Potato Cellar

August 1935

Charis Wilson agrees to live with him

Weston had implored Charis Wilson to come and live with him, and in August 1935 she finally agrees. Of all the women he has lived with since Flora, she is the first with no interest in becoming a photographer; this lets him concentrate on her as his muse and model, while Wilson devotes her time to promoting his art as his assistant and quasi-agent.

22 March 1937

News of the Guggenheim grant: two thousand dollars

On 22 March 1937 Weston learns he has been awarded a Guggenheim grant, the first ever given to a photographer: $2,000 for one year, a significant sum at the time. He capitalises on it further by arranging to supply the editor of AAA Westway Magazine with 8–10 photographs a month for $50 during their travels, with Wilson earning another $15 a month for captions and short narratives. They buy a new car and set out on Weston’s dream trip to photograph whatever he wants.

1937–1939

Nearly 1,400 negatives in two years on the fellowship

The first photographer to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship, he produces nearly 1,400 negatives over the next two years with his 8 × 10 view camera.

24 April 1939

Marries Charis Wilson

Finally relieved of past financial stress and inordinately happy with both his work and his relationship, Weston marries Wilson in a small ceremony on 24 April.

1945

First symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

The year 1945 marks the beginning of significant changes: Weston begins to experience the first symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating ailment that will gradually steal his strength and his ability to photograph. He withdraws from Wilson, who is becoming more involved in local politics and the Carmel cultural scene.

1947

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease

He is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and soon stops photographing; he spends the remaining ten years of his life overseeing the printing of more than 1,000 of his most famous images.