OT: Josef Sudek's books

While flipping through the latest issue of Lenswork, I saw a mention

of a book by Josef Sudek, titled "From the Window in my Studio:

1940 -1954". I searched various online shops, but no one seems to

mention it, let alone have it in stock. In fact, I am not sure if

any of Sudek's books containing his pics (as opposed to his

biography) are in stock anywhere.

 

What gives? Does anyone know if the book will be reprinted/reissued

in the near future? Do the pics contained in this book that are

shot by Sudek between 1940 and 1954 also available as part of any

other collection that one can buy right now?

There are a couple of Sudek books around. Have a look at the main online

photobookstores. As best (and very beautifully printed) overview of his work, I

would recommend a German book edited by Anna Farova and issued in 1999

by Keyahoff Verlag. It's difficult to find, however. The most cherished Sudek

book in my library, however, is "Sad Landscape": a superb collection of his

large format panorama pictures taken in Bohemia, end of the fifties, early

sixties.

Take a look at ebay.

Wonderful photographs, saw the exhibition of them at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in the last couple of years.

 

I think there are copies of this book you can find at http://www.abebooks.com. They appear to be the Czech editions, from bookstores there. Perhaps there is no English translation, but the citation you saw was translated. The pictures are so wonderful you don't need to be able to read the words!

<p>The quick answer is, I don't know. Hey, hold on: Sudek didn't use a Leica, or anything like it. <em><em class="bleating">Moderator, delete this thread!</em></em></p><p>I have one book of Sudek's work, titled <cite>Josef Sudek, Poet of Prague: A Photographer's Life</cite>. Biographical material is worked around a splendid set of well-reproduced images; indeed, this is less a bio than a photo collection. (But sorry, I'm not selling.)</p><p>The book has just a single image (on p.73) captioned "View from the window of my studio, 1945-54"; close by it, however, are a few works in a similar vein that may or may not be what your after. In the back is a bibliography that includes monographs published to 1985; this does not mention the book you're looking for.</p><p>I remember buying this book for very little in a slightly sleazy shop full of remainders (thrilling bios of minor TV celebs, Taschen pornokitsch, etc.). It definitely cost under €20, even though it's hardback and shows no sign of having been remaindered (no black line across the page edges, etc.). Indeed, it was thanks to the low price that I picked it up: I'd never heard of Sudek at the time, and was merely <s>looking for pornokitsch</s> interested in Prague. I've since seen the same book, used, at much higher prices.</p><p>The used book market is about as nutty as the used camera market. There's no limit on the optimism of some would-be sellers or the desperation (or self-flattery through purchase of monstrously priced "rarity") of some buyers. That's the bad news. The good news is that you can bypass fleabay and similar idiocy by signing yourself up at <a href="http://www.abebooks.com/">ABE</a> and registering a "want" for "josef sudek". Thereafter, whenever any of squillions of bookstores gets a book by "josef sudek", you'll hear of this by email -- and via ABE, so your address won't be broadcast. If you're inundated with uninteresting offers, then narrow your search by combining "josef sudek" with "window" or whatever. When you get an offer at a sensible price, buy. If somebody else beats you to it, just be patient till another copy turns up.</p><p>Be prepared to wait a few months. I haven't used ABE to buy any book for Sudek, but I have used it for many other purposes, and it's not uncommon to buy a book from one dealer for a quarter of the price asked for by another. And you'll soon see that certain sellers (including some that advertise membership of impressive-sounding societies) use terms like "scarce" to describe any book that didn't sell millions.</p>

<p>Me: <em>what your after</em</p><p>Duh, make that "what you're after"</p><p>Yes, yes, take a look at fleabay, and see the prices paid by the underinformed and the loony.</p>

Nels, the very quick answer is www.bookfinder.com - worked for me for something I thought would be 'difficult'. Johnny.

Placed my order for "Josef Sudek : Poet of Prague, A Photographer's Life (Hardcover)- by Josef Sudek, Anna Farova" from amazon. There also appears to be a paperback version that is dinky sized. The hardcover version seems to have bigger prints.

 

The Abe books site is crazy. There are some books of Sudek listed for as high as $6K+ and they will only ship somewhere in Europe. No one seems to mention this collection shot through his studio window. Not even on fleabay. The search continues. Thanks for the tips, again.

"In the back is a bibliography that includes monographs published to 1985; this does not mention the book you're looking for."

