Pylon pectoral decorated with the vulture of Upper Egypt, from the tomb of Tutankhamun, Egyptian National Museum
Lee Boltin (1917-91) Photogapher of art, specialising in primitive works
Born in New York City in 1917, Lee Boltin trained at the American Museum of Natural History, where his early photographs focused on pre-Columbian and Eskimo art.
In 1954 he left the museum to work on his own and became well known for his photographs of artifacts, notably the contents of King Tutankhamen's tomb for the book "Tutankhamen: The Tomb and Its Treasures" in 1977 in conjunction with The Metropolitan Museum of Art's seminal exhibition on the subject that same year.
Boltin's work has also been featured in books such as "Treasures of Early Irish Art" and "Art Before Columbus."
XBP236471 George R. Lawrence's (1869-1938) Mammoth Camera, c.1900 (sepia photo) by American Photographer (20th century) Private Collection
"We are delighted to announce the addition of the Boltin Picture Library to our archive," says Edward Whitley, President of Bridgeman Art Library International.
"It is a unique collection of photography comprising one of the foremost archives of pre-Columbian, European, African and Asian artifacts ever assembled, alongside some rarely seen paintings in private collections. We have had a very successful working relationship with the Boltin family over the past 5 years and look forward to continuing to make Lee's work available for reproduction."
XBP228803 The Watermelon Boys, 1876 (oil on canvas) by Winslow Homer (1836-1910) Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Inst., NY
XBP231850 Detail of Burial cloth, Paracas Tribe (textile) by Peruvian School (1st Century BC) Private Collection