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Modern Books

MODERN STYLE

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”

Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.

Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chaircrafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.

It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.

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Style: Modern
Food Sex Art: The Starving Artists Cookbook (With Five Signatures)
Located in New York, NY
Cook book comprising 161 recipes, some real and some decidedly not, by 161 different artists and world personalities, mostly from lower Manhattan. Each recipe accompanied by a b/w il...
Category

1990s American Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Collection of 9 Rolls-Royce Automobile Books
Located in Stamford, CT
Collection of 9 Rolls-Royce automobile hardcover books. Featuring books printed in the United Kingdom and United States. The collection includes 9 books. 1. Rolls-Royce by L.J.K. S...
Category

Mid-20th Century British Modern Books

Materials

Paper

[1st ed] Teenage Lust (Signed)
Located in New York, NY
First edition of Larry Clark’s iconic second book of photographs (following 1971’s Tulsa) documenting and immortalizing a debauched adolescent subculture. Self-published in 1983. Con...
Category

1980s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Goodbye Picasso Book, First Edition, New York, 1974
Located in New York, NY
A First Edition 'Goodbye Picasso' coffee table or library book, by author David Douglas Duncan, 1974, New York. An amazing book covering an intimate look at the relationship between ...
Category

20th Century Swiss Modern Books

Materials

Linen, Paper

The Polar Express, Signed by Chris van Allsburg, First Edition, 1985
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
van Allsburg, Chris. The Polar Express. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985. First edition. In original illustrated dust jacket and maroon hardcover boards with silver embossing and titles to spine. With laid-in bookplate signed by the author-artist Chris van Allsburg...
Category

1980s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Fabric, Paper

The Designers Great Automobiles and the Men who Made Them by L.J.K. Setright
Located in Stamford, CT
1976 The Designers Great Automobiles and the Men who Made Them by L.J.K. Setright. Hardcover 1st edition printed in Great Britain.
Category

1970s British Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Hannah Wilke Retrospective Book with Drawing and Signature
Located in New York, NY
Hard bound first edition monograph on pioneering feminist artist/performance artist Hannah Wilke. Titled "Hannah Wilke: A Retrospective," it was published in 1989 in conjunction with...
Category

1980s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Peggy Guggenheim Art of This Century Book
Located in New York, NY
Catalog of the seminal avant-garde exhibition held at Peggy Guggenheim's Art of This Century Gallery in 1942 and published in an edition of 2500. Edited by Peggy Guggenheim with cont...
Category

1940s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Vintage Bible Illustrated by Endre Balint 1966
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
Vintage (circa 1966) La Sainte Bible illustrated by Hungarian artist, Endre Balint with text in French. This special collaboration combined the research and translation from École Bi...
Category

20th Century French Modern Books

Materials

Leather, Paper

The End Montauk, N.Y. Signed
By Michael Dweck
Located in New York, NY
First edition (stated) photographic essay documenting the surfing subculture on the eastern end of Long Island. Published by Harry N. Abrams, New York, in 2004. Tall 4to, unpaginated...
Category

Early 2000s American Modern Books

Materials

Paper

70s Picasso Coffee Table or Library Book First Edition Paris France
Located in New York, NY
A collectable, first edition (English), 'Picasso', an art coffee table or library book, 1974, New York, New York and Paris, France. A great piece to add to a collection or to start o...
Category

Late 20th Century French Modern Books

Materials

Foil

Les Lalannes: Claude and Francois-Xavier Lalanne (Exhibition Catalog)
Located in New York, NY
Catalog accompanying an exhibition held at New York’s Marisa Del Rey Gallery from May-June 1988. Features both independent and collaborative work by the French artists Claude and Fra...
Category

1980s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

History Of Modern Art by Arnason, H. H., Mansfield, Elizabeth C.
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
History Of Modern Art By Arnason, H. H.; Mansfield, Elizabeth C. For undergraduate course in Modern Art, Origins of Modernism, Art since 1945, Contemporary Art and other courses fo...
Category

