandler, his sister's closest friend. Flora May, a graduate of the Normal School (which would later become UCLA), held a teaching position at a grade school in Tropico. She was seven years older than Weston and happened to be distantly related to Harry Chandler, who was then recognized as the influential head of "the most powerful family in Southern California." Weston and his biographers noted this significant connection.

On January 30, 1909, Weston and Chandler exchanged vows in a modest ceremony. The couple welcomed their first child, Edward Chandler Weston (1910–1993), known as Chandler, on April 26, 1910. Chandler, named after both Weston and his wife, eventually developed into a talented photographer in his own right. Assisting his father in the bungalow studio, he gained valuable experience. However, after accompanying his father and his then-muse, Tina Modotti, on a journey to Mexico in 1923, he decided to relinquish his aspirations of pursuing photography as a career. The trappings of fame and fortune had a profound impact on him. Nevertheless, his later photographs, albeit rare due to being a hobbyist, undeniably displayed an innate talent for the art form.

In 1910, Weston established his own enterprise, "The Little Studio," in Tropico. His sister inquired why he had chosen Tropico over the nearby bustling metropolis of Los Angeles, to which he replied, "Sis, I'm going to make my name so renowned that it won't matter where I reside."

Over the next three years, Weston diligently worked alone in his studio, occasionally receiving assistance from family members. Even at this early stage in his career, he exhibited meticulousness in his craft. During an interview, he declared, "Photographic plates mean nothing to me unless I capture exactly what I desire. I have used up to thirty plates in a single session if I failed to achieve the desired effect."

His uncompromising pursuit of excellence paid off, as he swiftly garnered recognition for his work. Weston secured prizes in national competitions, published numerous photographs, and contributed articles to esteemed magazines like Photo-Era and American Photography, actively championing the pictorial style.

On December 16, 1911, Weston's second son, Theodore Brett Weston (1911–1993), was born. Theodore became an enduring artistic collaborator alongside his father and emerged as a significant photographer in his own right.

In the autumn of 1913, Margrethe Mather, a photographer from Los Angeles, visited Weston's studio after hearing about his burgeoning reputation. Within a short span of a few months, they forged a deep connection. Weston, hailing from the quiet Midwest and recently transplanted to California, encountered Mather, who was immersed in the flourishing bohemian cultural scene of Los Angeles. She possessed an outgoing and flamboyantly artistic nature, juxtaposed against Weston's conservative demeanor at the time. Mather's sexually liberal beliefs and bisexuality, with a preference for women, starkly contrasted with Weston's more traditional values. Notably, Mather had previously worked as a prostitute. She became a source of fascination for Weston, as her uninhibited lifestyle captivated him, and he found her unique photographic vision intriguing.

Impressed by her talents, Weston invited Mather to be his studio assistant, commencing a close collaboration that spanned a decade. Together, they produced individual and joint-signed portraits of literary figures such as Carl Sandburg and Max Eastman. A joint exhibition of their work in 2001 revealed that during this period, Weston adopted Mather's style and eventually explored similar subjects. Mather delved into capturing "fans, hands, eggs, melons, waves, bathroom fixtures, seashells, and bird wings," all of which Weston would later explore in his own work.[13] A decade later, Weston described Mather as "the first important person in my life, and perhaps even now, though personal contact has ceased, the most important."

In early 1915, Weston began keeping detailed journals, which he later referred to as his "Daybooks." Over the following two decades, he meticulously documented his thoughts about his work, reflections on photography, and interactions with friends, lovers, and family. On December 6, 1916, Weston welcomed his third son, Lawrence Neil Weston, into the world. Following in his father's footsteps, Lawrence also became a well-known photographer. During this period, Weston crossed paths with photographer Johan Hagemeyer, whom he mentored and occasionally allowed to use his studio. In return, Hagemeyer offered Weston the use of his studio in Carmel upon his return from Mexico. For several subsequent years, Weston sustained himself by taking portraits in his modest studio, affectionately known as "the shack."

Meanwhile, Flora devoted all her time to caring for their children, leaving little opportunity for herself. Their fourth son, Cole Weston (1919–2003), was born on January 30, 1919, further restricting Flora's freedom to leave their home.

