Observations by Avedon: Books, Signed (10 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: No Dust Jacket. First Edition. Oversized first edition hardcover signed by Avedon to the ffep, dated 1993. Boards are rubbed, edges frayed in spots and backstrip is starting to split along gutters. Contents in fine condition. ; Folio 13" - 23" tall; Signed by Author.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good+. First Edition. Hardcover in glassine dust jacket housed in cardboard slipcase. Glassine jacket is missing a piece from back bottom edge. Book is bumped along top edge near spine and has light wear to spine ends, otherwise near fine. Slipcase is quite worn with backstrip breaking apart. Signed by Avedon to ffep. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; Signed by Author.

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 right: ALFRED HITCHCOCK (1899-1980, British film director, appears on page 15), who signs in black fineline, with typed date of 14 June 1979 at upper right; and LENA HORNE (1917-2010, singer, dancer and actress, appears on pages 86-87), who signs boldly in black fineline, adding "To Richard" at upper left and dating it 10 September 1969 at upper right. Bottom row, left to right: ZINKA MILANOV (1906-89, Yugoslav-born operatic soprano, appears on page 24), who signs in black fineline, dating it 2 November 1983 at upper right; and MAUREEN STAPLETON (1925-2006, Oscar-winning actress of screen, stage and television, appears on page 112), who signs in blue ballpoint, dating it 10 January 1969 at upper right. Laid in are all six original transmittal envelopes. A superb copy with a most unusual signature grouping affixed.

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: fine. STL (illustrator). First Edition, First Printing. 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.

Hardcover. Condition: Very good. First Edition, First Printing. 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 - confirming and detailing the transfer of the book from Lester and Hazel to John and Barbara. The present copy of Observations offered here is therefore a fantastic historical artifact and a literary.photographic compliment to the decades-long friendship between Capote and Avedon confirming the time they both collaborated on Capote's literary masterpiece. Indeed, Avedon visited Capote in Garden City, Kansas during April, 1960 and using a handheld Rolleiflex camera in a studio, took startling mug shot-like portraits of Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, the two men who were then awaiting trial for the murders of the Clutter family depicted so provocatively by Capote in his brilliant literary work (indeed these Avedon portraits have been utilized on the covers of recent editions of Capote's In Cold Blood). BOOK CONDITION: Very Good Minus (VG-): binding solid with moderate lean to spine, moderate rubbing, soiling and general wear to covers, edges and corners, rubbing along joints, abrading to paper at corners and along fore edge, tape repairs at head and heel of spine, bumping to upper corners also affecting the tips of all pages. Housed in a Very Good original slipcase showing overall rubbing, soiling and wear, and light splitting along edges (but slipcase solid and holding strong). Lacking the original glassing dust jacket. Overall a well-loved association copy not only linking Capote and Avedon directly to the citizens of Garden City Kansas as well as the time both artists collaborated on Capote's literary masterpiece, In Cold Blood. SIGNED by Truman Capote.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. 4to. Published by Simon and Schuster, Inc, New York. 1959. 151 pgs. Illustrated with Black and White Plates. Signed and inscribed by Richard Avedon on the FFEP. First Edition/First Printing. Slipcased. Slipcase has wear present (slipcase is chipped and worn to the extremities). Glassine DJ present but chipped and worn with a piece missing from the crown of the spine. Bound in paper covered illustrated boards. Boards have light shelf-wear present to the extremities No ownership marks present. Text is clean and free of marks. Binding tight and solid. "Observations is the culmination of a creative collaboration between Avedon and Alexey Brodovitch that began in 1945, when the imperial art director hired the 22-year-old photographer as the youngest member of his team at Harper's Bazaar" (Roth, 148). Avedon's "later adoption of a seamless white studio background for most of his fashion and portrait photography was at least partly inspired by Mr. Brodovitch's characteristic use of 'white space, ' a means of making the subject seem suspended and weightless on the page" (Times). Not long after Capote and Avedon finished their work on Observations, they again collaborated in documenting the story of a brutal murder in Kansas, In Cold Blood (1965). EB; Folio 13" - 23" tall; 151 pages; Signed by Author.

Hardcover. Condition: Near fine. Dust Jacket Condition: near fine. STL (illustrator). First Edition, First Printing. 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, rubbing and soiling, slightly tender along one joint at spine. Overall a very solid, clean, collectible copy in a very nice glassine jacket, especially so when SIGNED.

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: near fine. STL (illustrator). First Edition, First Printing. 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 1985 by Richard Avedon on the title page. BOOK CONDITION: Fine; a solid, tight, bright, clean clean copy with a previous owners initials and date penned to inside upper corner of front cover; in a Near Fine glassine dust jacket with a small 1/4" closed tear to top left corner at spine/joint, a 1" closed tear to lower rear panel at heel of spine, a small triangular area of loss to lower rear corner and moderate creasing to inner front flap (looks fntastic in a clear mylar protective cover); housed in a Fine, bright, clean slipcase showing a hint of rubbing and wear to covers, edges and corners. Overall a very solid, tight, bright, clean, complete and highly collectible copy, especially so when SIGNED.

Hardcover. First Edition; First Printing. Signed by both Capote and Avedon and difficult to find. (Most copies were signed only by Avenon.Light rubbing lower front board, front free endpaper slightly wrinkled (not affecting Capote's signature), small spot on rear free endpapoer, otherwise near fine in partial original acetate dust jacket (lower quarter of front panel missing, few minor chips and tears). Custom clear acetate dust jacket over all is fine and makes the book very presentable. Slipcase has several small splits at top corners, and stain at upper open edge of slipcase, also affecting the unprinted top, along with general soiling. Still, very good. ; Folio 13" - 23" tall; 150 pp.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. 151, [1] pp. Illustrated with gravure reproductions from photographs taken by Richard Avedon, throughout. (Folio) 36x27 cm (14x10½"), original printed white boards, publisher's original slipcase. First Edition. Signed on verso of front free endpaper by Richard Avedon. Classic collaboration of Richard Avedon portraits and witty write-ups by Capote. Images include noted celebrities of art, music, film, stage and literature, such as: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Arthur Miller, Marilyn Monroe, T.S. Eliot, Somerset Maugham, Ezra Pound, Pablo Picasso, Louis Armstrong, Humphrey Bogart, Isak Dinesen, et al. Signed by Author(s).