XBP149408 Pylon pectoral decorated with the vulture of Upper Egypt, from the tomb of Tutankhamun (c.1370-52 BC) New Kingdom (gold cloisonne inlaid with glass paste) by Egyptian 18th Dynasty (c.1567-1320 BC), Egyptian National Museum
Lee Boltin was 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."
"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."
XBP236471 George R. Lawrence's (1869-1938) Mammoth Camera, c.1900 (sepia photo) by American Photographer (20th century) Private Collection
Bridgeman is working to catalogue and scan the entire Boltin collection which boasts images of such diverse content as Aztec architecture, Egyptian relics, Japanese prints and 19th century painting. With regard to the American focus of the collection, BPL not only holds many post-colonial and civil war era portraits, but also a wide range of Native American decorative arts, paintings and engravings. With its large number of contemporary photographs and paintings depicting American culture set alongside such items as Native Inuit sculpture and late-Impressionist artists like Camille Pissarro, it is clear that the Boltin is one of the most fascinating collections to be acquired by Bridgeman.
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