In the summer of 1920, Weston encountered two individuals immersed in the burgeoning cultural scene of Los Angeles: Roubaix de l'Abrie Richey, also known as "Robo," and a woman posing as his wife, Tina Modotti. Modotti, primarily known as a stage and film actress at the time, was not legally married to Robo, but they maintained the facade for the sake of his family. Weston and Modotti were instantly drawn to each other and swiftly became lovers. Despite Modotti's affair being known to Richey, he continued to maintain a friendship with Weston and eventually invited him to Mexico, offering the use of his studio.

The following year, Weston made the decision to make Mather an equal partner in his studio. For a few months, they produced portraits bearing both their names, marking the only instance throughout Weston's extensive career where he shared credit with another photographer.

Around 1920, Weston embarked on his first foray into photographing nude models. Initially, his subjects included his wife, Flora, and their children. However, he soon expanded his repertoire and captured at least three nude studies of Mather. This marked the beginning of numerous figure studies featuring friends and lovers over the following two decades.

Until this point, Weston had kept his relationships with other women a secret from his wife. However, as he delved deeper into nude photography, Flora grew suspicious about his interactions with models. Chandler, Weston's son, recalled how his mother would frequently send him on "errands" to his father's studio, asking him to report on who was present and what they were doing.

Modotti, one of the first individuals to agree to model nude for Weston, became his primary muse for several subsequent years.

In 1922, Weston paid a visit to his sister May, who had relocated to Middletown, Ohio. During his stay, he captured five or six photographs of the towering smokestacks at the nearby Armco steel mill. These images marked a significant shift in Weston's photographic style, representing a transition from the soft-focus pictorialism of the past to a new, more defined approach. Recognizing this change immediately, he later documented it in his notes, stating, "The Middletown visit was truly memorable...but most importantly, I photographed 'Armco'...That day, I produced remarkable photographs, even Stieglitz regarded them as significant!"

During that era, New York City served as the cultural hub for photography as an art form in America, with Alfred Stieglitz standing as its most influential figure. Weston yearned to travel to New York and meet Stieglitz, but lacked the financial means to make the trip. However, his brother-in-law provided him with enough money to continue his journey from Middletown to New York City. He spent the majority of October and early November there, where he encountered artist Charles Sheeler and photographers Clarence H. White and Gertrude Kasebier, in addition to Stieglitz. Weston recounted how Stieglitz expressed his reassurance, stating, "Your work and attitude bring me solace. You have shown me several prints that have given me immense joy. And I seldom say that about photographs."

Upon Weston's return from New York, Robo relocated to Mexico and established a studio there to create batiks. Shortly afterward, he arranged a joint exhibition featuring his own work, photographs by Weston, Mather, and a few others. In early 1923, Modotti embarked on a train journey to reunite with Robo in Mexico. Tragically, he contracted smallpox and passed away shortly before her arrival. Overwhelmed by grief, Modotti gradually recovered and, within a few weeks, decided to remain in Mexico to fulfill the exhibition plans that Robo had conceived. The show proved successful and firmly solidified Weston's artistic reputation in Mexico, largely thanks to his nude studies of Modotti.

Once the exhibition concluded, Modotti returned to California, and Weston made arrangements to join her in Mexico. His intention was to spend a couple of months there, capturing photographs and promoting his work. Conveniently, he could travel under the pretext that Modotti would accompany him as his assistant and translator.

In the week preceding his departure for Mexico, Weston briefly reunited with Mather. He captured several nude shots of her lying in the sand at Redondo Beach. These images diverged significantly from his previous nude studies, as they exhibited sharp focus and portrayed her entire body in relation to the natural environment. They have since been regarded as artistic prototypes for his later and more renowned nude photographs, particularly those featuring Charis Wilson, which he would capture more than a decade later.

Edward Weston, Figure in the Nude, 1918 . Edward Weston - Published in Camera Craft Volume 26 (1919), via Wikipedia. 

Mexico

On July 30, 1923, Weston embarked on a lengthy voyage to Mexico with his son Chandler and Modotti. His wife, Flora, and their three other sons bid them farewell at the dock. Flora's understanding or thoughts about Weston's relationship with Modotti remain unknown, but she reportedly called out to Modotti at the dock, saying, "Tina, take good care of my boys."

They reached Mexico City on August 11 and leased a spacious hacienda outside the city. Within a month, Weston organized an exhibition of his work at the Aztec Land Gallery, which opened on October 17 and received enthusiastic praise from the press. One review that particularly pleased Weston was by Marius de Zayas, who remarked, "Photography is beginning to be photography, for until now it has only been art."

