Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Ray, Man. Photographs by Man Ray 1920-1934. James Thrall Soby, Hartford, Connecticut, 1934.
Price: US$3500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition, with the fictitious second edition statement on the copyright page. Tall quarto, bound in a luxurious solid (heavy) black Niger goatskin leather, austere gold title "Man Ray" stamped to spine, date at the bottom of spine, two simple gold lines at the top and bottom of the spine. Beautiful ink and gold endpapers with a dreamy Rorschach test quality. Original paper wraps preserved in order. Book and contents near fine. Heavy full black cloth slipcase. with some minor general wear., no splits or bumps This is a very pleasing alternative to the flimsy plastic spiral spine that was original to the book. Really a nice treatment of this classic. Roth 80; Auer 210
Seller: Blue Sky Rare Books, Palm Springs, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$3500.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Large 4to, 12 1/8 x 9 /14 inches (308 x 235 mm), spiral bound in original stiff color pictorial wrappers with plastic "comb" spine; creasing and generally light wear at edges of wrappers, some dust smudging to back wrapper, top two "fingers" and the bottom most "finger" of plastic "comb" spine defective - otherwise intact. Light internal creasing at corners, very occasional, minor internal finger smudging. Complete. Text in English and French. 104 black and white plates of which 84 photographs and 20 rayographs by Nab Ray. " "Deuxieme Edition [but first edition, second issue]." Man Ray made several different studies for the cover, and finally settling on this image of his own bust looking down on a blue-eyed blonde contemplating a plaster hand cradling a fragile lightbulb that mirrors a catching toy ( a ball on a peg) [Roth 101 p. 80-81], "First edition; one of an unknown number of copies purportedly recalled by the publisher, who attempted to generate demand. by suggesting the edition had sold out. [He replaced the original title page]. with one stating 'deuxieme edition; second edition'."The publisher, who attempted to generate demand. by suggesting the edition had sold out. [He replaced the original title page]. with one stating 'deuxieme edition; second edition'."
Seller: Rob Zanger Rare Books LLC, Middletown, NY, U.S.A.
RAY, Man. Man Ray: photographs 1920-1934 Paris. James Thrall Soby, 1934.
Price: US$3543.58 + shipping
Description: 104 B&W photographs, with texts in English & French; with a portrait by Picasso, texts by Andre Breton, Paul Eluard, Rrose Selavy [Marcel Duchamp], Tristan Tzara, Preface by Man Ray. 1st edition, 2nd issue, with 'second edition' on title page (see Roth: 101 books). Quarto, in thin card cover with white plastic comb binding. Pages complete & in VG condition; pictorial front cover a little shelf-worn, & creased at corners, with short tear by top two teeth of comb binding; back cover yellowed; 2 teeth of comb broken; plastic a little brittle, with 9cm long crack (no loss). Used - Good. Good in plastic comb-binding
Seller: Cotswold Internet Books, Cheltenham, United Kingdom
Price: US$4500.00 + shipping
Description: Second Edition with the replaced title page. Spiral-bound quarto. Text in French and English. Illustrated with 104 photographs printed in a lush gravure, divided into five sections, and comprising many of Man Ray's iconic images, with nineteen rayographs. (Roth 80-81). Area of adhesive residue or possibly paint to a section of the spiral-binding (hard-to-detect), else near fine in the distinctive photo-illustrated wrappers, with all spirals intact; fresh copy.
Seller: Harper's Books, ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$4945.15 + shipping
Description: gr. in-4, reliure à spirale de plastique blanc, premier plat de couverture illustrée d'une photographie de Man Ray en couleurs, 104 pp. Édition originale bilingue anglais-français de cet album de référence présentant 104 photographies reproduites en héliogravure par Draeger. Comme la plupart du temps, notre exemplaire comporte une mention fictive de "second edition" sur la page de titre, l'éditeur ayant voulu faire croire que l'ouvrage remportait un grand succès. On joint un rare carton d'invitation (feuillet translucide imprimé en noir de format 9 x 9 cm) à une projection au Centre Culturel Américain de Paris, le 23 avril 1959, en présence de l'artiste, de trois films réalisés par Man Ray (Emak Bakia, 1927 - L'Étoile de mer, 1928 - Les Mystères du château, 1929). Très bel exemplaire de ce livre fragile, avec sa spirale d'origine en bonne condition et la couverture à peine frottée en bordure. Exemplaire provenant de la bibliothèque d'Alain Resnais.
