Neal M. White (1947–2024) — Alameda County Fair, Pleasanton, California, July 4, 1976
Original vintage black-and-white silver gelatin photograph by San Francisco photographer and educator Neal M. White, signed and dated 1976 in pencil on the original rust-colored presentation mount.
Photographed at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, California, on July 4, 1976, the image presents a tightly composed view of a vintage automatic photo booth. A metal sign reads “PHOTOS DELIVERED HERE in 3 Minutes,” with an arrow pointing toward the rectangular delivery compartment below.
The photograph is an engaging observation of photography itself: a photographer turning his camera toward a machine designed to produce photographs automatically. White's composition emphasizes the lettering, wood-grain surface, metal fittings, and geometric forms of the booth, transforming an ordinary piece of fairground equipment into a striking photographic study.
The reverse of the mount carries White's handwritten identification:
Alameda County Fair
Pleasanton, CA
July 4, 1976
Below this is his signature and the notation “6cm. 7-76.” The reverse also bears the manufacturer's Crescent stamp identifying the mounting board.
Neal M. White was a San Francisco photographer and longtime photography professor at San Francisco State University. This photograph comes directly from his personal photographic Neal M. White (1947–2024)
Date: July 4, 1976
Location: Alameda County Fair, Pleasanton, California
Medium: Vintage black-and-white silver gelatin photograph
Image size: Approximately 7½ × 9½ inches
Mount size: Approximately 14 × 18 inches
Orientation: Portrait
Signed and dated in pencil on the front mount
Additional signature, location, date, and negative notation on reverse
Original rust-colored presentation photograph presents well, with good image detail and contrast. The original rust-colored mount shows some signs of age and handling, including a small visible spot in the lower-left area of the front mount. The reverse has minor age-related marks and spotting. The front signature and the handwritten identification on the reverse remain legible.
The small spot is in the outer mounting area, away from the photographic image, and might be concealed by an appropriately sized frame or overmat, depending on presentation.
Please examine all photographs carefully, including the full mount, signature, and reverse, as they form part of the condition description.
An interesting, distinctly Californian example of Neal White's observational photography, with unusually complete original documentation of the place and date.
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