The distinct culture and landscapes of Mexico compelled Weston to view things from new perspectives. He became more attuned to the world around him, training his camera on everyday objects like toys, doorways, and bathroom fixtures. He also captured intimate nude studies and portraits of Modotti. Reflecting on his approach, he wrote in his Daybooks:

"The camera should be used to record life, capturing the very essence and substance of the subject itself... I firmly believe that the path to photography lies in realism."

As Weston continued to photograph the people and objects surrounding him, his reputation in Mexico grew with each passing day. He held a second exhibition at the Aztec Land Gallery in 1924 and received numerous requests from local socialites to have their portraits taken. However, he began to miss his other sons back in the United States. Once again, it was the influence of a woman that motivated him. He had been corresponding with Miriam Lerner, a woman he had known for several years, and as their letters became more passionate, he yearned to see her again.

At the end of 1924, Weston and Chandler returned to San Francisco, where he established a studio with Johan Hagemeyer the following month. During this period, Weston appeared to grapple with his past and future. He burned all his pre-Mexico journals, seemingly attempting to erase the past, and embarked on a new series of nudes featuring Lerner and his son Neil. He regarded these images as "the beginning of a new phase in my approach and attitude towards photography."

However, his relationship with Lerner proved short-lived, and in August 1925, Weston returned to Mexico, accompanied by his son Brett. Modotti had organized a joint exhibition of their photographs, which opened upon his arrival. Weston received further critical acclaim, and six of his prints were acquired by the State Museum. Over the next few months, he focused his lens once again on photographing folk art, toys, and local scenes. One of the standout images from this period is a photograph of three black clay pots, described by art historian Rene d'Harnoncourt as "the dawn of a new art."

In May 1926, Weston signed a contract with writer Anita Brenner, who commissioned him for $1,000 to capture photographs for her book on Mexican folk art. Starting in June, Weston, Modotti, and Brett embarked on a journey across the country, seeking out lesser-known indigenous arts and crafts. The contract required Weston to provide Brenner with three final prints from a selection of 400 8x10 negatives, and he completed the work by November of that year. During their travels, Brett received an intensive crash course in photography from his father and produced over two dozen prints of exceptional quality, as acknowledged by Weston.

By the time they returned from their trip, Weston's relationship with Modotti had deteriorated. Within a fortnight, Weston and Brett made their way back to California, signaling the end of Weston's travels to Mexico.

Epilogue (1919) featuring Margrethe Mather. Edward Weston - Center for Creative Photography Published in: (1920) Pictorial Photography in America 1920, Category:New York: Pictorial Photographers of America, via Wikipedia. 

Carmel

Upon his return, Weston found himself back at his former studio in Glendale, previously known as Tropico. In haste, he organized a joint exhibition at the University of California, showcasing the photographs he and Brett had captured the previous year. Weston displayed 100 prints, while his son presented 20 prints, despite being only 15 years old at the time.

In February, Weston embarked on a new series of nude studies featuring dancer Bertha Wardell. One standout image from this series depicted her kneeling body, cropped at the shoulders, and has since become renowned as one of Weston's most notable figure studies. It was during this period that he encountered Canadian painter Henrietta Shore, whom he approached for her feedback on the photos of Wardell. He was taken aback by her candid critique, as she expressed, "I wish you would not focus so much on nudes – you have grown accustomed to them, and the subject no longer astonishes you ‒ most of these are simply nudes."

Intrigued by Shore's perspective, Weston expressed his desire to view her own artwork. He became fascinated by her large-scale paintings of seashells and borrowed several shells from her, hoping to find inspiration for a new still-life series. Over the following weeks, he explored various combinations of shells and backgrounds. In his log of photographs taken in 1927, he documented fourteen negatives featuring shells. Among these images, one in particular, known as "Nautilus" (1927) or sometimes referred to as "Shell" (1927), became one of Weston's most celebrated works. Modotti described it as "mystical and erotic," and when she showed it to Rene d'Harnoncourt, he confessed to feeling "weak at the knees." Weston produced at least twenty-eight prints of this image, surpassing the number of prints he made for any other shell image.

Weston had a big show at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco in September of that year. At the opening of the show, he met another photographer named Willard Van Dyke. Van Dyke later put Weston in touch with Ansel Adams.

Weston and Brett went to the Mojave Desert for a short but important trip in May 1928. It was there that he first looked at scenery as art and took pictures of them. He was blown away by the stark rock shapes and empty spaces. Over a long weekend, he took twenty-seven pictures. He wrote in his book, "These negatives are the most important things I have ever done."

