Lot 50004 – Argentina, Buenos Aires – 1859 “Cabecitas” – “Liberty Head” 4r, group of 12 items

Argentina, Buenos Aires – 1859 “Cabecitas” – “Liberty Head” 4r, the unique group of 12 items comprising one negative glass with painted surround to not diffuse the light laterally in the following step of impression, four in brown (1) and vermilion (3) glass support clichés, including one with “ex. 2′ sol.” indicating an exposure to sunlight of two minutes (using a green filter to obtain the vermilion) and dated January 1932, two clichés on celluloid with painted surround in black and one additionally with retouches around the head, dated march 1944, the other with light white-grey notation denoting 4% of a non-indicated substance plus 2% of gelatin and an exposure to light of one minute under 10°C temperature (indeed easier to reach in winter), as well as four trial exposures on photographic paper in order to control the quality of the negative, and two postmark essays on wove paper in Prussian blue (as described by Sperati) and black, the latter with fingerprint by him, featuring the grid oval and the “Buenos Ayres/1 Ene 62/S” cds. The Musée de la Poste in Paris possesses 17 clichés or matrices for Buenos Aires; which are by far superseded by the large number of clichés included for “Cabecitas” and “Barquitos” in this sale; the “Ultimate” collection only gathered reproductions and one trial exposure.