THE POETRY OF THE STREET

Agee, James (1909-1955) with Photography of Helen Levitt (1913–2009)

A Way of Seeing [Signed Limited Edition #9 of 250]

New York: Horizon Press, 1981. Helen Levitt — Photographer. Limited Edition.
A SIGNED COPY OF ONE OF THE GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Limited to just 250 numbered copies signed by Helen Levitt, this deluxe edition of A Way of Seeing represents the definitive expression of one of the landmark collaborations between photography and literature.

THE DEFINITIVE EDITION.
Expanded from the 1965 Viking edition with twenty-four additional photographs and revised text, it pairs Levitt's quietly observant New York street photography with James Agee's enduring meditation on seeing, memory, and everyday life.

THE POETRY OF ORDINARY LIFE.
Rather than documenting extraordinary events, Levitt transformed ordinary city streets into lyrical visual narratives. Agee's accompanying essay remains among the most influential works of photographic criticism, helping establish this volume as a cornerstone of modern photographic literature.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Large quarto. Quarter gilt-stamped vellum over gilt-stamped blue cloth boards, housed in the original blue linen slipcase. Designed by Marvin Hoshino. Illustrated throughout with Helen Levitt's black-and-white photographs, including twenty-four images not present in the original 1965 edition. Signed by Helen Levitt on the limitation page. Copy number 9 of 250.

CONDITION: Near Fine: Bindings remain tight and square. Text clean with light, even age-toning. Minimal shelf handling. White vellum spine shows only slight mellowing consistent with age. Faint spot on the center of the front board. No Slipcase.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: THE CITY AS POEM.
 Originally published in 1965, A Way of Seeing helped redefine the modern photography monograph by treating photographs and prose as equal partners rather than illustration and commentary. Helen Levitt's intimate observations of New York neighborhoods became defining images of American street photography, while James Agee's reflective essay offered one of the twentieth century's most perceptive examinations of photographic vision.

THE DEFINITIVE EDITION.
The 1981 Horizon Press limited edition was conceived as the collector's edition of the work. Designed by Marvin Hoshino, it expands the original publication with additional photographs, revised text, fine materials, and Levitt's signature, creating the most desirable edition for collectors of photographic books and twentieth-century American art.

SCHOLARLY FEATURES.
+++ Agee's Classic Essay — One of the foundational texts of modern photographic criticism.
+++ Expanded Edition — Twenty-four photographs added beyond the 1965 Viking edition.
+++ Signed Limitation — Hand-numbered copy 9 of only 250 copies signed by Helen Levitt.
+++ Marvin Hoshino Design — Produced as a finely designed collector's edition that complements the artistic importance of the work.

SUBJECTS: Helen Levitt; James Agee; Street Photography; New York City; Documentary Photography; Photographic Criticism; Photography Monographs; Signed Limited Editions; American Photography; Twentieth-Century Art, Photography, Street Photography, Fine Press, Modern Art, American Studies.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES: Parr & Badger I: 252–253; Roth, The Book of 101 Books, 178–179; The Open Book (Hasselblad Center), 214–215; Fernandez, New York in Photobooks, 92–96.

Item #22266

Price: $525.00