Later that year, he and Brett went to San Francisco, where they lived and worked in a small studio that Hagemeyer owned. He did pictures to make money, but he really wanted to be alone and work on his art. Early in 1929, he moved to Johan Hagemeyer's house in Carmel. There, he found the peace and inspiration he had been looking for. He put a sign in the window of his office that said, "Edward Weston, Photographer, Unretouched Portraits, Prints for Collectors."

He started going to Point Lobos, which was close by, often to take pictures. He did this until the end of his work. There, he learned how to adjust his photographic vision to fit the field of view of his view camera. The pictures he took there of kelp, rocks, and trees that had been blown over by the wind are some of his best.

Weston met Sonya Noskowiak, a photographer, at a party in early April 1929. By the end of the month, she was living with him. She became his model, muse, student, and helper, just like many of his other relationships. They would stay together for another five years.

Weston started taking close-ups of veggies and fruits in 1930 because he was interested in the different kinds and shapes of kelp he saw on the beaches near Carmel. He took pictures of cabbage, kale, onions, bananas, and, finally, peppers, which became his most famous picture. In August of that year, Noskowiak gave him some green peppers, and over the course of four days, he took at least thirty different photos. Of these, Pepper No. 30 is one of the best photographs ever taken.

In 1930 and 1931, Weston had a number of important one-man shows. The first was at Alma Reed's Delphic Studio Gallery in New York. Then, the same show was put on at the Denny Watrous Gallery in Carmel, California, not long after. Both were praised by critics, and the New York Times Magazine wrote a two-page story about them. Then there were shows at the De Young Museum in San Francisco and the Galerie Jean Naert in Paris.

Even though he was doing well at work, his home life was a mess. Because of a gift from her parents, Flora was able to take care of their children for most of their marriage. But the Wall Street Crash of 1929 took away most of her savings, and Weston felt more pressure to help her and his boys have more money. He said, "This was the hardest time for me financially in my whole life."

The Art of Edward Weston, the first book about Weston's work by itself, came out in 1932. It was edited by Merle Armitage and dedicated to Alice Rohrer, a Weston fan and supporter who gave $500 to help pay for the book's publication.

Around the same time, Van Dyke and Ansel Adams started getting together with a small group of shooters in the San Francisco area to talk about their shared interests and tastes. They were inspired by Weston's show at the De Young Museum the year before, so they talked to the museum about putting on a group show of their work. They called themselves Group f/64, and in November 1932, 80 of their prints were shown at a museum as part of an exhibition. The show did well with critics.

Weston got a 45 Graflex camera in 1933. It was much smaller and lighter than the large view camera he had been using for many years. He started taking close-up shots of Noskowiak and other models in their underwear. With the smaller camera, he could talk to his models more. At the same time, the nudes he took during this time started to look like some of the bent roots and veggies he had taken the year before.

When Weston met Charis Wilson at a show in early 1934, "a new and important chapter opened" in his life. Even more than with his other loves, Weston was drawn to her beauty and personality right away. He wrote, "A beautiful new love came into my life, one that I think will last the test of time." On April 22, he took a picture of her naked for the first time, and after that, he became very interested in her. He was still living with Noskowiak at the time, but within two weeks he asked her to leave, saying that other women were "as inevitable as the tides" for him.

At the same time, he stopped writing in his Daybooks, which may have been because of how serious his new relationship was. After six months, he wrote his last post, which was a look back at April 22:

We're closer than ever after eight months. C. might be recognized as the most important person in my life. I've already reached some heights that I couldn't have done with any other love.

Armco Steel, Ohio, 1922. Edward Weston, Armco Steel, Ohio, 1922. Published in 1941, via Wikipedia. 

From 1935 to 1945

In January 1935, Edward Weston faced growing financial difficulties, prompting him to close his studio in Carmel and relocate to Santa Monica Canyon, California. There, he established a new studio with his collaborator Brett. Weston urged Wilson to join him and, in August 1935, she finally agreed. Unlike his previous partner Flora, Wilson had no interest in becoming a photographer, allowing Weston to focus on her as his muse and model. Wilson dedicated herself to promoting Weston's art as his assistant and quasi-agent.

