William M. Rittase Sold at Auction Prices

William M. Rittase Stunning Silver Print of Pennsylvania Railroad

20th Century Photography Philadelphia, PA, ca. 1930s William M. Rittase Stunning Silver Print of Pennsylvania Railroad Photograph A silver print photograph captured by William M. Rittase (1894-1968) depicting an industrial scene at a Philadelphia Railroad yard. 1p, measuring 8" x 9.75", Philadelphia, PA, ca. 1930s. Smoke can been seen billowing from the many locomotives, evoking a commercial yet beautiful image. Featuring the photographer's backstamp verso, numbered "2054" and captioned "Penna RR Yards/ 52nd & Lancaster Ave/ Phila". Exhibits minor silvering near edges, with slight bumping to corners. Otherwise, very good and ready for display. Mounted to stiff, cream colored board to the overall size of 13.5" x 17". Provenance: Ex. collection of Steve Forbes William M. Rittase was an industrial photographer working out of Philadelphia. He is one of a handful of photographers such as Russell Aikins and Margaret Bourke White who defined the heroic age of depicting the manufacturing process. In 1932, Rittase was among a small group of photographers included in an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art titled "Murals by American painters and photographers", which was among the first exhibitions to deem industrial photographs worthy of inclusion alongside more traditional art subjects. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Photograph of "RR 270" Locomotive by William Rittase

William Rittase (American, 1894-1968). "R.R. 270" gelatin silver print, n.d. Artist's signature and title handwritten in pencil on verso. A fabulous photograph entitled "R.R. 27" by William Rittase depicting the front of a locomotive powerfully chugging forward as clouds of steam whisp out of the chimney. A pair of figures stand to the right of the image, looking up at the impressive engine, as a metal structure towers beside them. The vehicle is positioned dynamically with a row of train cars trailing diagonally behind, blurring into the background. The photograph appears to have been taken in a station as reflections of the station windows further diversify the image, adding a linear aspect to the piece and creating an even more captivating composition. Size of photograph: 10" W x 8" H (25.4 cm x 20.3 cm) Size of matte: 16" W x 20" H (40.6 cm x 50.8 cm) According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "One of Fortune magazine's most frequently published photographers, Rittase was an engineer before embarking on a career in professional photography. This specialized knowledge served him well in photographing the industrial subjects characteristic of the magazine in the 1930s." This photograph was in the collection of pioneering patron of the arts, Ginny Williams. Sotheby's hosted a series of auctions featuring art and photography in the Ginny Williams Collection in June and July of 2020. Their press release began as follows, "Born in rural Virginia in 1927, Ginny moved to Denver, Colorado in the late 1950s with her husband, Carl Williams. An avid photographer herself, who studied with Austrian-American photojournalist and photographer Ernst Haas, her collecting journey began with classical figurative photography. Her passion and keen eye eventually prompted her to open her namesake gallery in Denver in the 1980s. While her passion for photography never waned, remaining a primary focus of both her gallery and private collection, her voracious curiosity quickly widened her curatorial focus. Over time, Ginny became increasingly courageous and experimental in her selections, venturing into Abstract Expressionism and Contemporary Art and following her artists themselves through gallery shows and museum exhibitions. As the years passed, Ginny became as much of a trailblazer as the artists she collected." Provenance: private Idledale, Colorado, USA collection; ex-Ginny Williams collection, Denver, Colorado, USA All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #174107

William Rittase Photograph of Locomotive - "RR 270"

William Rittase (American, 1894-1968). "R.R. 270" gelatin silver print, n.d. Artist's signature and title handwritten in pencil on verso. A fabulous photograph entitled "R.R. 27" by William Rittase depicting the front of a locomotive powerfully chugging forward as clouds of steam whisp out of the chimney. A pair of figures stand to the right of the image, looking up at the impressive engine, as a metal structure towers beside them. The vehicle is positioned dynamically with a row of train cars trailing diagonally behind, blurring into the background. The photograph appears to have been taken in a station as reflections of the station windows further diversify the image, adding a linear aspect to the piece and creating an even more captivating composition. Size of photograph: 10" W x 8" H (25.4 cm x 20.3 cm) Size of matte: 16" W x 20" H (40.6 cm x 50.8 cm) According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "One of Fortune magazine's most frequently published photographers, Rittase was an engineer before embarking on a career in professional photography. This specialized knowledge served him well in photographing the industrial subjects characteristic of the magazine in the 1930s." This photograph was in the collection of pioneering patron of the arts, Ginny Williams. Sotheby's hosted a series of auctions featuring art and photography in the Ginny Williams Collection in June and July of 2020. Their press release began as follows, "Born in rural Virginia in 1927, Ginny moved to Denver, Colorado in the late 1950s with her husband, Carl Williams. An avid photographer herself, who studied with Austrian-American photojournalist and photographer Ernst Haas, her collecting journey began with classical figurative photography. Her passion and keen eye eventually prompted her to open her namesake gallery in Denver in the 1980s. While her passion for photography never waned, remaining a primary focus of both her gallery and private collection, her voracious curiosity quickly widened her curatorial focus. Over time, Ginny became increasingly courageous and experimental in her selections, venturing into Abstract Expressionism and Contemporary Art and following her artists themselves through gallery shows and museum exhibitions. As the years passed, Ginny became as much of a trailblazer as the artists she collected." Provenance: private Idledale, Colorado, USA collection; ex-Ginny Williams collection, Denver, Colorado, USA All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #174107

