The American Monument by Lee Friedlander, First Edition

The American Monument by Lee Friedlander

First Edition, Limited to 2000 Copies

This is a rare first edition, first printing of Lee Friedlander’s critically acclaimed  “The American Monument” published by The Eakins Press Foundation, New York in 1976. Writing in The Book of 101 Books: Seminal Photographic Books of the Twentieth Century, Vince Aletti describes “The American Monument” as "almost maniacally inclusive, rounding up everything from Plymouth Rock to a plaque commemorating the Pony Express in Salt Lake City and treating them with the same nonchalance. The doggedness of Friedlander's quest is at once astounding and hilarious...History stalks the landscape at every turn." A brilliant book, conceptually ambitious in the manner of the New Topographic school of Adams and Baltz, but with a deadpan wit that is Friedlander's own.

Parr and Badger writing in “The Photobook: A History” go even further in their unqualified praise for this book: "The American Monument is an encyclopedic lesson in how to put a picture together."

Featuring 213 gravure plates, the book is an oblong folio bound in blue-green cloth with a triple screw post binding that is designed so that the book can be unassembled and the plates displayed. A total of 2000 copies were produced. There is light sunning to the extremities of the binding and the interior is in FINE condition.

Cited in both “The Book of 101 Books: Seminal Photographic Books of the Twentieth Century” by Andrew Roth and “The Photobook: A History”, by Parr and Badger.

Photographs of the book as well as photographs contained in the book appear below. Please note that although the photographs appear digitized as thumbnails, they are viewable in the photo viewer by running your mouse over the thumbnail. You can also click on the thumbnail to open a separate window where the picture is viewable.