Without delay, Weston embarked on a new series of nude photography, using Wilson as his model. One of their earliest photographs together, taken on the balcony of their home, became one of Weston's most widely published images, titled "Nude (Charis, Santa Monica)". They also embarked on several trips to Oceano Dunes, where Weston captured daring and intimate photographs of Wilson in uninhibited poses amidst the sand dunes. Although he exhibited only a couple of images from this series during his lifetime, Weston believed that several others were "too erotic" for the general public.

While Weston's recent work garnered critical acclaim, it didn't provide a stable income. Instead of solely relying on portrait photography, he initiated the "Edward Weston Print of the Month Club," offering subscribers a monthly selection of his photographs for a $5 subscription fee. Each month, subscribers received a new print from Weston, with a limited edition of 40 copies per print. It's estimated that Weston had no more than eleven subscribers for this club.

Following a suggestion from Beaumont Newhall, Weston applied for a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation, known today as the Guggenheim Fellowship. He submitted a concise two-sentence description of his work and assembled thirty-five of his favorite prints. Afterward, Dorothea Lange and her husband pointed out that the application might not be taken seriously due to its brevity. As a result, Weston resubmitted the application with a four-page letter and work plan, omitting the fact that Wilson had written the new application on his behalf.

On March 22, 1937, Weston received the groundbreaking news that he had been awarded a Guggenheim grant, becoming the first photographer ever to receive such an honor. The grant amounted to $2,000 for one year, a substantial sum at the time. Weston maximized the award by striking a deal with the editor of AAA Westway Magazine, providing 8-10 photos per month during their travels for $50, while Wilson earned an additional $15 per month for providing photo captions and short narratives. With their newfound resources, they purchased a new car and embarked on Weston's long-desired journey to photograph whatever he desired. Over the next twelve months, they embarked on seventeen trips, covering 16,697 miles according to Wilson's meticulous log. During the trip, Weston captured 1,260 negatives.

The freedom of this journey with the love of his life, combined with his sons reaching adulthood, fueled Weston's motivation to finally divorce his wife, with whom he had been living apart for sixteen years.

Given the success of the previous year, Weston applied for and received a second year of Guggenheim support. While he desired to do more traveling, he primarily intended to use the funding to print his work from the previous year. He commissioned Neil to construct a small home in the Carmel Highlands on property owned by Wilson's father. They named the place "Wildcat Hill" due to the numerous domestic cats that soon populated the grounds.

Wilson set up a writing studio in what was originally meant to be a small garage behind the house, spending several months writing and editing stories from their travels. In 1939, they published "Seeing California with Edward Weston," featuring Weston's photographs and Wilson's writing. Finally freed from past financial burdens and profoundly content with their work and relationship, Weston and Wilson married in a small ceremony on April 24.

Encouraged by the success of their first book, they published "California and the West" in 1940. The initial edition contained 96 of Weston's photos accompanied by Wilson's text, selling for $3.95. During the summer, Weston taught photography at the inaugural Ansel Adams Workshop held at Yosemite National Park.

As the Guggenheim funds were dwindling, Weston received an invitation to illustrate a new edition of Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass." He would receive $1,000 for the photographs and $500 for travel expenses. Weston insisted on having artistic control over the images, emphasizing that he wouldn't create literal illustrations of Whitman's text. On May 28, he and Wilson embarked on a 20,000-mile journey spanning 24 states. During the trip, Weston captured between 700 and 800 8x10 negatives, along with numerous Graflex portraits.

On December 7, 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor marked the United States' entry into World War II. Weston, near the end of his Whitman trip, was deeply affected by the war's outbreak. He wrote, "When the war broke out, we hurried home. Charis did not want to hurry, but I did."

During the first months of 1942, Weston organized and printed the negatives from the Whitman trip. Out of the hundreds of images he captured, forty-nine were selected for publication.

Due to the war, Point Lobos remained closed to the public for several years. Weston continued working on images centered around Wildcat Hill, including photographs of the numerous cats residing there. He approached these subjects with the same serious intent as any other, and the results were compiled by Charis into their unique publication, "The Cats of Wildcat Hill," which was ultimately published in 1947.

The year 1945 marked the beginning of significant changes for Weston. He started experiencing the initial symptoms of Parkinson's disease, a debilitating condition that gradually eroded his strength and ability to photograph. As Weston withdrew, Wilson became increasingly involved in local politics and the cultural scene of Carmel. Their initial strength, her disinterest in becoming a photographer herself, eventually led to their separation. Wilson wrote, "My flight from Edward was also partly an escape from photography, which had taken up so much room in my life for so many years."

