Observations by Richard Avedon and Truman Capote
AVEDON, Richard; CAPOTE, Truman. Observations. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1959. Book design by Alexey Brodovitch.
First edition. The first collection of Avedon’s photographs to appear in book form. It features iconic portraits of some of the most fascinating figures of mid-twentieth century, with accompanying text by Truman Capote. Sitters include Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, Coco Chanel, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, T.S. Elliot, Ezra Pound, Isak Dinesen, Picasso, Stravinsky, Leonard Bernstein, Jean Cocteau, Janet Flanner, Cecil Beaton, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Chaplin, Humphrey Bogart, Mae West, Robert Oppenheimer, and others. The book also features “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.
'My first sitter was Rachmaninoff. He had an apartment in the building where my grandparents lived. I was about ten, and I used to hide among the garbage cans on his back stairs, stay there hour after hour listening to him practice. One day I thought I must: must ring his bell. I asked could I take his picture with my box camera. In a way, that was the beginning of this book.' (from Capote's introductory essay on Avedon)
Folio. 151, [1] pp. Illustrated throughout with b/w photographs (many full-page) by Avedon. Original paper covered boards, slight wear to foot of spine, minor spotting. In original acetate dust jacket, with some loss to top of front face and bottom of rear face. Original slipcase, slightly edge-worn and spotted. A very good copy.