Signed Early 20th C. William Rittase Photo "RR 270"

William Rittase (American, 1894-1968). "R.R. 270" gelatin silver print, n.d. Artist's signature and title handwritten in pencil on verso. A fabulous photograph entitled "R.R. 27" by William Rittase depicting the front of a locomotive powerfully chugging forward as clouds of steam whisp out of the chimney. A pair of figures stand to the right of the image, looking up at the impressive engine, as a metal structure towers beside them. The vehicle is positioned dynamically with a row of train cars trailing diagonally behind, blurring into the background. The photograph appears to have been taken in a station as reflections of the station windows further diversify the image, adding a linear aspect to the piece and creating an even more captivating composition. Size of photograph: 10" W x 8" H (25.4 cm x 20.3 cm) Size of matte: 16" W x 20" H (40.6 cm x 50.8 cm) According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "One of Fortune magazine's most frequently published photographers, Rittase was an engineer before embarking on a career in professional photography. This specialized knowledge served him well in photographing the industrial subjects characteristic of the magazine in the 1930s." This photograph was in the collection of pioneering patron of the arts, Ginny Williams. Sotheby's hosted a series of auctions featuring art and photography in the Ginny Williams Collection in June and July of 2020. Their press release began as follows, "Born in rural Virginia in 1927, Ginny moved to Denver, Colorado in the late 1950s with her husband, Carl Williams. An avid photographer herself, who studied with Austrian-American photojournalist and photographer Ernst Haas, her collecting journey began with classical figurative photography. Her passion and keen eye eventually prompted her to open her namesake gallery in Denver in the 1980s. While her passion for photography never waned, remaining a primary focus of both her gallery and private collection, her voracious curiosity quickly widened her curatorial focus. Over time, Ginny became increasingly courageous and experimental in her selections, venturing into Abstract Expressionism and Contemporary Art and following her artists themselves through gallery shows and museum exhibitions. As the years passed, Ginny became as much of a trailblazer as the artists she collected." Provenance: private Idledale, Colorado, USA collection; ex-Ginny Williams collection, Denver, Colorado, USA All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #174107

WILLIAM M. RITTASE, (AMERICAN, 1887–1968), PARACHUTE INSPECTION

WILLIAM M. RITTASE (american, 1887–1968) PARACHUTE INSPECTION 1942. Various credit, date, and press stamps on verso. Gelatin silver print. Image: 9 1/2 x 7 3/4 in. (24.1 x 19.7cm). Sheet: 10 x 8 in. (25.4 x 20.3cm). William M. Rittase worked as a photographer in Philadelphia during the 1920s and 1930s, shooting images for advertisements and articles in Fortune magazine and other publications. This image, which depicts women inspecting parachutes at the Pioneer Parachute Company in Manchester, Connecticut, is credited to the Office of War Information.

WILLIAM M. RITTASE, Study of gears. 10 x 8 -inch ferrotyped gelatin silver print on heavy paper, vintage ca. 1930.

WILLIAM M. RITTASE, Study of gears. 10 x 8 -inch ferrotyped gelatin silver print on heavy paper, vintage ca. 1930. The artist's Philadelphia stamp verso, with "Print No l, A. 35" and other notations. Rittase started as an engineer. His photographs often appeared in FORTUNE magazine, and also other publications.

RITTASE, WILLIAM (1894-1968) . Two images.

RITTASE, WILLIAM (1894-1968) . Two images. Comprises [Engine Yard], circa 1930. Vintage gelatin silver print, 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches (240 x 190 mm), artist's handstamp in ink on print verso and [Railroad workers], vintage gelatin silver print, 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches (240 x 190 mm), artist's handstamp in ink on print verso. Both framed; Together with ROBBINS, DAVID. Miners. Vintage gelatin silver print, 10 x 8 inches (255 x 205 mm), initialled by the artist's daughter on print verso. Framed. C 

RITTASE, WILLIAM M. (1894-1968) Pair of locomotive images.

