Eton Portrait by Bernard Fergusson
Photographs by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy
Hardback - John Miles Ltd, 1937
First Edition Hardback
Complete with extremely rare dust jacket
Size approx 255 mm x 200 mm x 34 mm
Scarce survey of Eton College featuring 57 atmospheric black and white photographic plates by the Bauhaus artist-photographer.
The book offers a compelling contrast – Moholy-Nagy's dynamic Russian Constructivist-influenced photographic style with the conservative setting of the public school.
A Hungarian, Moholy-Nagy spent five years at the
Bauhaus having been appointed a master by Walter Gropius. He wrote two of the
books for the famous Bauhausbucher series, which he co-edited with Gropius: Malerei
Fotographie Film (Painting Photography Film) and Von Material zu
Architecture (published in English as The New Vision).
He stayed in London between 1935 and 1937 after the Nazis had forced the
closure of the Bauhaus a year earlier. He went on to found the New Bauhaus in
Chicago.
Eton Portrait is one of just three books Moholy worked on
during his time in the UK. At the time of listing I also have another of these
publications - The Street Markets of London by Mary Benedetta - for sale in a separate listing.
Condition: Very good indeed. Internally it is uncommonly clean and bright and without inscriptions. The binding is sound and the top edge is gilt. There are a couple of small newspaper clippings loosely laid inside, concerning the death, aged 93, of one of those afforded a full page portrait in the book, the 'Eton Servant' Joby (see picture number 7). The green cloth board covers are very good save for some light staining at the bottom and the spine is a little faded at the spine. The dust jacket is torn but complete, with a significant tear and creasing to the front, as shown in the first photo. It is also chipped at a corner and at the top of the spine. It is protected by a mylar cover. I have never seen a surviving dust jacket prior to acquiring this copy - it is a marvellous find.
© Text and photographs by room_606. Please do not copy either in full or in part.
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On 24-Jul-14 at 13:44:43 BST, seller added the following information: