Michael Joseph (1941-) - Cointreau teatime test print in off-white mount

“Cointreau Teatime”
Michael Joseph, London, 1970
Original darkroom print, signed

A scene of domestic ritual — delicate, mischievous, and quietly electric.

At first glance, it’s an afternoon tableau:
a poised young woman with her cup and saucer,
an older lady leaning forward from her armchair,
the table set with cakes, lace, and polite intentions.
But linger a moment — and something shifts.

Is the hostess offering grace or judgement?
Is the guest reaching for the bottle or reaching for control?
And what about the Cointreau itself, standing boldly centre-stage,
a delicious intruder in an otherwise orderly room?

Every detail is a clue; every gesture, a performance.
The bottle’s label gleams like a mischievous wink.
The pastries sit arranged with ceremonial precision.
And the room — all soft light, bric-à-brac, framed prints and dried flowers —
becomes a perfect stage for this teatime drama.

Here, Michael Joseph turns a simple advertising brief
into a wry study of manners, class, and character.
Joseph’s brilliance lies in how he elevates the scene:
the humour is subtle, the atmosphere palpable,
and the narrative suspended in that charged moment
between politeness and something slightly more intoxicating.

If his Beggars Banquet images would later explode with swagger,
this piece simmers instead —
a quiet comedy, beautifully balanced,
where the real subject isn’t the liqueur at all
but the delicious tension between people.

Printed in 1970, this original darkroom print
shows the warm, sepia-edged richness typical of Joseph’s advertising work —
cinematic, character-driven, unmistakably his.

Preserved by the photographer’s daughter,
this vintage print remains a rare survival from the period,
a playful time capsule with enduring charm.

Mount size: 50 cm high × 40 cm wide.
It will be packaged with great care and devotion,
honouring both the history of the piece
and the craftsmanship behind these one-off surviving works
from Michael Joseph’s archive.