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in my Shop "AmidesLivres"

a superb set of photographs from the archives

mostly unpublished by James A. FOX

As well as a fine set of books that are part of his personal collection

(some with dedications)

JAMES A.FOX

Born in 1935

Photographer of British nationality, born in Belgium in 1935

Co-founder of the Sygma agency, he was then in Paris, on editor-in-chief of the famous Magnum Agency for 30 years, and the friend of many photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson,

René Burri, or Sébastiao Salgado

His own work as a photographer remained for a long time secret, he really wanted to separate his work from his "hobby", but since 1973 he had been passionate aboutboxing world, and spent his nights or his holidays, devices slung over the edge of the boxing rings, or backstage and locker rooms

His approach to boxing circles is truly original, genuine socio-documentary survey

in the great tradition of photojournalism

The anonymous interested him much more than the Stars , "show biz" and glitter, what fascinated him was to capture a certain truth, the "magic moment", the tension before the fight, the relaxation in the locker room,

the rituals and preparations (the importance of the hands...), the extras...

The first personal exhibition which revealed him to the public (and often also to his relatives),

took place at the Photographic Space of Paris in May 1986

and was called "Boxing on edge"

(you will find the original edition of the catalog of this exhibition on sale in my shop)

His work over several years alongside Joël Bonnetaz, unknown to the general public but nevertheless at the time champion of France and European superwelterweight challenger, with an undeniable emotional charge,

will be at the heart of this first exhibition

"The Ring is a stage on which a drama unfolds: on the verge of life and death, actors without dialogue wonder if, when the curtain falls, they will emerge unscathed..."

( JAMES A.FOX - Preface to the Expo 1986 catalog)

These photographs will form the subject ofone of the most remarkable

photographic works ever published on Boxing

(Editions de la Martinière, Boxing, 162 photos reproduced,

Original edition in 2001, translated into several languages)

Josef KOUDELKA

Born in 1938

Josef Koudelka

Josef Koudelka, born January 10, 1938 in Boskovice, Moravia, is a French photographer of Czech origin.

He lives and works in Paris and Prague.

Biography

A friend of his father, a baker, introduced him to photography and Josef Koudelka began photographing his family and friends. He continued his studies at the Technical University of Prague (from 1956 to 1961), when he met Jiri Jenicek (cs), photographer and critic, who encouraged him to exhibit his images.

He made his first exhibition at the Semafor theater in Prague and met Anna Fárová, art critic, who became his friend and collaborator. He travels to Italy.

His photos reflect the heartbreaks, revolts and turmoil of his country: images where individuals seem out of step in a disturbing world that they suffer more than they control.

His first images testify to a bohemian life, led in parallel with his life as an aeronautical engineer.

He followed the life of the Gypsies in Czechoslovakia until 1970, photographed a lot and took part in theatrical performances. He becomes a member of the Union of Czechoslovak Artists.

In 1966, he published a book on the spectacle Ubu King.

In 1967, he abandoned aeronautics and devoted himself fully to photography.

Professional photographer

In 1967 he exhibited his photographs of gypsies for the first time.

Then, he will photograph the gypsies of Romania.

Josef Koudelka photographs the invasion of the troops of the Warsaw Pact, which put an abrupt end to the experience of the Prague Spring, in August 1968 in the streets of the Czech capital, and it is first of all anonymously, under the initials “PP” for “Prague Photographer”, that his images are published in the United States by the Magnum agency. He received the Robert Capa Prize for these images, outstanding icons of the political history of Czechoslovakia, without his name being mentioned.

In 1970, he left his country, became stateless and settled in England until 1979, continuing his photographic work on Gypsies and the various customs of European countries, always in search of moments of freedom.

Magnum Photos

Josef Koudelka became a member of the Magnum agency in 1974 and befriended

Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Delpire .

In 1975, he had his first personal exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

It was in 1984 that his first major exhibition was devoted to him, at the Hayward Gallery in London.

After sixteen years of anonymity, his Prague photos of the intervention of Warsaw Pact troops

are published for the first time under his name.

In 1986, he began to use a panoramic camera and participated in the Transmanche photographic mission, a project on the consequences and transformations caused by the construction of the Channel Tunnel.

In 1987, Koudelka was naturalized French. After twenty years of exile, he returned to his native country in 1990, after the Velvet Revolution and his photos from 1968 were finally published in Prague.

We sell here a

Very rare book

from the library of James A. Fox

enriched with a extremely rare large dedication signed by Josef KOUDELKA

at " JIMMY " FOX

"Chaos"

Text by Bernard NOEL

Afterword by Robert Delpire

Paris, Nathan/Delpire, 1999

Text in French

Original edition

First Printing, French issue

published simultaneously in Milan and London.

“ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY AND POWERFUL ARTISTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY”:

FIRST EDITION OF CHAOS, BOLDLY SIGNED BY JOSEF KOUDELKA

KOUDELKA, Josef. Chaos. (Paris): Nathan/Delpire, (1999).

Oblong quarto, original debossed black cloth,

original photographic dust jacket.

First edition, French issue, boldly signed by Koudelka on the title page,

featuring 108 finely screened duotones (including many triptychs and double-page panoramas).

see Parr & Badger II: 74, 202.

A fine copy.

Large In-4, (approximately 43x30cm), 112pp., hardcover publisher, full black cloth,

in original jacket illustrated with a photograph

(Very good overall condition, clean and fresh, tiny marks

or very minor usual rubbing on the covers, edges or back of the dust jacket, a very minor lamination defect on the upper cover of the dust jacket, otherwise almost perfect, very nice overall look)

Very good interior condition, clean and fresh,

printed on coated paper, without freckles

see visuals...

VG Condition

Long sold out

Reprints of this edition are quite common but the original edition is rare

and copies signed at the time of publication are extremely rare!

Superb Book

Beautiful Photographs

Very desirable example!!

With a superb and very large dedication...

[Provenance Archives and Collection