Steven Morrissey New York Dolls

Manchester. Babylon Books. February 1981. First Edition. Small 4to. 48pp. Printed wraps as issued. Numerous Black and White plates. Text in English. In superb condition with a little toning and rubbing to covers. 

The young Morrissey's ode and love letter to the New York Dolls. Some excellent images and sharp and astute text by Morrissey. The Dolls were a huge influence on Morrissey- he was president of their UK fan club. "Some bands grab you and they never let you go and, no matter what they do, they can never let you down ... the Dolls were that for me." Fandom aside, Morrissey has produced a brilliant book on what is a quite important chapter in the history of popular culture, the Dolls not only signified the end of the 60s, but crossed boundaries in taste, dress and sexuality. Very scarce, the book was written and published before Morrissey then became famous with the Smiths. An important and informative piece of cultural ephemera.

Tom Wood Not Only Female

Koln. Schaden. 2004. First Edition. Square 8vo, 48pp. Printed wraps as issued. Numerous Colour and Black & White plates. Text in English and French. 

The toughest Tom Wood book to turn up. Beautiful early collection of his work from 70s and 80s Liverpool. Teenagers, nightclubs and street photography. Quietly stunning.

Olivetti Concept and Form

Tokyo. Olivetti. 1971. First edition. Narrow 4to. (unpaginated). 21 loose leaf sheets in folder, housed in card slipcase. Numerous Black & White and Colour plates. 

Stunning Olivetti showcase using different paperstocks, photographs, graphics and plans.

Playboy Guia Ibiza

Barcelona. Playboy. 1979. First Edition. Small Square 4to, Unpaginated (ca 120pp). Printed wraps as issued. Text in Spanish. Numerous colour plates. 

Some amazing things in unexpected places! so as one would expect there are a few now rather kitschy nudes, but they don't take up too much space. What does however is page after page of Ibiza subculture and nightlife in the form of 70s Pacha, Paula's (Heinemann's incredible boutique), Yacht parties and faces about town, shot by Toni Riera- who was Pacha's in house photographer in the 70s and knew all the people on the island who mattered. A perfect portrait of the island when it was still the countercultural hub for the aristocracy of Europe's hip down and out. Very much an underdocumented cultural phenomenon, considering it's massive later impact on popular and youth culture.

Punk Rock in London 1977-1979

Tokyo. Buronzu Sha. 1979. First edition. 8vo. Unpaginated (ca 160pp). Paper wraps in Dustwrap. Numerous Black & White plates. Text in Japanese. 

One of the highlights of punk documentary on par with Costa Punk or 100 Nights at the Roxy. There's a tiny bit of Roxy in there but the focus is really North and West London- The Roundhouse, The Electric Ballroom, Dingwalls, The Rochester Castle (Stokey) and Acklam Hall (Ladbroke Grove). Fans, Bands, gigs, street and club/pub scenes. Real grassroots stuff!

Purple Sexe 1

Paris. Purple Institute. 1998. First Edition. 8vo, 32pp. Printed wraps. Numerous Colour and Black & White plates. 

The first of the controversial, but very good Purple Sexe. Lots of high quality filth from the world of high quality fashion- the highlights being Vivier's work and Richardson's Dynamic Duo shoot.

Paolo Roversi Secrets

Sold out immediately! Which came as a surprise to me, but is is probably his nicest book so far, beautiful production and such a beautiful, delicate object. Some commercial and personal work, a beautiful selection. A very personal book, really sums up his practice. This copy is also signed.

Purple Sexe (complete run)

Paris. Purple Institute. 1998-2008. First Edition. 8vo, 9 volumes. Unpaginated (ca32-96pp each). Printed wraps. Numerous Colour and Black & White plates. Volumes 1 to 9- plus Purple Magazine no.1 (summer 1998) where purple sexe no.2 was published.

The anti fashion aesthetic of Purple applied to sex. A complete run of the controversial, but retrospectively groundbreaking Purple Sexe. Lots of high quality filth from the world of high quality fashion- Terry Richardson starts things off- and in the subsequent volumes produce arguably his best work. But in addition there is some incredible work from Viviane Sassen, Hiromix, Anders Edstrom, Vanessa Beecroft, Jack Pierson, Mark Borthwick, Richard Prince, Katja Rahwles. "Like it or not, sex is so commercial it has become banal, it's become a service industry for your body the way mechanics take care of your car.... ...Today, sex is varied, but not transformed. It has evolved, but remains the same river through which we all flow. Thus Purple Sexe, the first in a series of magazines to frame the subject that frames us all." A very ambitious project- and a successful one, pushing the boundaries and aesthetics of sexuality and the act of sex itself.