While working on a major retrospective exhibition for the Museum of Modern Art, Weston and Wilson officially separated. Weston returned to Glendale since the land for their cabin at Wildcat Hill still belonged to Wilson's father. Within a few months, she moved out and arranged to sell the property to Weston.

Tina Modotti with her arms raised - Edward Weston restoration ca. 1921. Edward Weston, via Wikipedia.

The last years of life

In February 1946, Weston's extensive retrospective opened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Alongside Beaumont Newhall, he curated a selection of 313 prints for the exhibition, ultimately showcasing 250 photographs and 11 negatives. Many of his prints were available for purchase during the exhibition, and he sold a total of 97 prints at a price of $25 each. Later that year, Kodak approached Weston through Dr. George L. Waters and commissioned him to produce Kodachrome transparencies for their advertising campaign. This opportunity marked Weston's first foray into color photography, as he had previously lacked the means to develop and print color images. The offer was particularly appealing to him because Kodak offered to pay $250 per image, the highest amount he would ever receive for a single work in his lifetime. Weston eventually sold seven color works to Kodak, capturing landscapes and scenes at Point Lobos and the nearby Monterey harbor.

In 1947, as Weston's Parkinson's disease progressed, he began seeking an assistant. Coincidentally, a passionate young photography enthusiast named Dody Weston Thompson reached out to him in search of employment. Weston had just written a letter that morning to Ansel Adams, expressing his need for someone to learn photography while assisting with the large-format camera and providing transportation. It was a fortuitous meeting of minds. From late 1947 to early 1948, Dody commuted from San Francisco on weekends to receive photography lessons from Weston. In early 1948, she became his full-time assistant and moved into "Bodie House," the guest cottage at Edward's Wildcat Hill compound.

By late 1948, Weston's physical condition deteriorated to the point where he could no longer handle his large view camera. He took his final photographs that year at Point Lobos, with his last negative being an image titled "Rocks and Pebbles, 1948." Despite his diminished physical capacity, Weston never ceased to be a photographer. He worked alongside his sons and Dody to organize his image catalog, and he oversaw the publication and printing of his work. In 1950, his work was prominently featured in a major retrospective at the Musee National d'Art Moderne in Paris. In 1952, he published a Fiftieth Anniversary portfolio, with the images printed by his son, Brett.

During this period, Weston collaborated with Cole, Brett, and Dody Thompson (who had married Brett by 1952) to carefully select and print a master set of his best work. They spent numerous hours together in the darkroom, resulting in what Weston referred to as "The Project Prints." This collection consisted of eight sets of 8" × 10" prints, comprising 830 of his negatives. Today, the only complete set is housed at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In the same year, the Smithsonian Institution showcased nearly 100 of these prints in a significant exhibition titled "The World of Edward Weston," paying tribute to his remarkable contributions to American photography.

Weston passed away at his home on Wildcat Hill on New Year's Day, 1958. His sons scattered his ashes into the Pacific Ocean at a location known as Pebbly Beach on Point Lobos. As a testament to Weston's enduring impact, the beach was later renamed Weston Beach. At the time of his death, he had $300 in his bank account.

Nautilus (1927) by Weston. Edward Weston, via Wikipedia.

Legacy

By 2013, two of Edward Weston's photographs had achieved extraordinary prices, placing them among the most expensive photographs ever sold. "The Nude, 1925," captured in 1925, was purchased by gallerist Peter MacGill in 2008 for a staggering $1.6 million. Similarly, "Nautilus of 1927" fetched $1.1 million in 2010, also acquired by MacGill.

In recognition of his immense contributions to the art of photography, Edward Weston was honored in 1984 with induction into the esteemed International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum. Weston's artistic journey spanned over four decades, from approximately 1915 to 1956. Throughout his prolific career, he created over 1,000 monochromatic photographs and around 50 color images. While the following list is not exhaustive, it includes some of Weston's most renowned and celebrated works:    

• Nude, 1918. Nude subject, 9.5" x 7.4" / 24.1 x 18.8 cm. Private collection.

      

• Prologue     to a Sad Spring, 1920.     Pictorial subject, 9.4" x 7.4" / 23.8 x 18.8 cm. Center for Creative Photography, University of California at Santa Cruz, Smithsonian Institution.

      

• Sunny  Corner in the Attic, 1921. Pictoria subject, 7.5" x 9.5" / 19 x 24 cm. Center for Creative Photography, University of  California at Santa Cruz.

