“I had never won anything in my life,” is what my client said when we were discussing the item she was considering for auction. She said she had attended the Grammy’s on multiple occasions and was always excited about the swag bags given to attendees at the after-parties.
At the after-party in 2006, she said there was a CD in the swag bag, which featured some of the Grammy nominated songs that year. When she opened the CD, there was a number inside. She asked some colleagues what the number referred to, and they told her she had won the corresponding prize matching her number. There were only 10 prizes that year. Her prize – a Portfolio entitled “Bob Dylan: Unscripted” by Douglas R. Gilbert.
What she didn’t realize at the time was the rarity of this silk spun Portfolio, which contained ten photographer signed silver gelatin prints depicting a young Bob Dylan in 1964. She had an early morning flight to catch the next day so she had the hotel make a box for her. She put the portfolio in the hand-made box and carried it on the plane with her. Ten years later, she has decided to let someone else enjoy the collection.
My company, Baldini Auction Company, LLC, has been commissioned to sell this very rare edition one of only fifteen ever made silk spun portfolio. This portfolio is being offered in our online auction, which opens June 8th, 2016 and ends June 22nd. It will sell to the highest bidder, regardless of price.
You never know who’s going to come through the door with something interesting to sell and that’s why I love the auction industry; there’s always something new and different to sell, and we have to figure out the best way to sell it.
I reached out to Douglas Gilbert, the photographer, and we have been in communication with each other about this unique and rare item. I asked him for an Artist’s Statement and in an email from Mr. Gilbert, he spoke about how he came to meet Bob Dylan and photograph this portfolio collection.
Gilbert said he first heard of Dylan in 1963, while visiting with friends in New York City. After graduating from college, he went to work for LOOK Magazine. Encouraged by the staff to submit story ideas, Gilbert proposed a story about Bob Dylan, who, at the time, was a rising star in folk music. The magazine agreed and soo
n Gilbert was on his way to Woodstock, New York to do a story focusing on Dylan’s offstage life with friends and his more private times. Gilbert said, “Several weeks later, when the story was completed, the editors met to look at the work and killed the story. ‘Too scruffy for a family magazine’ I was told.”
LOOK Magazine went out of business in the early 70’s and photographers were notified they could retrieve their negatives for a period of time before everything was sent to the Library of Congress. Gilbert was able to get the Dylan story, but was under the impression he didn’t own the copyrights to the photographs. Then, in 2005, while he was visiting with a former staff photographer, Gilbert learned that he did in fact own the copyright to all of the work he had done for LOOK Magazine, including the Dylan material. In 2006, shortly after a major show of his work in Los Angeles, the work became
a book, “Forever Young: Photographs of Bob Dylan 1964”. Dave Marsh wrote the text.
In reference to the portfolio available in this auction, Gilbert explained, “We decided to offer a limited edition of a select group of photographs in a specially designed box and offer it for sale. Fifteen copies of the ten photographs selected were printed and matted for the box set. Print size is slightly smaller than 11 x 14 inch prints and will keep the fifteen printed unique. These particular prints were chosen because I felt they were representative of the kinds of activities and home life that are in the complete exhibition.” Each image is photographer signed and numbered.
It’s not very often you have the opportunity to sell something as iconic as this Portfolio, and we are excited to be able to offer this at auction here in Music City. Go to www.BaldiniAuction.com to view the auction and to learn more about Douglas R. Gilbert, visit www.douglasrgilbert.com
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