Early Stone & Abstraction

[Siskind, Aaron] (1903–1991) ; [Photographer]

Bucks County: Photographs of Early Architecture

New York: Horizon Press, 1974.

A landmark intersection of historical preservation and abstract vision, capturing the 'vanishing' architectural legacy of Pennsylvania.

This volume presents 87 black-and-white plates from a project Siskind began in 1935 under the auspices of the Bucks County Historical Society. While intended as a documentary record of Quaker meeting houses and fieldstone barns, the images reveal Siskind's early pivot toward the high-contrast, gestural formalism that would eventually define his role in the Abstract Expressionist movement.

KEY FEATURES
+++ Visuals: [87] full-page black-and-white plates printed on high-grade coated stock. 
+++ Binding: Reddish-brown cloth with gilt-stamped title to spine and front board. 
+++ Content: Introductory text by William Morgan; captures 18th and 19th-century Pennsylvania fieldstone architecture. 
+++ Imprint: Horizon Press, New York, 1974. First Edition.
+++ Specs: 11 inches tall; 112 pages.

CONDITION: Near Fine / Very Good. 
+++ The Book: Near fine. Bindings are tight and square with sharp corners. The reddish-brown cloth is vibrant and the gilt remains bright. The text block is clean and free of ownership marks. 
+++ The Jacket: Very Good. Original unclipped dust jacket ($12.95 price intact). Shows modest, even age-toning consistent with the white paper stock of this era. Light handling wear at the extremities but no significant chips or tears.

SCHOLARLY FEATURES
+++ The 'Documentary' Pivot: While these photographs were taken in the mid-1930s during Siskind's tenure with the Photo League, their 1974 publication highlights the bridge between social realism and 'Pure Form.'
+++ Architectural Archeology: Serves as a primary visual document of early American stone masonry and timber-frame construction in the Delaware Valley, much of which has since been altered or lost to development.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE —
This body of work represents Siskind’s earliest sustained exploration of 'The Wall.' Though he was documenting buildings, his fascination with the texture of weathered stone and the geometry of shadows provides the 'Genesis' for his later, world-renowned abstractions of Martha’s Vineyard and Rome.

Published by his lifelong champion, Ben Raeburn, this book rescued a 'lost' project from the 1930s and established it as a foundational text in 20th-century photographic history.

SUBJECTS: Aaron Siskind, Bucks County History, Pennsylvania Architecture, Abstract Expressionism, Horizon Press, Photography Monograph, Architectural History.

Item #21713
ISBN: 0818014164

Price: $45.00