Before the Water Rose
Advance Acquisition
Photographs by Richard Stefani, 1956
In response to early collector interest, three photographs from Before the Water Rose: Celilo Falls, 1956 are being made available for advance acquisition prior to the exhibition's opening on September 26.
These are the three signature photographs that have been released publicly in advance of the presentation.
The remaining photographs in the archive will be held from public view until the exhibition opens.
The Estate Editions
Each Estate Edition is produced from Richard Stefani's original 1956 color negative under the direction of the Richard Stefani Estate.
The photographs are produced to museum-quality archival standards in Germany and accompanied by Estate documentation recording the work, edition, and provenance.
Each size constitutes a separate, strictly limited edition.
11 × 14 in. approximately
Edition of 25
$1,500
16 × 20 in. approximately
Edition of 15
$3,200
20 × 30 in. approximately
Edition of 10
$6,500
Exact dimensions may vary slightly according to the original composition of each photograph. Richard's photographs will not be cropped simply to conform to standard dimensions.
A very small number of selected works may eventually be authorized as Monumental Estate Editions. These are not part of the advance acquisition release.
Request Acquisition Information
For availability, edition numbers, institutional acquisitions, or assistance selecting a work, please contact Stefani Art Gallery.
Private and institutional inquiries are welcome.
Acquiring an Estate Edition
Advance acquisition reserves a numbered work from the stated edition before the public opening of Before the Water Rose.
Established Stefani Art Gallery collectors may reserve an edition with a 50% acquisition deposit, with the remaining balance due prior to delivery. Other acquisitions are payable in full at the time the edition is reserved.
Once production of a reserved edition has begun, acquisition deposits are non-refundable.
Edition numbers are assigned in the order acquisitions are confirmed.
Each completed work is accompanied by documentation from the Richard Stefani Estate identifying the photograph, edition number, edition size, production specifications, and provenance.
The prints created specifically for the exhibition are retained as Estate Exhibition Copies and are not part of the numbered collector editions.
Richard Stefani's original artist-printed photographs remain in the Estate archive and are not offered for sale.
Available for Advance Acquisition
Richard steps back from the people and platforms to show the extraordinary physical presence of Celilo itself; the Columbia moving through rock, channel, mist, and white water only months before the falls were submerged.
Estate Edition
Printed from the original color negative
Produced to museum-quality archival standards in Germany
Black wood floating frame
Accompanied by Estate documentation recording the work, edition, and provenance.
11 × 14 in.
Edition of 25
$1,500
16 × 20 in.
Edition of 15
$3,200
20 × 30 in.
Edition of 10
$6,500
A young woman sits along the rocky shoreline at Celilo Falls during the fall of 1956. Behind her, fishing platforms extend into the rushing waters of the Columbia River, offering a glimpse of daily life at one of North America's oldest continuously inhabited places only months before the falls were submerged.
Estate Edition
Printed from the original color negative
Produced to museum-quality archival standards in Germany
Black wood floating frame
Accompanied by Estate documentation recording the work, edition, and provenance.
11 × 14 in.
Edition of 25
$1,500
16 × 20 in.
Edition of 15
$3,200
20 × 30 in.
Edition of 10
$6,500
A fisherman sits quietly on a wooden fishing platform above the rushing waters of Celilo Falls during the fall of 1956. Made only months before the falls were submerged following completion of The Dalles Dam, this photograph reflects the enduring traditions of Indigenous fishing along the Columbia River and the extraordinary skill required to work in one of North America's most powerful river landscapes.
Estate Edition
Printed from the original color negative
Produced to museum-quality archival standards in Germany
Black wood floating frame
Accompanied by Estate documentation recording the work, edition, and provenance.
11 × 14 in.
Edition of 25
$1,500
16 × 20 in.
Edition of 15
$3,200
20 × 30 in.
Edition of 10
$6,500
Request Acquisition Information
For availability, edition numbers, institutional acquisitions, or assistance selecting a work, please contact Stefani Art Gallery.
Private and institutional inquiries are welcome.