At the heart of Gallery 98’s online exhibition of letters and ephemera from the estate of art patron Anne MacDonald (1942 – 2018), is the legendary figure Sam Wagstaff, an early mentor of MacDonald, who later became famous as a collector of photography, and as the lover and supporter of the controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
Wagstaff (1921 – 1987) was a rarity, one of a handful of collectors whose intellect and flamboyance transformed them into public figures. After meeting Mapplethorpe in 1973, Wagstaff realized that photography was not only an important art form, but was also extremely undervalued. Over the following decade, he pursued and purchased photos with a passion that far exceeded that of any other collector. He willingly paid top dollar as he assembled a collection of over 5,000 historic prints which he exhibited at top museums before selling the entire collection to the Getty Museum.
Wagstaff’s relationship with Mapplethorpe was central to his fame. Even during the liberated 1970s, it was unusual for a wealthy, Brahmin curator to be so publicly associated with a photographer who shocked the art world with graphic images of the hidden details of gay S & M life. Wagstaff’s reputation as a historian and connoisseur helped legitimize Mapplethorpe; in turn Mapplethorpe’s openness helped liberate and expand Wagstaff’s taste as a collector. Wagstaff’s success in bringing the images that personally attracted him into the canon of mainstream photography has served as a model for other venturesome collectors.
Through Wagstaff, Anne MacDonald became well acquainted with Mapplethorpe (1946 – 1989), and the loss of both men to AIDS was devastating for her. Following Mapplethorpe’s death MacDonald published a memorial booklet that featured ten of his self-portraits. In the 1980s, as art linked to sexuality and politics came increasingly under attack, MacDonald joined the battle vowing that “artistic freedom is a non-negotiable issue.” As the founder of the San Francisco Artspace gallery and the magazine Shift, she did her part over the next decades by promoting other controversial artists like David Wojnarowicz, Kathy Acker, General Idea, Karen Finley, and Jock Sturges.
Visit the collection Letters and Ephemera: Anne MacDonald, Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe
Sam Wagstaff’s legendary collection of photography
Card
Size: 5.5 x 7.5 inches
Available — $200
Wagstaff actively promoted his protege Mapplethorpe, along with his historic photography collection. The invitation for an important exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art features a flower by Mapplethorpe instead of a more famous historical photo.
“Sam Wagstaff’s silent seminar on the subject of the photograph is in town until January — and should not be missed by anyone with an eye for the language of pictures. It takes the form of an exhibition of choices from his own present collection and part of an earlier one that he recently sold at a handsome profit to the J. Paul Getty Museum…. I believe him to be the best and brightest collector of photographs who has ever lived.” – Bruce Bernard, London Spectator
Robert Mapplethorpe 1954 – 1989, memorial booklet, published by Anne MacDonald, 1989
Robert Mapplethorpe (1954 – 1989), 10-page memorial booklet with ten (10) self-portraits, 1989.
10-page booklet
Size: 8.5 x 8.5 inches
Two copies Available — $250 each
