BEAT VISIONS OF NEW YORK

Walker, Robert (b. 1945) with an introduction by William S. Burroughs (1914–1997)

New York Inside Out [Signed - Association Copy]

New York: Skyline Press Walker, 1984. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover with Dust Jacket.

This is the first and only edition of this collaborative work, notable for pairing Walker’s vivid, color-saturated street photography with Burroughs’s reflections on perception and modern urban experience.

Walker (b. 1945) was a key figure in the 1970s–80s color documentary photography movement, associated with William Eggleston and Stephen Shore. His photographs celebrate the chromatic chaos and surreal juxtapositions of city life—especially New York’s visual excess.

This copy is inscribed by Roger Boulton, publisher at Skyline Press, to Ben Raeburn, legendary publisher of Horizon Press:
‘With kindest regards to Ben Raeburn, who has been an inspiration to so many authors, artists and fellow-publishers.
Roger Boulton
11 September ’84’.
This makes it an association copy of the highest order, directly linking two influential independent publishers active in the modern art and literary press scene.

Collector Note:
Burroughs’s participation—providing the introduction—adds substantial literary value and cross-collectibility. His text connects Walker’s urban imagery to the same consciousness-expanding aesthetic found in his own fiction (Naked Lunch, The Soft Machine), situating the book within the Beat Generation’s visual legacy.

Condition: Blue cloth, photographic dust jacket. Fine in a Near Fine jacket. The bindings are tight and square. Text and photographs are clean, bright, and unmarked. The jacket shows a short, closed tear at the upper front edge and mild handling to the rear panel. No additional chips or fading. An exceptionally well-preserved copy. Inscribed by publisher Roger Boulton to Ben Raeburn, founder of Horizon Press, noted publisher of American modernist writers. Oblong 10.5 inches by 8.75 inches. 88 pages of color photography with the introduction and title pages unnumbered.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE —
Robert Walker’s saturated street imagery captured the theatricality of New York’s public life during the postmodern photography era. His work, often compared to Eggleston and Shore, has been exhibited internationally. William S. Burroughs’s introduction frames Walker’s visual chaos as a metaphor for human consciousness—a notable convergence of photography and Beat sensibility.

The personal inscription from publisher Roger Boulton to Ben Raeburn establishes a significant connection between two important figures in late-20th-century art publishing.
From the estate of Horizon Books publisher Ben Raeburn that passed to his partner Patricia.

Subjects: Robert Walker, William S. Burroughs, New York City, Color Photography, Beat Generation, Independent Publishing, Association Copy, Ben Raeburn, Horizon Press, Photography, Art, Beat Literature, Urban Studies.

Item #21236
ISBN: 0195406036

Price: $400.00