(Photography) — Man Ray | Collection of signed photobooks, including "Facile"

(Photography) — Man Ray

Four signed photobooks

Comprising: i. Man Ray. Photographs 1920-1934 Paris. Hartford: James Thrall Soby, 1934. 4to. Text in English and French, 104 heliogravures, original color photographic wrappers with spiral binding; light toning and offsetting to contents, upper cover detached, wrappers worn, comb cracked, textblock partially separating at tail of comb. First edition, second issue with the fictitious "second edition" printed on title (a marketing gimmick to suggest the first edition had sold out and create demand); Man Ray's notoriously fragile first monograph, inscribed: "For Louis and Peggy with best wishes — Man Ray." 

ii. Paul Eluard and Man Ray. Facile. Paris: G.L.M., 1935. 12 heliogravures by Man Ray, unbound bifolia laid into publisher's dust-jacket with photographic upper cover; light internal toning, portion of lower backstrip of jacket partially separated, edgewear. First edition, copy 517 of 1200 numbered copies, inscribed by Man Ray: "For Louis & Peggy K--- cordially, Man Ray."

iii. Man Ray. La Photographie n'est pas l'art. [Paris]: G.L.M. 1937. 8vo. 12 black and white photographs, loose as issued in original blue paper portfolio printed in black, original black paper jacket with die-cut window, celluloid dust jacket; light chipping to jacket. First edition, inscribed by the artist on title page: "And Art is not photography! Man Ray 1965."

iv. [Paul Eluard]. Le Temps Deborde. Paris: Editions Cahiers d'Art, 1947. 8vo. 11 black and white photographs by Man Ray and Dora Marr, printed wrappers, celluloid dust jacket; celluloid toned. One of 500 numbered copies, twice inscribed by Man Ray: "I am proud to have collaborated, Man Ray" and "Man Ray, to lovely Musch."

A fine collection of signed photobooks, including Man Ray's first monograph, and multiple collaborations with the poet Paul Eluard. Parr and Badger describe Facile in particular as "one of the iconic French photobooks of the 1930s ... [the] pictures exude an elegant eroticism, especially when printed in photogravure so luscious that one just wants to touch it."

REFERENCES:

Parr & Badger, The Photobook, vol. I, p. 104-105 (i), 108-109 (ii)