Wynn Bullock: The Photograph as Symbol

The first major publication of The Artichoke Press, this collector's item is now considered a classic of photographic publishing. Printer-publisher Jonathan Clark worked closely with Wynn to develop the concept for the book and devoted himself to creating an elegant presentation of both text and photographs.

The pages were printed from handset Janson types and Weiss initials on handmade Fabriano Royal paper. The varnished letterpress reproductions were painstakingly printed by hand from copper engravings. Six of the tipped-in reproductions are of images created by Wynn during the last few years of his life and a seventh is a portrait of him made by photographer Jim Hill.

Each copy is carefully bound in half-leather, utilizing French marbled paper and Oasis Nigerian goatskin lettered in gold leaf, and enclosed in a slipcase. The book measures 13 ¼ x 9 ½ inches and contains 22 leaves. The title page is ornamented with a pressmark specially designed for the edition by the renowned illustrator Valenti Angelo. Every book is numbered, signed by Jonathan Clark, and includes a small label bearing Wynn's hand-written initials.

Copies of this rare and beautiful volume may be found in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris; The Smithsonian Institution; The New York Public Library; Henry E. Huntington Library; Bancroft Library; Columbia University Library; University of Rochester Library; Center for Creative Photography; George Eastman House; and several other public and private collections.