RITTASE, WILLIAM M. (1894-1968) Pair of locomotive images. Silver prints, measuring 9 3/4x13 1/2 and 10 1/4x13 3/8 inches (24.8x34.3 and 26x34 cm.), each with Rittase's signature, in pencil, on mount recto, and with his hand stamp on mount verso. 1930s

RITTASE, WILLIAM (1894-1968) "So this is New York!"

RITTASE, WILLIAM (1894-1968) "So this is New York!" Silver print, 12 1/2x10 inches (31.8x25.4 cm.), double mounted to period board, with Rittase's signature and title, in pencil, on the secondary mount recto, and with his hand stamp on mount verso. 1930s

WILLIAM RITTASE (1894-1968)

WILLIAM RITTASE (1894-1968) LaSalle Street Station, Chicago, 1936 gelatin silver print printing notations in pencil (on the mount); date, annotations in pencil/ink, typed credit and caption on collection label affixed (on the reverse of the mount) image: 9 5/8 x 7½in. (24.4 x 19cm.) mount: 14 x 9in. (35.5 x 22.7cm.)

WILLIAM RITTASE (1894-1968): "PHILADELPHIA FREIGHT TERMINAL"

Gelatin silver print, 7 1/4 x 9 1/4 in. (image), 9 x 10 in. (sheet), artist stamp and titled on verso.

WILLIAM RITTASE (1894-1968): INDUSTRIAL SCENES

Gelatin silver print, 4 7/8 x 9 3/8 in. (sight), 16 1/2 x 16 1/2 in. (sheet), dated 1930, titled on verso with photographer studio stamp, also an exhibition label for the Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC.

WILLIAM RITTASE (1894-1968): INDUSTRIAL STUDY

Gelatin silver print, 7 x 9 in. (sight), 8 x 10 in. (sheet), inscription on verso "For Reading R.R."

William M. Rittase (American, 1894-1968) Rodin

William M. Rittase (American, 1894-1968) Rodin Museum, Philadelphia, ca. 1935; Gelatin silver print; 16 7/8'' x 13 7/8'' (sheet)

¤William RITTASE (1894-1968) Untitled (two divers), années 1930 Tirage argentique d'époque

¤William RITTASE (1894-1968) Untitled- Cacading Water, c. 1930 Tirage argentique, c.1930

William Rittase (1887-1968)

Streamliner, Reading R.R., 1930's gelatin silver print titled in an unknown hand in pencil and ink, credit reproduction limitation stamps and 'Frederick Lewis Photography, New York' label affixed (on the verso) 7 3/4 x 9 1/2 in. (19.6 x 24.1cm.)

1871 (M4) WILLIAM M. RITTASE (American 1887-1968) Untitled (Dance) Vintage silver print 10.5in. x 13.75in. Signed lower right: Rittase

1871 (M4) WILLIAM M. RITTASE (American 1887-1968) Untitled (Dance) Vintage silver print 10.5in. x 13.75in. Signed lower right: Rittase

WILLIAM RITTASE (1887-1968)

Streamliner, Reading R.R., 1930s gelatin silver print titled in an unknown hand in pencil and ink, credit reproduction limitation stamps and 'Frederick Lewis Photography, New York' label affixed (on the verso) 7 3/4 x 9 1/2 in. (19.6 x 24.1cm.)

RITTASE, WILLIAM

"Reading Railroad yards, Philadelphia." Silver print, 7 3/4 x9 1/2 inches (19.7x24.1 cm.), titled, in ink, with the photographer's hand stamp on verso. Circa 1938

RITTASE, WILLIAM ""Reading Railroad yards, Philadelphia.""

1 piece. (Original Photograph.) Rittase, William. Steam Shovel. Ca. 1930s.

1 piece. (Original Photograph.) Rittase, William. Steam Shovel. Ca. 1930s. Toned silver print, 10 x 13 5/8 inches (270 x 346 mm). Orig. mount. Estimate $ 400-600

1 piece. (Original Photograph.) Rittase, William M. Pitcairn Autogyro Interior. Ca. 1930.

1 piece. (Original Photograph.) Rittase, William M. Pitcairn Autogyro Interior. Ca. 1930. Toned silver print, 10 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches (267 x 343 mm). Orig. mount. Estimate $ 800-1,200

Rittase, William M. Pitcairn Autogyro Interior. Ca. 1930. 1 piece. (Original Photograph.)

Rittase, William. Steam Shovel. Ca. 1930s. 1 piece. (Original Photograph.)