Observations by Richard Avedon and Truman Capote
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 front face and bottom of rear face. Original slipcase, lightly edge-worn and spotted. A very good copy.