Observations by Avedon, Richard (photographs); Truman Capote (text) - 1959

new york: simon and schuster, 1959. first, 1959. comments by truman capote. slipcase has notable shelf wear. new york: simon and schuster. hardcover. book condition: very good +. slipcase condition: good.

(Luzern, Camera-Verlag C. J. Bucher, © 1959). . Erste deutsche Ausgabe dieser Sammlung des Besten, was der damals 36jährige Richard Avedon (1923-2004) nach eigener Ansicht bis dahin geschaffen hatte. Der brillante Text von Truman Capote (1924-1984) beschreibt das Schaffen Avedons und vor allem die prominenten Modelle seiner Porträts mit viel Humor und wohldosierten kleinen Prisen von Bösartigkeit. Den Band gestaltete Alexey Brodovitch, der Art Director von Harper's Bazaar. Der Buch- und Zeitschriftengestalter Willy Fleckhaus, in Fachkreisen "Deutschlands erster Art Director" betitelt, benannte Brodovitchs Umgang mit Fotografie (z.B. die stark angeschnittenen Porträts) als wichtiges Vorbild. - Gutes, sauberes Exemplar, ohne den Schuber

NY: Simon and Schuster, 1959. First edition. Avedon, Richard. Folio, 151 pp., b&w plates. Printed glazed boards. A very good, bright copy, but for a few slight spots on the front board, a faint foxing on the front and rear endpapers. Housed in the publisher's slipcase that is moderately worn and soiled, with a partial crack at the joint of the front panel and spine. The photographer's first book. and certainly, one of the monuments of twentieth century collaborations between a photographer and author.

US orders ship with signature confirmation. VG- in Fair slipcase. No acetate dj. 1959 oversize hardcover 1st edition ("Published by Simon and Schuster" with no additional printings listed). Spine of slipcase has been reglued, a lot of fraying, a little chipping and soil/foxing on slipcase. Slight tilt to spine, foxing on cover and edge of pastedowns, fraying on edges of spine, else text clean, binding tight . Oversize book – extra shipping charges will apply, especially for international and priority orders as this will not fit into a flat rate envelope.

AVEDON, Richard; CAPOTE, Truman. Observations. New York: Simon & Shuster, 1959.
First edition. Photographs by Richard Avedon. Introductory essay 'On Richard Avedon', and text accompanying the photographs by Truman Capote. Book design by Alexey Brodovitch.
The first collection of Avedon's photographs to appear in book form. Features some of the most fascinating figures of mid-twentieth century: Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, Coco Chanel, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, T.S. Elliot, Ezra Pound, Isak Dinesen, Leonard Bernstein, Jean Cocteau, Cecil Beaton, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Chaplin, Humphrey Bogart, Mae West, Gloria Swanson, Robert Oppenheimer, and others.
The book includes "A Gathering of Swans", Capote's famous essay about female beauty and elegance, illustrated with Avedon's photos of Marella Agnelli, Babe Paley, and Gloria Vanderbilt.
Folio. 151, [1] pp. Original paper covered boards, slight wear to foot of spine, minor spotting. In original acetate dust jacket, with some loss to top of… Read More

LONDON: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.. 1959. First Edition. First British edition. Folio. Fine in moderately chipped plain acetate dust jacket in very good slip case. (Small chips in original acetate overlay. Mild wear at edges of slipcase. Light shelf soiling to slipcase.) Well preserved copy. (LR) .

New York: Simon and Schuster, 1959. Hardcover. Folio. Glossy paper over boards, original clear acetate wrapper, slipcase. 151pp. Numerous illustrations. Near fine/near fine/very good. Quite minor slipcase wear; ownership signature on rear flyleaf. Tight and quite lovely first edition of the first book by the fashion and portrait photographer (1924-2003), accompanied by Capote's provocative text. While copies signed by Avedon and/or Capote are especially desirable, this unusual extra-illustrated copy bears bold signatures of six of the photographer's celebrity subjects in ink on fine, matching heavy stock 5" X 3" cards tipped to front flyleaf. Top row, left to right, is BRIGITTE BARDOT (born 1934, French actress and model, appears on page 107), who signs hugely in blue fineline, dating it September 1983 at upper right; and RUDOLF BING (1902-97, long-time New York Metropolitan Opera manager, appears on page 21), who signs boldly in black ink, dating it 20 March 1980 at upper right. Middle row, left to… Read More

Simon and Schuster, 1959. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover. Very good. BOOK DESCRIPTION: New York: Simon & Schuster, 1959. Hardcover lacking the fragile glassine dust jacket housed in cardboard slipcase. Folio Illustrated with photographs by Richard Avedon and text by Truman Capote. 152 pp., numerous black-and-white illustrations, 11x14º". Mostly portraits of famous people of the twentieth century. Offered here is a fantastic In Cold Blood ASSOCIATION COPY that was SIGNED/INSCRIBED by Truman Capote at the request of Lester and Hazel McCoy (residents of Garden City, Kansas whom Capote interviewed for In Cold Blood; indeed Mr. Lester McCoy is mentioned in Capote's masterpiece). This copy of Observations was then gifted by Lester and Hazel to Barbara and John McCoy (to whom they initially had the book inscribed by Capote). The the original gift note from Lester and Hazel McCoy is included, as is a certified letter from the current owner - the daughter of Barbara and John McCoy… Read More

Simon and Schuster, 1959. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover. Fine/fine. STL. Book Description: New York: Simon & Schuster, 1959. Hardcover in glassine dust jacket housed in cardboard slipcase. Folio Illustrated with photographs by Richard Avedon and text by Truman Capote. 152 pp., numerous black-and-white illustrations, 11x14º". Mostly portraits of famous people of the twentieth century. Boldly SIGNED/INSCRIBED "To Ed Elliott / Avedon" on the verso of the fep by Richard Avedon. BOOK CONDITION: Fine, a solid, tight, bright, clean in a Fine clear glassine dust jacket with slight loss at top and bottom of spine. Housed in a Fine bright, clean slipcase with hints of rubbing at edges and corners. Overall a highly collectible, complete, bright, solid, clean copy. SIGNED

Simon and Schuster, 1959. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover. Near fine/near fine. STL. Book Description: New York: Simon & Schuster, 1959. Hardcover in glassine dust jacket housed in cardboard slipcase. Folio Illustrated with photographs by Richard Avedon and text by Truman Capote. 152 pp., numerous black-and-white illustrations, 11x14º". Mostly portraits of famous people of the twentieth century. Boldly SIGNED and dated 1986 by Richard Avedon on the title page. BOOK CONDITION: Near Fine tight clean copy with some discoloration to top & bottom of the spine, small 1/4" split to top of spine (merely cosmetic and does not affect the integrity of the binding), and a previous owner's name penned to center of front paste down (inside front cover). In a Near Fine glassine dust jacket with slight loss to top and bottom of the spine, bits of loss to corners and a 1" closed tear to top front margin near spine; housed in a Very Good Plus (VG+) slipcase with light toning,… Read More