Baron Wolman Rags (Complete run including dummy issue)

San Francisco. Rosy Cheeks. March 1970-July 1971. First Edition. 4to, 13 volumes. ca 32pp each. Printed wraps as issued. Numerous Black & White and duotone plates, text in English. 

Incredible countercultural artefact with just a few copies being held institutionally. Baron Wolman worked for Rolling Stone in the 60s and decided to club together with a couple of others to document more interesting people i.e. the ones they all saw walking along the Haight and hanging around San Francisco's more left leaning squats and communes. The result is Rags, the first ever street style magazine, and one of the first magazines to document fashion (or anti fashion) from the street rather than the catwalk or society, the magazine's echoes and legacy can be seen today in early i-D, The Face, Purple and pretty much every modern fashion magazine. The contents are brillant, from straight ups as they were later called by Terry Jones to articles on what barbers, corpses and make up counter clerks wear along with killer shoots and articles. Also features half the SF scene of the time such as Sylvester, The Cockettes, various groups of groupies (GTO's I think). '...fashion is not an isolated moment on some exotic island with a porcelain model, but simply an everyday sense of how people are dressing themselves.' - Baron Wolman. A key moment in the history of fashion publishing.

Raf Simons Redux

Milan. Charta. 1995. First Edition. Folio, 224pp. White cloth in vellum paper dustwrapper. Numerous illustrations. 

Very well produced book published to celebrate 10 years of Raf Simons. As the publisher says- "Published for the tenth anniversary of the Belgian fashion designer's career, the volume 'Raf Simons Redux' narrates through images and texts the intellectual and creative evolution of Raf Simons, one of the main innovators of contemporary men's fashion. By Peter De Potter and Raf Simons. Edited by Maria Luisa Frisa. Special contribution by Cris Brodahl, Stef Driesen, Pieter Mulier, Olivier Rizzo, Collier Schorr, Robbie Snelders, Willy Vanderperre. Texts by Francesco Bonami, Peter De Potter, Marc Foxx, Jo-Ann Furniss, Ashley Heath, Terry Jones, Collier Schorr, Raf Simons."

Keizo Kitajima Shashin Tokkyubin Okinawa - Photo Mail from Okinawa (issues 1-4)

Tokyo. Parolu-sha. 1980. First Edition. 4 volumes, Small 4to, ca 20pp each. Printed wraps as issued. Numerous Black & White plates. Text in Japanese. From a very small print run, with few copies surviving. The original negatives and photographs have long since been lost. More images available on request. . Hardcover.. Book: Near Fine. .

A complete set of Photo Mail Okinawa, originally produced for his show at CAMP in 1980. No institutional copies at the time of writing, in addition Kitajima reputedly does not have a file copy of the work himself. Very new wave and somewhat zine-ish in feel, they document the people and Scenes of Koza- primarily hostesses, drunkards and African American G.I.'s. The photographs are harsh, haphazard and a filled with a sense of chaos and urgency, channeling an almosy punk like energy. Reads like a gritty and seedy parallel universe. A post Provoke/Workshop masterpiece.

C Ryan Skinheads

London (?). Self Published. 1981. First Edition. 4to, 68pp. Printed wraps as issued. Text in English. Numerous Black & White plates.

The real deal. Lots of grainy photocopies images and brilliant text. One of Ryan Mcginley's favourite books, which is nice to know. An excellent subcultural artefact.

Shoichi Aoki Street no.1 and no.2

Tokyo. Street. 1985. First Edition. 4to, 2 Vols. 32pp each. Printed wraps. Text in English and Japanese. Numerous colour plates.

Really special one here- the first two issues of the legendary 'Street' magazine. Way before the internet street was the definitive source of streetstyle shots, mainly taken outside fashion shows in London, Paris, Milan and New York. So- we basically have a behind the scenes of all the shows in '85, which includes Comme, Alaia, Anthony Price and so on, plus a lot of out and about shots. Seriously amazing.

Willy Spiller Subway New York

Cologne. Stemmle. 1986. First Edition. 4to, 140pp. Printed wraps. Numerous Colour plates. Text in German.

First and only edition, which appeared in the same year as Bruce Davidson's Subway. Incredible document of New York's subway system and the people, graff, commuters, police and oddballs who populate it shot between 1977 and 1984. Gritty portrait of a retrospectively mythologised part of New York Life.

Alan Vincent The Bangy Book New Yorker Street Boys

Berlin. Vis a Vis. 1988. First Edition. 4to, 80pp. Printed wraps as issued. Numerous Black & White plates.

Great document of the guys who 'pass'. Documents the gay black and puerto rican street subculture of NYC. Killer details, self styling, and (some) nudity. The real deal, and the only book that documents the subject.