Seller: Librairie Vignes Online, Paris, France
Price: US$5000.00 + shipping
Description: With a Portrait by Picasso. Texts by Andre Breton, Paul Eluard, Rrose Selavy, Tristan Tzara. Preface by Man Ray. [6] 104 pp. Illustrated from photographs throughout. Folio, original spiral-bound stiff wrappers illustrated in color. Second edition. The white spiral binding is slightly sunned; a few little creases to the front wrapper.
Seller: Jeffrey H. Marks, Rare Books, ABAA, Rochester, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$7000.00 + shipping
Description: (12 x 9 1/4 inches). 104 heliogravures of Man Ray's photographs and rayographs. With a portrait by Picasso. Texts by André Breton, Paul Eluard, Rrose Sélavy (Marcel Duchamp), and Tristan Tzara. First edition, second issue with the publisher's fictitious "second edition." Inscribed by Man Ray on front wrapper verso ("Paris 1966") with a drawing of a bird in the clouds with a sun in the background. Original color pictorial stiff wrappers in plastic ringbinder. A signed first edition, second issue with an original drawing by Man Ray. It is in this groundbreaking monograph that Man Ray shines brightest. Includes work by Picasso, Duchamp, and Breton. Man Ray, a visionary in both authorship and collaboration, left an indelible mark on the world of books. While his early works in Ridgefield, New Jersey, including The Ridgefield Gazook in March 1915, hinted at his artistic prowess, it was in this inaugural monograph that his friends rallied to celebrate his genius. The monograph opens with a captivating portrait drawing of Man Ray by Picasso. It unfolds with meticulous organization, presenting a collection of 104 photographs divided into five distinct sections. The journey begins with a diverse array of subjects, encompassing still lifes, rooms, landscapes, cityscapes, and flowers. Preceding this visual feast is a thoughtful text titled "The Age of Light," wherein Man Ray offers a heartfelt explanation for sharing these "autobiographical images" during a time when societal focus lay on the perpetuation of power dynamics. He eloquently defends his works, which draw inspiration solely from individual human emotion and desire. As the monograph progresses, the poetic voice of Paul Éluard emerges, setting the stage for a section dedicated to the ethereal female form, predominantly depicted in nude compositions. André Breton, a luminary in the artistic realm, introduces a subsequent section that explores "The Visages of the Woman," delving into the multifaceted nature of feminine beauty. The monograph further unveils a captivating series of portraits of notable figures including Marcel Duchamp, Le Corbusier, and Henri Martisse. These portraits are accompanied by introspective musings from Rrose Sélavy (Marcel Duchamp's feminine alter ego) on "Men Before the Mirror." Finally, a mesmerizing collection of rayographs takes center stage, complemented by Tristan Tzara's evocative prose in "When Things Dream." Throughout the monograph, each section flows seamlessly into the next, inviting readers on an immersive journey through Man Ray's artistic vision. The cover, meticulously crafted, underwent several iterations before its final embodiment. It features Man Ray's own bust positioned above a scene that captures a blue-eyed blonde contemplating a plaster hand cradling a delicate lightbulb, its luminosity mirrored by a captivating ball suspended on a peg. In this groundbreaking monograph, Man Ray's creative prowess shines brightly. It serves as a testament to his enduring legacy and invites readers to embark on a fluid and captivating exploration of his artistic journey. With the words, poems, and imagery of his esteemed collaborators, the monograph presents a remarkable odyssey through the mind of a visionary artist. In a curious twist, the first edition of this remarkable monograph carries with it the publisher's unorthodox attempt to create demand. According to Andrew Roth, the publisher recalled a significant number of copies in an audacious move to generate an illusion of scarcity and implying that the edition had sold out. The title pages of the recalled volumes were replaced with new ones that bear the imprint: "second edition." Roth, pp. 13-14; 80-81; Auer 210.
