Avedon, Richard.
A Collection of 35 Unpublished Photographs of Aram Saroyan and his Family by Richard Avedon.
May 27-29, 1977. A collection of 35 unpublished photographs of noted poet and playwright Aram Saroyan and his family by Richard Avedon, created and given by Avedon to Saroyan in May 1977. The photographs were taken by Avedon as a remembrance of three days the photographer spent with the Saroyans in Bolinas, a small town in the San Francisco Bay Area. The first photo in the set, of the Saroyans' home, is inscribed by Avedon at the bottom edge, "Saroyans' / Avedon." The last photo is inscribed by Saroyan at the bottom left corner: "27 28 29 77 / Dick / xxx / ooo."Accompanying the book of photographs is a small wrappered book, "My Own Avedon," a short memoir of Saroyan's lifelong relationship with the photographer, published for his friends and family in 2009.Aram Saroyan (son of playwright and novelist William Saroyan) first came to know Avedon as a teenager, where he worked as an assistant in the photographer's studio at 49th Street and 3rd Avenue beginning in 1956, just above Manny Wolf's Steak House. During his time there, Saroyan was present during some of Avedon’s most famous shoots, including the photographer's legendary session with Marilyn Monroe.A close friendship continued between the two men well into Saroyan's early adult life, and the photographs in this collection show a side of Avedon rarely seen in his well-known and more distant iconic photographs, evoking a warmth, affection, and carefree spirit that is comparatively unique to his known body of work. It is known that Avedon would from time to time take personal photographs such as these and develop them himself as gifts for friends. This work was typically suppressed by him, as he did not want it to become associated with higher-profile work at Avedon Studios. Three sets of the photographs were made by Avedon and assembled into books that were sent to the Saroyans as a surprise gift shortly after the visit. By this time in Avedon's career, most of the developing work for his photographs was handled by assistants; in this case, it seems probable that he developed the photographs himself. The negatives were destroyed; one copy of the photo-set is lost, and the second belongs to the Saroyan family. This final set is the first to have ever been offered to the market.Aram Saroyan's reputation as a poet, biographer, playwright, and memoirist has been established over four decades quite apart from his father's fame, beginning with the 1965 publication of a one-word poem, "Lighght," a work that defined him as a major minimalist poet and won him a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, an award created the same year. He went on to publish several well-received collections of poetry, as well as a memoir of his father’s last days, “Last Rites.”A marvelous association between one of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century and a writer who was strongly shaped and influenced by him, not only as an artist, but as a friend, mentor, and confidant.35 photographs, most 10.25 x 7 inches, silver gelatin prints, developed personally by Avedon and mounted on card stock. Bound into an oblong orange leather folder with gilt titles and rule, and matching marbled endpapers. [Book #114810]. (read more)

[Original Photographs] Strand, Paul.
Photogravure: "Gateway Hidalgo" (1933) from The Mexican Portfolio.
1933 (photograph), 1940 (portfolio). 10.25 x 8 inches plus wide margins. Plate 20 from Strand's "The Mexican Portfolio" (1940) issued in an edition of 250 copies containing 20 plates after photographs by Strand. Photogravure printed on BFK Rives watermarked wove paper without captions. The photogravure is accompanied by a four-page printed text and plate list from the portfolio, SIGNED in ink by Strand at the bottom of the third page. Mild scattered foxing to margins, image Fine. [Book #110777]. (read more)

[Original Photographs] Strand, Paul.
Photogravure: "Man, Tenancingo" (1933) from The Mexican Portfolio.
1933 (photograph), 1940 (portfolio). 5 x 6.25 inches plus wide margins. Plate 18 from Strand's "The Mexican Portfolio" (1940) issued in an edition of 250 copies containing 20 plates after photographs by Strand. Photogravure printed on BFK Rives watermarked wove paper without captions. Minor foxing to bottom edge of margin, plate Fine. [Book #111754]. (read more)

[Original Photographs] Strand, Paul.
Photogravure: "Virgin, San Felipe, Oaxaca" (1933) from The Mexican Portfolio.
1933 (photograph), 1940 (portfolio). 10.25 x 8 inches plus wide margins. Plate 3 from Strand's "The Mexican Portfolio" (1940) issued in an edition of 250 copies containing 20 plates after photographs by Strand. Photogravure printed on BFK Rives watermarked wove paper without captions. Hint of foxing to the margins, image Near Fine. [Book #110961]. (read more)

[Original Photographs] Strand, Paul.
Photogravure: "Woman and Baby, Hidalgo" (1933) from The Mexican Portfolio.
1933 (photograph), 1940 (portfolio). 5 x 6.5 inches plus wide margins. Plate 15 from Strand's "The Mexican Portfolio" (1940) issued in an edition of 250 copies containing 20 plates after photographs by Strand. Photogravure printed on BFK Rives watermarked wove paper without captions. Near Fine with a hint of foxing in margins, photo Fine. [Book #111755]. (read more)

[Original Photo] Meyerowitz, Joel.
The Arch (from St. Louis and the Arch) - Signed Limited original photo.
None. One of 20 prints struck in 1980 from a 1977 negative. Print titled "The Arch," and SIGNED by Meyerowitz at the rear, along with a notation of the limitation, negative date and print date. 16 x 20 inches, Near Fine condition, with slight fading and very minor corner creasing to note. A lovely image. [Book #88034]. (read more)

Vollmann, William T. (subject); Miller, Ken (photographer).
Photograph of William T. Vollmann - 1988 (Signed by Ken Miller).
N.p., 1988. Photo print of controversial author William T. Vollmann. One of 40 numbered prints (this being No. 2) SIGNED by Miller and dated 1988, who has added the caption, 'The Green Dress, " 13 Stories."' Fine condition, matted but unframed. [Book #104975]. (read more)