Diane Arbus: An Aperture Monograph [RARE VARIANT]

New York: Aperture & The Museum of Modern Art, 1972. First edition, Second printing. Hardcover. vg. Quarto. 15pp., 160 plates. Photo-illustrated paper-covered boards with black lettering on spine in photo-illustrated dust jacket. Square spine (not rounded spine as normally found on the first printing and the replacement second printing). Illustrated with full-page duotones of photographs by Arbus, as well as one photo of herself. Rare variant of the second print run, containing an image that was later withdrawn due to model-release issues: Two girls in identical raincoats, Central Park, N.Y.C. 1969. The entire second press run was to be destroyed by the publishers prior to distribution for this reason. 15 pages of text, edited from tape recordings of a series of classes Arbus gave in 1971 as well as from some interviews and some of her writings. Published in conjunction with the 1972 retrospective staged by MoMA curator John Szarkowski, which attracted more than 7 million viewers. Her 1967 photograph Identical Twins, which illustrates the front cover as well as the dj of this work, is tenth on the list of most expensive photographs. This photo was removed from later printings. Dust jacket lightly foxed inside of jacket and small closed tear inside back upper left, at flap crease. Small bookseller sticker on free front endpaper. Slight discoloration to top edge of cover. Overall fine condition. Diane Arbus (1923-1971), was noted for her portraits of people on the fringes of society such as prostitutes, transvestites, dwarfs, giants, as well as ordinary working class citizens in unconventional poses and settings. Arbus became the first American photographer to be exhibited at the Venice Biennale. "For me the subject of the picture is always more important than the picture. And more complicated. I do have a feeling for the print but I don't have a holy feeling for it. I really think what it is, is what it's about. I mean it has to be of something. And what it's of is always more remarkable than what it is." (Diane Arbus). (Inventory #: 26857)