Seller: Donald A. Heald Rare Books (ABAA), New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$7500.00 + shipping
Description: Harford Connecticut/ New York: James Thrall Soby/Random House, [1934]. First edition with the cancel title with the fictitious "second edition"statement. According to 101 Books, by Roth, the publisher "attempted to generate demand where none existed by suggesting the edition had sold out. copies with the original title page are exceedingly rare." Presentation copy, inscribed by Man Ray at the top of the Contents page: "To Corinne Chochem/ Cordially Man Ray 1948." Large quarto. [vi], 104, [1, blank], [1, colophon]. pp. Extensively illustrated with 104 black and white photogravures. In publisher's stiff wraps (front cover in full-color, rear cover in plain light yellow) spiral bound by original white plastic comb. Some rubbing to edges of wraps. Front wrap with a few creases. Rear wrap with some minor scuffing. Comb split in one place (yet still holding pages solidly). Still, a very nice copy, with beautiful photographic images throughout. "Best remembered for her contribution to Jewish cultural life and for her unique ability to inspire those around her, Corinne Chochem had a distinct impact on Hebrew folk dance, both in her teaching and her two books, Palestine Dances (1941) and Jewish Holiday Dances (1948), the latter an original work for which Leonard Bernstein, Darius Milhaud, Ernst Toch, and Tedesco wrote music based on the original folk tunes. Studying in Israel in 1950, she met and married the painter Yehoshua Kovarsky, and began to study painting. Later in life, under the name of Kovarska, she found fulfillment as a painter with several exhibits in Los Angeles. She used both acrylics and ink. Her final black period was exhibited in New York in 1987." (Jewish Woman's Archive). HBS 65586. $7,500.
Seller: Heritage Book Shop, ABAA, Beverly Hills, CA, U.S.A.
Man Ray. Photographs by Man Ray 1920 Paris 1934. [first issue]. James Thrall Soby, Hartford, 1934.
Price: US$8500.00 + shipping
Description: Publisher's plastic comb binding, stiff wrappers. Minor vertical crease to front cover, light chipping to outer edge. Upper and lower portions of the front cover coming loose from the binding, but the cover is still held firmly. Internally clean and bright. Now housed in a custom clamshell box. The very rare first issue. As Roth describes, the publisher "attempted to generate demand where none existed by suggesting the edition had sold out. After replacing the title pages of these copies- presumably a healthy percentage of the run whose sales had in fact, been slow to none- with one stating 'deuxième edition,' second edition, he returned them for sale. Copies with the original title page are exceedingly rare." Man Ray's first monograph, with texts in English and French by Duchamp, Tzara, Eluard, Breton, and Man Ray himself. Frontispiece portrait of Man Ray by Picasso. Contains 104 heliogravure images. "Part art, part illustration, [the book] was meant to be an inventory of his work, a kind of grand promotional catalogue. Man Ray's album was a virtuoso presentation of modern European-style photography. Close-up views, distorted angles, double exposures, night photography, negative prints, rayographs, still lifes, nudes, portraits, fashion photographs, and even a painting. were reproduced. Intended for an American more than a European audience, the album was Man Ray's means of presenting his career to a homeland that had rarely seen his work." (Perpetual Motif: The Art of Man Ray, pp. 35-39) Roth, pp. 80-81.
Seller: Triolet Rare Books, ABAA, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$9340.85 + shipping
Description: 4°. [7] Bl. (Text) u. 103 Heliogravuren nach Photographien, davon 19 "Rayographien" von M. Ray. Farbig illustr. OKart. mit Kunstoff-Spiral-Bindung. Auer 210. Bouqueret, Paris 148 ff. Roth, The Book of 101 Books 80 f ("deuxième édition"). - Sehr seltene erste Ausgabe; first issue, first printing ("copies with the original title page are exceedingly rare" (D. Levy Srauss in Roth). - Texte in Englisch, Französisch und Deutsch. - "[T]his was Man Rays first monograph, and his friends pulled out all the stops to herald it . attempted to generate demand where none existed by suggesting the edition had sold out. After replacing the title pages of these copies with one stating second edition, he returned them for sale. . It begins with a portrait drawing of Man Ray by Pablo Picasso and consists of 104 photographs divided into five sections. . Man Ray made several different studies for the cover; until finally settling on this image of his own bust looking down on a blue-eyed blonde contemplating a plaster hand cradling, a fragile lithtbulb that mirrors a catching toy (a ball an a peg)" (D. Levy Srauss in Roth). - "Man Rays work introduced a particular note [to Surrealism], since he used photography and recognized early on that this medium could reproduce the effects of object-based art in two-dimensional form. Photography was in a position to preserve the ordinary and to unleash surreal effects" (P. Stepan, Icons of Photography 26). - Provinienz/Provenance: Collection of Rosa and Aaron Esman, New York. - Außergewöhnlich gut erhaltenes und sauberes Exemplar. - Fine, well preserved copy. Sprache: englisch.
