False Start Inverted! — Clapham Photograph taken in the 1980s Authentic darkroom print from original negative This striking black-and-white photograph captures a moment of precision, tension, and invention at the photographer's London swimming pool in Clapham. A line of nude swimmers holds the brink of motion—bodies aligned, muscles taut—while one figure has already committed, cutting cleanly through the frame and into the water beyond. The image balances repetition and rupture, discipline and spontaneity, with remarkable clarity. The handwritten annotation on the mount, “False Start Inverted!”, lends the photograph both humour and historical texture, anchoring it firmly in the lived reality of the moment. What might have been a training exercise becomes, through Joseph’s eye, a sculptural study of rhythm, anticipation, and human form. The strong diagonal of the diving body contrasts with the rigid geometry of the starting line, animating the entire composition. Printed traditionally in the darkroom, this is an original photographic print, signed and annotated in ink by the photographer on the mount, including location and date notation (Clapham, 1980s). The tonal range is crisp and assured, with beautifully rendered highlights on water and skin, and a depth that rewards close viewing. As with many of Joseph’s most compelling works, this image sits at the intersection of documentary observation and formal elegance—an unforced moment elevated through timing, structure, and instinct. Details Original darkroom photographic print Photograph taken in the 1980s Signed and hand-annotated on the mount, size 40cm wide by 50cm high. One-off historical photographic work, drawn from a carefully preserved family archive, this piece will be securely packed and dispatched with great care and devotion, reflecting a commitment to handling and offering unique photographic works with the respect they deserve. A rare and quietly iconic image—this is an opportunity to acquire a vivid fragment of late-20th-century photographic practice, where movement, discipline, and chance meet in perfect balance.