Minamata. Words and Photographs by W. Eugene Smith and Aileen M. Smith. Alskog Sensorium/Holt Rinehart Winston, New York edition. 1975. 192 pp. Large quarto. Stated first edition. SIGNED by W. Eugene Smith on the half title page and also signed by Aileen M. Smith also on the half title page.  Softcover. This is the American edition which is identical to the Chatto & Windus Ltd. London Minamata A Warning to the World. Uncommon.

Smith's powerful photographic essay on the industrial poisoning of the Japanese city of Minamata , with 153 illustrations. Smith, arguably the finest and certainly one of the most dedicated American photojournalists, began documenting world events in the Pacific during World War II. This was his last great project, and it produced the iconic image of a mother lovingly holding her deformed child that has been called 'the modern pieta.'

Very Good. Covers still glossy and in very good condition. Light wear to covers. Light edge wear. Tiny amount of loss of laminate in a few places. Few creases. Few scratches and scuff marks. Internally, scattered light foxing to the edge of a few of the pages. Beautiful clean photographs. Hint of tanning to page edges. Binding solid. A great copy.

Just incredible photography. Rare first American edition signed by both authors.

SIGNED W. Eugene Smith.

SIGNED Aileen M. Smith.

W. Eugene Smith is regarded by many as the greatest photographer of the 20th century.