Seller: Antiquariat Haufe & Lutz, Karlsruhe, BW, Germany
Price: US$9775.00 + shipping
Description: 12.5 x 9.5", plain red buckram w/original wraps cover bound in, contents worn, soiled, hinges loose. "With a portrait by Picasso, texts by Andre Breton, Paul Eluard, Rrose Selavy, Tristan Tzara". "Second Edition" WITH A CLICHÉ-VERRE SILVER PRINT BOOKPLATE "1948 GREETINGS FROM JULIET AND MAN RAY", INSCRIBED "TO GEORGE HODEL" AND SIGNED BY MAN RAY, ADDING 1949. Now for the good part. George Hodel was a Hollywood, CA physician who, in a book written by his son, Steve, was accused of being the "Black Dahlia" murderer. According to Steve, the awkward pose of the body (of actress and call girl Elizabeth Short) was in imitation of the pose of the model in Man Ray's photograph "The Minotaur", though critics of the theory state that it was unlikely Dr. Hodel was familiar with the photograph. While the photo is not in this book, this is proof that Dr. Hodel was familiar with Man Ray and his work! The mystery thickens!!! A one-of-a-kind piece.
Seller: John K King Used & Rare Books, Detroit, MI, U.S.A.
Price: US$10500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition, first printing, first state with the original title page. Quarto. Plastic comb binding. With 104 heliogravures by Man Ray. With text in English and French by Man Ray, Paul Eluard, Andre Breton and Tristan Tzara and in English and German by Rrose Selavy (Marcel Duchamp). An exceptionally bright and clean copy. White plastic comb binding, which is often found damaged or partially detached is here found in excellent condition. Man Ray's first monograph and a Roth 101 selection as one of the most influential and important photo books of the 20th centure. Quite scarce in the first issue and often not found in such exemplary condition.
Seller: Derringer Books, Member ABAA, Avon, CT, U.S.A.
Price: US$11544.06 + shipping
Description: First edition, second issue with the title page citing the publisher's fictitious claim of "second edition". Inscribed in green pen on the title page by the artist "For Sam Haskins, cordially - Man Ray". The title pages - presumably a healthy percentage of the run, whose sales had, in fact, been slow to none - were replaced with "second edition" / "deuxième édition" to suggest the first edition had sold out to create further demand. Roth 101 p. 80 Quarto. Photographic illustrated wrappers with white plastic ringbound strip to spine, titles to front cover in white. Housed in a black quarter morocco solander box by the Chelsea Bindery. 104 heliogravures of Ray's photographs and Rayographs. Small crease to lower corner of front cover, one break to the ringbound strip without any loss, otherwise a very acceptable copy of this fragile production.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
RAY, Man.. Photographs 1920-1934 Paris.. Hartford, James Thrall Soby, 1934, 1934.
Price: US$12826.73 + shipping
Description: First edition, first printing, first state with the original title page, of Man Ray's first monograph. Most copies of the first printing were recalled, and the title page replaced with two different printed title pages in English and French with "second edition" and "deuxième édition" added to suggest the first edition had sold out to create further demand; copies with the original title page are therefore exceedingly rare. The text is presented here in English and French by Man Ray, Paul Eluard, André Breton, and Tristan Tzara and in English and German by Rrose Sélavy [Marcel Duchamp]. The monochrome gravures were engraved and printed by the Néogravure Company, Paris. Roth 101 p. 80 Quarto. Photographic illustrated wrappers with white plastic ring-bound strip to spine, front cover lettered in white. Housed in a black cloth flat-back box by the Chelsea Bindery. Frontispiece portrait of Man Ray after Picasso, 104 heliogravures of Ray's photographs and Rayographs. Part of top loop from ringbound strip missing, some skinning to the gloss, edges lightly rubbed to the front wrapper, diagonal crease to lower corner of the rear wrapper, else a bright copy in very good condition.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
Price: US$15934.39 + shipping