1980s French Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Helmut Newton Sumo Taschen Book, Philippe Starck Stand, Signed Limited Edition
Located in Miami, FL
Helmut Newton Sumo Taschen Book, Philippe Starck Stand, Signed Limited Edition Offered for sale is a Helmut Newton Limited Edition Sumo book published by Taschen with a custom-designed stand by Philippe Starck. There is an unparalleled grandeur of the Helmut Newton Sumo, the biggest and most expensive book produced in the 20th century. This limited edition masterpiece is signed by Newton and numbered 836/10,000. The book is a testament to the influential legacy of one of the most intriguing and controversial photographers in history. Accompanying this extraordinary book is a meticulously crafted bookstand designed by Philippe Starck that adds a touch of sophistication to its display. Immerse yourself in the monumental world of SUMO, a titan of a book measuring an impressive 50 x 70 cm (20 x 27.5 in.) and weighing approximately 30 kg (66 lb.). With 464 pages, it breaks all previous records and stands as a truly unique publication. Edited by June Newton...
Category

Late 20th Century Monacan Modern Books

Materials

Metal

Dune by Frank Herbert, Book Club Edition, in Original Dust Jacket, 1965
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Herbert, Frank. Dune. Philadelphia, New York, London: Chilton Company, 1965. Book Club Edition. In the original illustrated dust jacket and red cloth boards, with silver embossed tit...
Category

1960s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

"The Second World War, " by Winston Churchill
Located in Austin, TX
The Second World War by Winston Churchill from Houghton-Mifflin Company, Boston. A vintage edition of Winston Churchill's six-volume memoir, The Second World War, for which he was a...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Raoul Dufy Original Lithograph Book - 9 Lithograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Dufy Treasures of the French Painting book. Original Raoul Dufy lithograph book containing 9 plates. Each plate could easily be framed. Very rare Raoul Dufy d...
Category

1940s French Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Secret and Unusual Paris, French Book by Rodolphe Trouilleux, 2003
Located in Atlanta, GA
Paris Secret et Insolite (Secret and Unusual Paris), a French book by Rodolphe Trouilleux. Under the cobblestones, surprises: forgotten dead-ends, a cloister converted into workshops...
Category

Early 2000s French Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Picasso Lithographs, Catalog Raisonnee, 1970
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Picasso Lithographs, Catalog Raisonnee, 1970 Printed By S.P.A.D.E.M, Paris Translated from French by Jean Didry Printed In France "Profuse black white photos and color illustr...
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Irving Penn: Photographs in Platinum Metals--Images 1947-1975 (Doubly Inscribed)
Located in New York, NY
Catalog published in conjunction with an exhibition of Irving Penn’s experimental platinum-emulsion photographs held at New York City’s Marlborough Gallery from September 8-October 1...
Category

1970s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Ruhlmann, Art Deco Genius, French Book, 2002 Exhibition in Museum des Années 30
By Rhulmann
Located in Atlanta, GA
Ruhlmann, Genie de l'Art Deco (Ruhlmann Art Deco Genius), a special edition of the French magazine L'estampille, L'Objet d'Art published during the exhibition at the Musée des Années...
Category

Early 2000s French Modern Books

Materials

Paper

From Marseille to New York 1940-1945, French/English Book, by Bernard Noel, 1985
Located in Atlanta, GA
Marseille - New York. 1940-1945, une liaison surrealiste (Marseille - New York. 1940-1945, a surrealistic link), French/English book by Bernard Noel, 1985. Through archival photograp...
Category

1980s French Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Jules et André Leleu by Viviane Jutheau
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
High-quality French design and decoration book about the legendary Maison Leleu and designers Jules and André Leleu. The work shows the development of their style from the beginnings...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swiss Modern Books

Materials

Linen, Paper

1925 The Memory Years, French Book by Editions Larousse, 1988
Located in Atlanta, GA
1925, Les Années-Mémoire (1925, The Memory Years), French book by Editions Larousse, 1988. Relive the year 1925 as if you were there. This volume will make you relive, with emotion, ...
Category

1980s French Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Atelier International Limited (Cassina) Trade Catalog, 1988
Located in New York, NY
Atelier International catalog in original printed plastic ring binder, with tabbed sections for Seating, Armchairs, Tables, Storage, and Office Furniture. The roster of designers fea...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Plastic, Paper

