First edition of this photo-essay on the New York City art scene circa 1960, both downtown and uptown, showing a plethora of artists, gallerists, collectors, and critics at work and at play, though mostly at play. With photographs and text by Fred W. McDarrah, an introduction by Thomas B. Hess, and commentary by Gloria Schofield McDarrah. Published in 1961 by E.P. Dutton & Co in 1961. 8vo, pictorial wrappers, unpaginated, profusely illustrated with b/w photos, indexed. Fred McDarrah (1926-2007) was a photojournalist, author, and staff photographer for the Village Voice known for documenting the Beat Generation and the New York art world. The present work is a vital document of an exuberant moment in cultural history. A fresh and clean copy, enhanced by the photographer’s signature on the dedication page, and accompanied by a receipt from SoHo’s celebrated Art et Industrie Gallery, which exhibited McDarrah’s photographs in 1996, whence the signed book was purchased. Laid in also is an announcement for that exhibition, likely taken from New York magazine. Slight lean to spine. Light bumping and rubbing to extremities, with 2” closed tear to spine head.
First edition of this photo-essay on the New York City art scene circa 1960, both downtown and uptown, showing a plethora of artists, gallerists, collectors, and critics at work and at play, though mostly at play. With photographs and text by Fred W. McDarrah, an introduction by Thomas B. Hess, and commentary by Gloria Schofield McDarrah. Published in 1961 by E.P. Dutton & Co in 1961. 8vo, pictorial wrappers, unpaginated, profusely illustrated with b/w photos, indexed. Fred McDarrah (1926-2007) was a photojournalist, author, and staff photographer for the Village Voice known for documenting the Beat Generation and the New York art world. The present work is a vital document of an exuberant moment in cultural history. A fresh and clean copy, enhanced by the photographer’s signature on the dedication page, and accompanied by a receipt from SoHo’s celebrated Art et Industrie Gallery, which exhibited McDarrah’s photographs in 1996, whence the signed book was purchased. Laid in also is an announcement for that exhibition, likely taken from New York magazine. Slight lean to spine. Light bumping and rubbing to extremities, with 2” closed tear to spine head.