Description: 4°. [7] Bl. (Text) u. 103 Heliogravuren nach Photographien, davon 19 "Rayographien" von M. Ray. Farbig illustr. OKart. mit Kunstoff-Spiral-Bindung. Auer 210. Bouqueret, Paris 148 ff. Roth, The Book of 101 Books 80 f ("deuxième édition"). - Sehr seltene erste Ausgabe ("Copies with the original title page are exceedingly rare" (D. Levy Srauss). - Mit eigenhändiger Widmung von Man Ray "for Rosalind my next subject! Man Ray Paris 1955". - Texte in Englisch, Französisch und Deutsch (P. Sélavy). - "[T]his was Man Rays first monograph, and his friends pulled out all the stops to herald it . attempted to generate demand where none existed by suggesting the edition had sold out. After replacing the title pages of these copies with one stating second edition, he returned them for sale. . It begins with a portrait drawing of Man Ray by Pablo Picasso and consists of 104 photographs divided into five sections. . Man Ray made several different studies for the cover; until finally settling on this image of his own bust looking down on a blue-eyed blonde contemplating a plaster hand cradling, a fragile lithtbulb that mirrors a catching toy (a ball an a peg)" (D. Levy Srauss in Roth). - "Man Rays work introduced a particular note [to Surrealism], since he used photography and recognized early on that this medium could reproduce the effects of object-based art in two-dimensional form. Photography was in a position to preserve the ordinary and to unleash surreal effects" (P. Stepan, Icons of Photography 26). - Bei der Widmungsempfängerin handelt es sich um die amerik. Kunstsammlerin Rosalind Gersten Jacobs (1925-2019), die mit allen wichtigen Künstlern der Dada- und Surrealistenbewegung befreundet war. Sie und ihr Mann Melvin Jacobs lernten Man Ray und seine Frau Juliet 1954 auf einer Geschäftsreise in Paris kennen und waren lebenslang mit dem Paar eng befreundet. Zwischen 1956 und 1958 porträtierte Man Ray R. Gersten Jacobs mehrfach. 1955 freundete sich Gersten auch mit Lee Miller und Roland Penrose an und die beiden Paare besuchten sich häufig in Chiddingly (GB) und New York. Einen signierten Abzug von Lee Millers Portrait von Charlie Chaplin (1930) erwarb Gersten für ihre Sammlung. Das Herzstück der Sammlung war Man Rays wohl bekanntestes Foto "Le Violon d'Ingres" von 1924. Der signierte Abzug wurde im Frühjahr 2022 bei Christies in New York für den Rekordpreis von 12.500.000 $ versteigert. R. Gersten war am 18. November 1976 an Man Rays Bett in seinem Pariser Studio und las ihm vor, kurz bevor er starb. - Sehr gutes Exemplar eines der wichtigsten Fotobücher des 20. Jahrhunderts. - Rare first edition, inscribed by Man Ray for Rosalind Gersten Jacobs. Sprache: englisch.
Seller: Antiquariat Haufe & Lutz, Karlsruhe, BW, Germany
Man Ray. MAN RAY PHOTOGRAPHS 1920-1934 PARIS. James Thrall Soby, Hartford, CT, 1934.
Price: US$25000.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition, second issue of Man Ray's extraordinary first monograph - association copy inscribed to friend and muse Joella Bayer, whose portrait appears in the book. Man Ray's photobook of "sensuous, often dreamlike" photographs and rayographs, inscribed to Joella Bayer, daughter of poet and artist Mina Loy and wife of designer and photographer Herbert Bayer (whose signature and thumbprint are also present). Joella Bayer knew Ray most of his life, having been introduced to the artist by her mother in Paris in the 1920s and then growing closer through her first husband, the gallerist Julien Levy, who frequently exhibited Ray. Ray portrayed or photographed Joella Bayer a number of times during his life, most famously in this book, where her solarized portrait appears as plate 47. Arranged in five thematic sections, PHOTOGRAPHS includes laudatory essays and poems from Ray's surrealist contemporaries André Breton, Paul Éluard, Rrose Sélavy [Marcel Duchamp], and Tristan Tzara marking the divisions. Stated "Second Edition" (as almost all copies are); in fact it is the second issue of the first edition, mislabeled in an attempt "to generate demand where none existed by suggesting the edition had sold out. After replacing the title pages of these copies with one stating second edition, [the publisher] returned them for sale" (Roth 80). Uncommon in this condition, scarce signed, and rare with so strong an association: a remarkable copy of this fragile and important book. 12.25'' x 9''. Text in English and French. Original color photographic wrappers with plastic comb binding. Frontispiece portrait of Man Ray by Picasso. 104 heliogravures. Inscribed by Ray to Joella Bayer on the inside of the front cover: "For Joella / Man Ray." Additionally signed below by her husband Herbert Bayer, with his thumbprint. Touches of shelfwear, rubbing. Else bright and sound with comb binding entirely intact.
Seller: Type Punch Matrix, Silver Spring, MD, U.S.A.