New York Antiquarian Book Fair.

Yoko Ono is also into rare books…

52nd Annual New York Antiquarian Book Fair opened on Thursday, 12 April, Park Avenue Armory (sponsored by the prestigious Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers. It is a real heaven for anybody passionate about books! Over 100,000 books on display, ranging from history, law, philosophy, to children’s books, fashion, art (with over 200 international exhibitors). It is also a good place to look at rare photobooks. And here are just few examples.

(*) Workshop Collective. Workshop 1-8 (All published). Tokyo. PhotoWorkShop. 1974-1976. A complete set, with two issues signed by Hosoe and one by Moriyama.
$14,500

(*) The Americans. Robert Frank. Introduction by Jack Kerouac. Published by Grove Press, New York, 1959. Inscribed by Robert Frank.
Raptis Rare Books: $13,500

(*) Nippon -Japan. Published by Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai, Tokyo ,1937. Designed by Goro Kumada. Various photographers (Ken Domon, Masao Horino, Ihei Kimura and other). 32 double-page back-to-back photomontages configured as an accordion fold-out. Original boards covered with silver textured paper, front cover blocked in blue.

This publication was not for sale. It was probably given to government officials and embassies to promote Japan’s cause. It stands out as one of the best photobooks to have been produced before the war years, both in terms of the photography, design and the quality of printing.
ABECEDA: Rare books & Art on Paper: $19,500

(*) Jeff Hirsch Books have a great collection of first edition photobooks.

(*) Hiroshi Sugimoto: Dioramas, Theaters, Seascapes. Hiroshi Sugimoto. Published by Sonnabend Gallery & Sagacho Exhibit Space, 1988.
It was a first major publication dedicated to Sugimoto’s work. This copy is available with rare white publisher’s obi.
Harper’s Books: $2,000

(*) Es kommt der neue Fotograf (Here Comes the New Photographer!) Published by Hermann Reckendorf, Berlin,1929.
It was published (along with Roh and Tschichold’s Foto-Auge) around the famous Stuttgart “Film und Foto” exhibition of 1929, generally considered the greatest photography exhibition ever held.
Midway Used & Rare Books