Edward Weston and Theodore Norman Barter Bach for Portraits, 1934

Alfred Honigbaum, 1927. Photo by Johan Hagemeyer.

I ran across this fascinating article while researching Edward Weston's correspondence with Alfred Honigbaum (see above) at the Bancroft Library at UC-Berkeley. The unidentified story relates the details of a Great Depression barter exchange between violinist Theodore Norman and photographer Edward Weston. Norman played three hours of Bach, Weston's favorite composer, in return for a portrait sitting..

"Carmel Scorns Cash; Fiddler Barters Bach for Portrait!" Unidentified publication ca. 1934. Edward Weston Correspondence with Alfred Honigbaum, San Francisco, CA and Ephemera, 1921-1937. Bancroft Library, 

Per the article, Norman displayed the portrait in his Carmel studio and Weston included it in an exhibition of his portraits at the Joseph Danysh Gallery in San Francisco. Danysh was formerly partners in the gallery with Weston's friend, photographer Ansel Adams.

Theodore Norman, Carmel, 1934. Photo by Edward Weston. Center for Creative Photography.