Gurrey, A. R., Jr.

The Surf Riders Of Hawaii. Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii: A. R. Gurrey Jr., ca. 1914



6 leaves (7 1/4 x 7 in.; 184 x 177 mm) of heavy brown wove paper. 7 mounted gelatin-silver photographs of surfers, ranging in size from 3 3/8 x 6 5/8 in.; 84 x 187 mm to 1 7/8 x 3 5/8 in.; 48 x 93 mm). Stab-sewn into stiff mottled wrappers, printed label on front wrapper.

Joel T. Smith & Sandra Kimberly Hall, "A. R. Gurrey Jr. The Genesis of Surf Photography," in The Surfer's Journal, vol. 14, no. 2, 2005 (citing "four known copies")

The first book devoted soley to surfing, one of a handful of known copies. The Surf Riders of Hawaii was self-published by A. R. Gurrey, a surfer and photographer, and copies vary in the number and selection of photographs. "Surf Riders combines artistically rendered prints with romantic poetry from Lord Byron and descriptive prose from Gurrey himself. It was his attempt to convey the feeling of the sport—its visceral excitement and its celebration of the senses. This photo compilation doesn't just document wave riding, it endows the sport with an almost ethereal sense of splendor" (Smith & Hall).

Gurrey was a member of the Hui Nalu, a surf club that counted Duke Kahanamoku as a founding member.