“COMBINES THE LUXE AND THE LOUCHE”: BRASSAÏ’S PARIS DE NUIT

(BRASSAÏ) MORAND, Paul. Paris by Night. New York: Pantheon Books, (1987). Quarto, original laminated photographic wrappers. $125.

First American printing, in softcover, of the 1987 re-release of this highly influential 1933 photographic “travelogue of the Parisian prowler,” with 64 rich full-page photogravures by Brassaï, capturing his “social fantastic” vision of the city (Roth). From the collection of noted photojournalist Peter Turnley.

“Paris de Nuit combines the luxe and the louche… Its graphic design is sophisticated and its photogravure reproductions so rich that the sooty blacks still look like they’ll rub off the page… Brassaï’s photos are the book’s real meat… Brassaï became a master at drawing luminosity from the darkness… [This work has] lost none of its dark glamour or film noir grit” (Roth, 76). “The book created a sensation when it was published; many pictures from the series were deemed too risqué and were not exhibited or published for decades, until the 1976 sequel, The Secret Paris of the 1930s. The first book set [Brassaï] on a lucrative and prolific career” (McDarrah, 55). This lovely reprinting was created using the original plates of the first edition, with the exception of seven plates reproduced from the 1933 edition heliogravures. Parr & Badger I:34. Open Book, 110-11. From the collection of award-winning photojournalist Peter Turnley. Owner signature.

Some lamination bubbling to front cover. An extremely good copy.