Mark Borthwick Synthetic Voices

Tokyo. Synergy. 1998. First Edition. 4to, ca 200pp. Printed wraps. Numerous colour plates. With Obi Band. Inscribed by Borthwick to titlepage.

Conceived more as an artists book, and containing his brilliant work for Purple, Self Service, Vogue Italia etc. alongside Margiela, Personal work, texts, Hussein Chalayan, Paul McCarthy, Patti Smith and a lot more. Beautiful- and the best copy I've ever seen.

Burton Y Berry Teenage Styles and Trends 1967-71 A Retrospective

Zurich. Privately Printed. 1972. First Edition. 4oo, Unpaginated (ca 128pp). Glossy boards as issued. Numerous Black & White plates. Text in English. 'This publication was made possible through a generous grant from Mr. Blank'. Privately printed in an edition of 300 copies.

Very little is know of Burton Berry, except that he was an American diplomat and senior member of the American Numismatic Society (thats coin collecting), he was also an important textile collector and served as consul to Istanbul, Bucharest, Cairo and Beirut before becoming Ambassador to Iraq and then retiring to Zurich. It is in Zurich in the late 60's- and when he was in his early sixties, that he shot this book. Presented as a guide to youth fashions (which it is), the book is more a vehicle for Berry's lust, admiration and fascination for the young men he documents. He is partiularly interested in long hair, the feminisation of youth and the flambouyancy of dress at the time. The images are very much what would be later called streetstyle shots, and Berry does an excellent job categorising and presenting them, and seems to have struck up a dialogue with his subjects to really get an understanding of what was going on at the time. The overall feeling though, is that of a tender love affair with youth itself, in a way only a man in his sixties could produce.

The Bible of Punk Rock Poster Art: the Early Years

Los Angeles. Hard Corps. ca. 1996. First edition. 4to. 96pp. Spiral bound wraps. English. Numerous Black & White plates. Wear to wraps. Printed in a small but unknown run.

The definitive reference to punk/hardcore posters and flyers, compiled by an unknown Temple City based author. Artworks run from the late 70s onwards, and are very Pettibon and Black Flag heavy, though most of the SoCal scene is covered. A phenomenal resource, with a lot of rarely seen work.

The Day Glo Designers Guide

Cleveland. Day-Glo Color Corp. 1969. First edition. 4to. 68pp. Spiral bound as issued, with Day-Glo tone chart, a Day-Glo four-colour process chart and the Day-Glo bonus screen colour chart.

A superb artefact of the psychedelic era and it's eventual appropriation by mainstream popular culture. Includes work from Warhol, a fabulous screen printed treatment of Bert Stern's Marilyn Monroe shoot, floral pop up (complete), Martin Sharp, Peter Max. Complete with all inserts, pop up and tear out.

The Ingenious Patterns and Hotel Okura

Tokyo. Hotel Okura. 1964. First Edition. 4to, 104pp. Silver stamped cloth in slipcase. Numerous Colour and Black & White plates. Text in English and Japanese. Slipcase has been, ahem, customised. More images available on request.. Hardcover.. Book: VG+. .

Stunning book detailing the textile and wallpaper patterns, as well as the key themes of the famous Hotel Okura. "The Okura is an extraordinary testament to a key moment in Japanese design. It was built two years ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 ' with an annexe added in 1973 ' by an exceptionally gifted and diverse group that included the architects Yoshiro Taniguchi and Hideo Kosaka, the folk artist Shiko Munakata and the potter Kenkichi Tomimoto. Together they created a unique modern design that referenced the traditional colours, shapes and crafts of Japan." Fiona Wilson.

The Poser (Issues 1 and 2)

London. Self Published / Better Badges. 1979. First Edition. 2 Volumes. Small 4to, Unpaginated (ca 20pp). Numerous Black & White plates. Text in English.

Very special zine started in 1979 by Anderson, which John Peel described at the time as 'worth getting hold of'. Anderson was a photographer rather than a journalist, which makes the poser more of a photographic document than a fanzine. Though it is a very DIY publication the layout, printing and photography is extremely high quality, and makes for a distinct visual record of what was a fertile music scene in London at the time. The first 2 issues cover the Mo-Dettes, Iggy Poop, The Ruts, The Underground sound of Chippenham, The Slits, Penetration, The Clash, Siouxie and so on. The images are interspersed with short reviews of the gigs attended, and tips on gig photography. As a photographer Anderson seems more interested in composition, and bands that look visually striking, though many of the groups themselves are now considered essential in the punk and new wave canon.

The Smiths

Tokyo. Rockin' On. 1994. First Edition. Small 4to, Unpaginated (ca 160pp). Printed wraps as issued. Text in Japanese. Numerous Black & White plates.