 

Peter - Is there an ISBN number included for this book that I am looking for? Thanks.

I am more fond of early Sudek but I love everything he shot. Nels - if you can't get it, I'm going to the Czech Republic for 2 weeks in April, I might be able to get it there for you.

Philippe,

 

Also found the German edition Kehayoff book of Sudek published in 1999 authored by Farova, and ordered it through Abe from a seller in the Netherlands. Can't wait to receive it. They said 8-12 business days. Thanks for the tip.

Peter - Sorry, I am just reading the "not" part in your sentence where I asked for ISBN number. Never mind.

Thanks for the offer, Rene. Now that I've ordered two of his books, I want to wait and see how much of his "window in my studio" stuff is included in them, before I get another one. Appreciate the offer.

<p>Nels, I think you misread a bit more.</p><p>Yes, prices at ABE can be crazy. So go ahead, laugh at them. After your laughter has subsided, invest fifteen minutes in exploring the website. Register yourself, register a want or three, and then <em>wait</em> for the email alerts.</p><p>As for bookfinder.com, mentioned above, it is indeed a useful site. But it's heavily dependent on ABE and what are in effect smaller duplications of ABE: few of the books mentioned at bookfinder.com aren't available via ABE. And what bookfinder.com doesn't do (as far as I know) is allow you to register a want.</p><p>Photography-irrelevant, I know, but years ago I liked the movie <cite>Out of the Past</cite> (I still do) and wanted to read the original novel (<cite>Build My Gallows High</cite>). There were crappy paperbacks but I was interested in the hardback, complete with dust cover -- on <em>my</em> terms. I soon realized that people into this kind of thing are wacko. Copies of this novel are surprisingly common, despite all the "Rare!" nonsense used to describe them. They normally cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars. I waited. One came up for about $40. I wrote off immediately but damn, somebody else beat me to it. I waited. Another came up for $15. I bought it.</p><p><em>Deferred gratification.</em></p>

Can't create a want for a book that doesn't even turn up in any of my searches. Nice advice, though. I'll call Lenswork on Monday and ask what they've been smoking.

Apparently the book also goes by the title "The Window of My Atelier". Still no luck finding it or an ISBN number of it.

<p><em>Can't create a want for a book that doesn't even turn up in any of my searches.</em></p><p>Yes you can. I'm glad to hear that you now know the title that you want, but let's suppose for a moment that you didn't know it. So, you register yourself (which is about as easy as registering yourself at PN) and then register a want for a book whose author's name is "jan sudek" or whose title contains "sudek". Get dozens of hits for books about irrelevant Sudeks? Then add "jan" to the title or general keyword field. Still get too many hits? Add Boolean "NOT" to taste. <em>Still</em> too many? Then add "window" to the title field, or similar.</p>

abebooks.com rocks.

</I>Jamie,<br>Yes indeed. I got a copy of Sudek's wonderful "Prague Panorama" through

them

Nels_, you won't regret ordering the German Farova book. I just leafed

through it again and it is a wonderful book. A hefty tome, weighing in at

around 3 kilos and beautifully designed and printed. There is plenty of stuff

taken from his studio window (although I don't obviously know to what extent it

overlaps with the older book). If you can get hold of the "Sad Landscape"

panorama volume, that is even better. I've seen those contact prints in Prague

and you really don't believe what you are seeing. It's awesome. It leaves

Koudelka, who went to Bohemia long after Sudek to shoot his "Black

Triangle", in the dust (and given how much I love Koudelka this means

something). Anyway, during my visit to Prague last year I visited Sudek's

studio. It's only a shed in a garden that has been completely rebuilt as it was

in the old days, before it burned down. It's a tiny museum now - just two rooms

- but fun. And it gives an idea of that garden he has been inexhaustibly

photographing.

This may also be true of ABE, dunno, but www.choosebooks.com has amongst it's 89 items found for Josef Sudek several original silver gelatin prints and collections thereof. How's your bank account Nels?

PPPPS: For "Jan" above, read "Josef". Asleep at the keyboard again, I'm afraid.

Thanks, guys. I'll wait and see what these two books contain before getting more of Sudek.

</em>

<p>Attempting to shut off the leaky italics...</p>

...success. It seems there's a bug (feature?)in the forums that allows an unclosed <em> tag to proliferate to downstream posts.