21 May 2016 Photography Auctions

21 May 2016

Artist Index / Full Catalogue


Ferris Wheel, Construction of Skyscrapers and Karl Marx Prospekt, Moscow

51. GRACHEV, MIKHAIL (1916-2009)

Ferris Wheel, Construction of Skyscrapers and Karl Marx Prospekt, Moscow, three works, each stamped with the photographer's stamp and one signed, titled in Cyrillic and dated “50 e” on the reverse.

Each gelatin silver print, the largest measuring 28.5 by 37 cm and the smallest 34.5 by 26 cm.
1,200-1,800 GBP


Photographed and printed c. late 1940s–1950s.

Provenance: Private collection, Europe.

A prominent Soviet photographer, Mikhail Grachev (1916–2009) started his career working for the daily Izvestia in 1936. He took pictures of the major Soviet construction sites, including the construction of the Great Fergana Canal. During World War II, he led the photo department of Izvestia and worked as a photo correspondent for Vechernyaya Moskva. He was deployed to the Kalinin and Western Fronts, and worked in Leningrad during the siege. During the Battle of Moscow in 1941–1942, he photographed the offensives for Volokolamsk and Tula. From 1949, he worked for the magazine Sovetsky Soyuz.

Ferris Wheel, Construction of Skyscrapers and Karl Marx Prospekt, Moscow
Ferris Wheel, Construction of Skyscrapers and Karl Marx Prospekt, Moscow

Notes on symbols:
* Indicates 5% Import Duty Charge applies.
Ω Indicates 20% Import Duty Charge applies.
§ Indicates Artist's Resale Right applies.
† Indicates Standard VAT scheme applies, and the rate of 20% VAT will be charged on both hammer price and premium.