Michael Joseph (1941-) - Your copter ma'am - authentic darkroom print
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€ 15
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Selected by Kai Brückner
Over 35 years' experience; former gallery owner and Museum Folkwang curator.
Estimate € 400 - € 500
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Description from the seller
In a career celebrated for exuberant, loud-mouthed banquets and densely packed social theatre, this photograph is a delicious anomaly.
Instead of the familiar clamour, Michael Joseph gives us restraint: two figures, formally dressed, caught in a moment of deadpan ceremony beneath classical columns. The humour here is quiet but razor-sharp. The handwritten inscription — “Your copter awaits!” — lands like a perfectly timed aside, transforming what might otherwise read as stiff formality into something gently mischievous.
Where Joseph’s renowned banquet images revel in excess, noise, and collective performance, this scene thrives on contrast: space instead of crowd, pause instead of revelry, wit instead of roar. The champagne bucket at the edge of the frame becomes a visual punchline, a promise just out of reach, anchoring the image in Joseph’s lifelong fascination with social ritual and polite absurdity.
Photo taken in the 1970s, this is a rare example of Joseph exercising comic restraint — proof that his humour did not always need a table of guests to be heard.
A singular work that rewards prolonged looking, and one that quietly expands our understanding of an artist best known for banquet-scale bravura.
Carefully packed and dispatched with the devotion due to a one-off historical piece.
Notice to US Purchasers
Due to a recent change in US government policy, customs duties are now charged to the sender (i.e., me). The shipping fee has therefore been adjusted to include 50% of the calculated excise charge. In most cases, you will not be asked to pay anything additional.
If the government revises these rates after the listing is uploaded, I will contact you before dispatch to confirm any adjustment.
Thank you very much for your understanding.
#MichaelJosephLondon
#VintagePhotography
#BritishPhotography
#PhotographicHumour
#QuietWit
#SocialRitual
#SeventiesPhotography
#1970sPhotography
#CollectiblePrint
#DarkroomPrint
#ArtAuction
#RarePhotograph
Seller's Story
My father, Michael Joseph, was an advertising photographer based in London from the mid-sixties to the early nineties. During that time, he created some truly remarkable work — his most famous moment being the Beggars Banquet gatefold for the Rolling Stones.
My ongoing mission is to share and celebrate what we call 'the other photos' — the lesser-known but equally captivating pieces from his archive. Within this collection, you'll find a mix of test prints, images from specific photo shoots, and more personal works, all created with his characteristic passion and devotion.
Many of these images owe their atmosphere to the magic of the darkroom: intricate group scenes, striking still lifes, and moments that draw the viewer in and stir emotion. Variety is key - and I often offer unique, one-off pieces.
I hope you enjoy discovering my father’s work, and I look forward to sending you a genuine piece of photographic history.
Translated by Google TranslateIn a career celebrated for exuberant, loud-mouthed banquets and densely packed social theatre, this photograph is a delicious anomaly.
Instead of the familiar clamour, Michael Joseph gives us restraint: two figures, formally dressed, caught in a moment of deadpan ceremony beneath classical columns. The humour here is quiet but razor-sharp. The handwritten inscription — “Your copter awaits!” — lands like a perfectly timed aside, transforming what might otherwise read as stiff formality into something gently mischievous.
Where Joseph’s renowned banquet images revel in excess, noise, and collective performance, this scene thrives on contrast: space instead of crowd, pause instead of revelry, wit instead of roar. The champagne bucket at the edge of the frame becomes a visual punchline, a promise just out of reach, anchoring the image in Joseph’s lifelong fascination with social ritual and polite absurdity.
Photo taken in the 1970s, this is a rare example of Joseph exercising comic restraint — proof that his humour did not always need a table of guests to be heard.
A singular work that rewards prolonged looking, and one that quietly expands our understanding of an artist best known for banquet-scale bravura.
Carefully packed and dispatched with the devotion due to a one-off historical piece.
Notice to US Purchasers
Due to a recent change in US government policy, customs duties are now charged to the sender (i.e., me). The shipping fee has therefore been adjusted to include 50% of the calculated excise charge. In most cases, you will not be asked to pay anything additional.
If the government revises these rates after the listing is uploaded, I will contact you before dispatch to confirm any adjustment.
Thank you very much for your understanding.
#MichaelJosephLondon
#VintagePhotography
#BritishPhotography
#PhotographicHumour
#QuietWit
#SocialRitual
#SeventiesPhotography
#1970sPhotography
#CollectiblePrint
#DarkroomPrint
#ArtAuction
#RarePhotograph
Seller's Story
My father, Michael Joseph, was an advertising photographer based in London from the mid-sixties to the early nineties. During that time, he created some truly remarkable work — his most famous moment being the Beggars Banquet gatefold for the Rolling Stones.
My ongoing mission is to share and celebrate what we call 'the other photos' — the lesser-known but equally captivating pieces from his archive. Within this collection, you'll find a mix of test prints, images from specific photo shoots, and more personal works, all created with his characteristic passion and devotion.
Many of these images owe their atmosphere to the magic of the darkroom: intricate group scenes, striking still lifes, and moments that draw the viewer in and stir emotion. Variety is key - and I often offer unique, one-off pieces.
I hope you enjoy discovering my father’s work, and I look forward to sending you a genuine piece of photographic history.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Date of print
1974
Artist
Michael Joseph (1941-)
Sold by
Owner or reseller
Title of artwork
Your copter ma'am - authentic darkroom print
Condition
Original State
Technique
Gelatin-silver print
Height
29 cm
Edition
Vintage edition from the seventies
Width
36.5 cm
Signature
Hand signed
Genre
Nude
Sold by