      

• The White Iris, 1921. Pictorial subject, 9.5" x 7.5" / 24.2 x 19 cm. Center for Creative Photography.

      

• Sibyl Anikeeff, 1921. Portrait subject, 9 3/8" x 7 3/8".  Metropolitan Museum of Art,Syracuse  University Art Museum.

      

• Armco  Steel, 1922. Pictorial subject, 9.25" × 7.5" (23.5 × 19.1 cm). Moma.      

      

• Breast, 1923. Nude subject, 7.4" x 9.5" / 18.8 × 23.9 cm. Center for Creative Photography, University of California at Santa Cruz, George Eastman House.      

      

• Pipes and Stacks: Armco, Middletown, Ohio, 1922. Buildings subject, 9.4" x 7.5" / 23.9 x 19.1 cm.     Center for Creative Photography, University of California at Santa Cruz, Smithsonian Institution, Getty  Museum, Los  Angeles County Museum of Art.      

      

• Nahui     Olin, 1923. Portrait subject, 9" x 6.8" / 23.0 × 17.4 cm.  Center for Creative Photography, University of California at Santa  Cruz, George Eastman House, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Modern Art

      

• Tina [nude on the azotea], 1923. Nude subject, 6.9" x 9.4" / 17.6 × 23.8 cm. Center for Creative Photography, University of California at Santa Cruz, Getty Museum, Art Institute of Chicago

      

• Galvin Shooting, 1924. Portrait subject, 8.2" x 7.2" / 20.8 × 18.4 cm. Center for Creative Photography, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

      

• Tina Reciting, 1924. Portrait subject, 9.5" x 7.5" / 24.1 × 19.0 cm. Center for Creative Photography, Houston Museum of Fine Arts.      

      

• Nude, 1925. Nude subject, 5.1” x 9.3”. Private collection.      

      

• Excusado,  1925. Objects subject, 9.5" x 7.5" / 24.1 × 19.2 cm. Center for Creative Photography, George Eastman House.      

      

• Tres Ollas, 1926. Objects subject, 9.5" x 7.5" / 19 × 23.9 cm. Center for Creative Photography, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Smithsonian Institution, Philadelphia Museum of Art.

      

• Bertha, Glendalem, 1927. Nude subject, 9.5" x 7.5" / 18.1 × 20.7 cm. Center for Creative Photography, Getty Museum, Monterey Museum of Art.

      

• Nautilus, 1927. Still life subject, 9.5" x 7.5" / 23.7 × 18.5 cm. Center for Creative Photography, George Eastman House, Museum of Modern Art.

      

• Two Shells, 1927. Still life subject, 9.5" x 7.4" / 24 ×  18.9 cm. Center for Creative Photography, Museum of Modern Art, University of California at Santa Cruz.

      

• Bedpan, 1930. Still life subject, 9.5" x 7.5" / 23.4 × 13.9 cm.     Center for Creative Photography, George Eastman House, Getty Museum,     University of California at Santa Cruz, Philadelphia Art Museum.      

      

• Cypress, Rock, Stone Crop, 1930. Landscape subject, 9.5" x 7.5" / 23.8 × 19 cm. Center for Creative Photography, George Eastman House, Museum of  Modern Art, University of California at Santa Cruz, Huntington Library.      

      

• José Clemente Orozco, 1930. Portrait subject, 9.5" x 7.5" / 24.2 × 18.6 cm. Center for Creative Photography, Getty Museum, Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Princeton University Art Museum.      

      

• Pepper  No. 30, 1930. Still life subject, 9.5" x 7.5" / 24.4 × 19.3 cm. Center for Creative Photography, George Eastman House, Art Institute of Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, University of California at Santa Cruz, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

      

• Eroded Rock No. 51, 1930. Landscape subject, 9.5" x 7.5" / 24.1 × 23.9 cm. Center for Creative Photography, Huntington Library, University of California at Santa Cruz, University  of California at Los Angeles.      

      

• White Radish, 1933. Still life subject, 9.5" x 7.5" / 24.2 x  19 cm. Center for Creative Photography, George Eastman House, Art Institute of Chicago, University of California at Santa Cruz, University of California at Los Angeles, Huntington Library.

      

• Sybil Anikeef, 1933. Portrait subject, 4 11/16" x 3 5/8" / 11.9 x 9.2 cm. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston, Massachusetts.