Michael Joseph (1941-) - Now in tubs tryptich, three authentic cyanotypes

Now in Tubs – Cyanotype Triptych
Photograph by Michael Joseph
Photo taken in the 1980s

Medium: Three original cyanotype prints created from a Michael Joseph negative
Presentation: Unique triptych arrangement with textured patterned mount
Provenance: Michael Joseph Pictures archive, Clapham, London
Created: June 2026 in the Dordogne, France
Edition: Unique hand-made set – one only

This singular cyanotype triptych brings together three interpretations of one of Michael Joseph's most memorable photographs from the celebrated Now in Tubs campaign of the mid-1980s.

Created in the Dordogne sunshine by the photographer's daughter from Michael Joseph's original negative, these hand-made cyanotypes transform a familiar image into something altogether more mysterious and dreamlike. Each panel differs subtly in tone and density, creating a rhythm of repetition and variation that feels almost musical: deep cobalt, pale powder blue and rich Prussian blue combining in a sequence of shadow, silhouette and light.

The image itself occupies a fascinating place within Joseph's archive. Originally commissioned to promote Nivea's transition from tubes to tubs, the photograph depicts a nude model seated beside a bathtub, her body reduced to a graceful arrangement of curves, contours and carefully balanced forms. Over the years, viewers have frequently detected echoes of Surrealism and Symbolism within the composition. Michael, however, always preferred a more mischievous explanation. The pose, he would insist, had nothing whatsoever to do with artistic references and everything to do with concealing what he affectionately described as the model's "knobbly knees" — a detail overlooked when she was selected from facial photographs alone.

That blend of elegance and humour was quintessentially Michael Joseph.

The cyanotype process lends the image an entirely new atmosphere. The luminous blues and softly shifting tonalities create a sense of memory, mystery and metamorphosis. The figure appears almost spectral, suspended between presence and absence, emerging and receding like an apparition from another age. The result feels less like advertising photography and more like a fragment of a forgotten dream.

No two cyanotypes are ever identical. Variations in sunlight, chemistry, humidity and washing produce subtle differences in colour, texture and density. The occasional marks, blooms and tonal irregularities visible within the prints are not flaws but fingerprints of the process itself - evidence of the beautiful unpredictability that has made cyanotype one of photography's most enchanting nineteenth-century techniques.

The unusual triptych format further enhances the work. By presenting three related yet distinct impressions side by side, the piece invites comparison and contemplation, transforming a single photograph into a meditation on repetition, reinvention and remembrance.

The reverse retains the original Michael Joseph Pictures archive label together with handwritten annotations recording its creation and provenance.

A unique work situated at the crossroads of photographic history, advertising history and contemporary reinterpretation, this one-off piece celebrates both Michael Joseph's original vision and the continuing life of his archive.

Created with patience, sunlight and affection on 6 June 2026, and offered as a unique object that cannot be replicated.

As always, this piece will be packed with great care and devotion, ensuring its safe arrival with its next custodian.

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