New York by Keizo Kitajima, First Edition

New York by Keizo Kitajima

First Edition, First Printing, 1982

Exceptional Condition

This is a very rare first edition, first printing of the award winning photobook “New York” published by Biyakuya-shobo, Tokyo, in 1982. Although many Japanese photographers came to New York to take photograph in the seventies, Kitajima produced the best book to come out of the period.  He totally captured gritty images of New York streets and nightclubs and presented a vision of the city that overshadows the individual. He was awarded the prestigious Kimura Ihei Award in 1982 for his efforts. Photoeye summed it up best, “Equally fascinated with the Manhattan's prosaic street life as well as its seamier underbelly, Keizo Kitajima's landmark 1982 book harkens back to both Weegee and Klein. His images highlight the stark juxtapositions and quiet desperation of city life and, in the tradition of the flaneur, his eye zooms in on the passing celebrity, occasional decadence, and random displays of outrageous behavior.”

Containing 140 full page black and white photographs, the book measures approximately 12” x 8.5” and is cloth bound in a photographically illustrated dust jacket. The rare post card issued with book is laid-in.  The book is in FINE condition with a FINE- dust jacket that has a very small corner crease in the front upper right that is visible in the photograph. Overall, this is an exceptional copy of a very rare photobook by Keizo Kitajima.

Photographs of the dust jacket, post card, and numerous 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 as a slideshow.