Published in 1994, this is the best book on Morrissey and The Smiths by a long shot. It's also beautifully designed and produced, with a lot of brilliant early images.

The Village Voice View (Vue) Preview Issue

New York. Village Voice. 1985. First Edition. 4to, 30pp. Numerous Colour and Black & White plates.

Preview issue for The Village Voice's short lived (5 issues) fashion magazine, helmed by former 'Rags' editor Mary Peacock and designed by Yolanda Cuomo. The quality and depth of material is incredible, and provides an insider's ear on the ground in a way very few publications have achieved. Larry Fink goes clubbing at the Palladium, Nan Goldin takes Turbeville's bath house concept to it's logical conclusion, and delivers arguably her best work, dandies and street fashion get their dues, and a lot more.

Jun Takahashi Untitled. Sex and Seditionaries

No Place (Tokyo). No Publisher (Jun Takahashi / Undercover). No Date (ca 2004). First Edition. Folio. Unpaginated. Black cloth in Pin up Slipcase. Reputedly printed in an edition of 1000 copies. No Text. 
 
Inventory of Sex, Seditionaries, Let it Rock, Vivienne Westwood/Malcolm McClaren clothing. Page after page after page of original garments flat photographed, probably the only record of a lot of the garments. The publicity shy Takahashi of Undercover fame has probably the biggest collection of early Westwood, and this book documents all of it. Apparently McClaren flipped his wig and thought it had to be the collection of either Rei Kawakubo or Yoji Yamamoto, as they were the only two people he remembered buying one of everything in each colour. An underground legend.

Claude Nori Vacances a L'Italienne

Paris. Contrejour. 1987. First Edition. Oblong 4to, (unpaginated) 84pp. White wraps in white. Numerous Black & White plates.

An amazing Portrait of teenagers in Rimini, Sicily and Naples in 1984; on the beach, riding Vespa's, camping, going to the funfair etc. Looks like a lost Eric Rohmer film. Super stylish and very amazing.

Vague no.1

Salisbury. Vague. November 1979. First Edition. 4to, Unpaginated (8pp inc covers). Printed wrappers. Black & White/Monotone plates. Text in English.

Issue 1 of the seminal post punk zine with Siouxsie and the Banshees, Adam and the Ants, The Cure, The Specials, Madness, Selecter, Two-tone tour, Swell Maps, Red Crayola, Ruts. "'Every day the seditious seeds planted by Sniffin' Glue and Ripped & Torn bear some unlikely fruit. Every day another young editor staggers proudly under the Westway with a new bag of radical reading matter, making the three minute trip from one bright spark of the current explosion, Better Badges, to the other, Rough Trade. In every corner of the country there seems to be something going on' Wiltshire's Vague". Sounds. 'The kids like it.' Adam Ant.

Walter Pfeiffer & Co. Inventar

Zurich. Self Published. 1977. First Edition. 8vo. Unpaginated (48pp). Printed wraps as issued. Numerous Black & White plates. Text in German.

Looks like a catalog for a groupshow that Pfeiffer put on with a group of friends. Includes Thomy Kretz, Fredy von Beck, Barbara Schneider, Werni Eymann, Ezio, Lisa Enderli, Edy Marconi, Paolo Masina, Alfred Hog, Renato Serra, Andres Staubli, Marc Masson, Marlies Isler, Friedrich Nordpol, Daniel Steinmann and the mighty Manon! Beautiful.

Yohji Yamamoto F/W 2000-2001

Paris. Yohji Yamamoto. 2000. First Edition. 4to, Unpaginated (ca 30pp). Printed folder boards as issued. Numerous Colour and Black & White plates. In original stiff printed envelope.

Killer Yamamoto featuring Amber Valetta (amazing) tons of archival prints and crazy M/M work set over a series of 5 gigantic foldouts. Tip!

Yohji Yamamoto Fall Winter 1998/1999

Paris. Yohji Yamamoto. 1998. First Edition. Oblong folio, 28pp. Printed wraps. Full colour images. In stiff printed envelope.

Right- no ordinary look book here, Inez and Vinoodh shoot, Maggie Rizer models, and M/M art direct. Very surreal props, framing, lighting and connotations of witchcraft vie for equal attention with the clothes, which of course are super.

Yohji Yamamoto Femme F/W 1999-2000

Paris. Yohji Yamamoto. 1999. First Edition. 4to, Unpaginated (ca 48pp). Printed wraps in in textured dustwrap. Numerous Colour and Black & White plates, interleaved with screenprints. In original Yamamoto envelope.

Brilliant Yamamoto catalogue, beautifully put together by M/M and shot by Craig McDean, very theatrical, and interleaved with two colour screenprints.