Annie Leibovitz Portraits 2005-2016 Signed HB Book
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Hardbound book Annie Leibovitz Portraits 2005-2016, coffee table book pictorial boards with acetate dust jacket, illustrated throughout, 316 pages. Bank of America card affixed to b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Books

Materials

Acrylic, Paper

The Chop Suey Club (Signed)
Located in New York, NY
First edition of of this collection of photographs by American fashion photographer and filmmaker Bruce Weber, whose ad campaigns include projects with Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Revlon, Armani, Louis Vuitton, and Versace and whose editorial work has appeared in Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Elle, Life, Interview, and Rolling Stone magazines. Published in 1999 by Arena Editions. 8vo (6.75” x 8.5”), 284 pages, hardcover with photographic dust jacket. Illustrated throughout with full-page photography in color and b/w on matte paper. Snippets of text by James Agee, Robert Frost, T.E. Lawrence, Shel Silverstein...
Category

1990s American Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Sept Calligrammes d’Apollinaire 1967 Ossip Zadkine
Located in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire
Ossip Zadkine (1890-1967) Guillaume Apollinaire, Sept Calligrammes, Christophe Czwiklitzer, Paris 1967 the complete portfolio comprising ten etchings and an additional suite, with t...
Category

20th Century French Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Pablo Picasso Collectible Art Book First Edition, 1955
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage, 1955, first edition, Picasso, S.P.A.D.E.M. Paris, Boeck and Sabartes, Vintage, Pablo Picasso, First Edition, 1955. Pablo Picasso, Library or Coffee Table Book,. Description:...
Category

20th Century Spanish Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: On the Way to The Gates (Inscribed)
Located in New York, NY
First edition monograph on the lead-in to the hanging of The Gates in Central Park in April 2004, published ahead of the installation itself and in conjunction with an exhibition at ...
Category

Early 2000s American Modern Books

Materials

Fabric, Paper

1967 The Great Cars by Ralph Stein Hardcover Book
Located in Stamford, CT
1967 The Great Cars by Ralph Stein Hardcover Book "A lavishly illustrated book that profiles 25 of the most significant automobiles ever made, detailing their design, specifications...
Category

1960s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

"Mark Rothko 1903 - 1970" Book 1987
By Mark Rothko
Located in San Diego, CA
Rare copy of "Mark Rothko 1903 - 1970" book, circa 1996. The book is in very good vintage condition with no torn or missing pages and contains 94 full color plates and 15 black-and-w...
Category

Late 20th Century English Modern Books

Materials

Paper

New York Photographs, Book by Andreas Feininger, 1964
Located in Atlanta, GA
New York Photographs, Book by Andreas Feininger, 1964. This is a stunning photographic document of its time: A portrait of New York. Color and black and white photo-reproductions by ...
Category

1960s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Catalogue Christies Latin American Sale
Located in Mexico City, MX
Auction catalog with outstanding works of Latin American Art. Ideal for collectors, galleries and art lovers. Illustrated editions, reference piece for collectors.
Category

2010s American Modern Books

Materials

Paper

An American Life, Signed by Ronald Reagan, First Trade Edition in DJ, 1990
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Reagan, Ronald. An American Life. New York: Simon and Schuster, [1990]. First trade edition. Octavo. In the publisher's original blue cloth backstrip over red boards and unclipped du...
Category

1990s American Modern Books

Materials

Paper

"David Hockney - Etchings and Lithographs" Book - First Edition 1988
Located in San Diego, CA
Rare first edition copy of "David Hockney - Etchings and Lithographs" book, circa 1988. The book, compiled by author Marco Livingston is in very good vintage condition with no torn o...
Category

Late 20th Century Dutch Modern Books

Materials

Paper

In Stock in Los Angeles, Marc Jacobs Illustrated by Grace Coddington
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Marc Jacobs Illustrated (Hardcover) by Grace Coddington In stock in Los Angeles A unique monograph of over 50 collections created by the fashion desi...
Category

2010s American Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Georgia O Keeffe Art and Letters Book
Located in Bradenton, FL
Georgia O'Keeffe: Art and Letters by Jack Cowart and Juan Hamilton. Published by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1989. Softcover. 1st edition. Published in conjunction with ...
Category

1980s Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

[1st ed] Slim Aarons: A Wonderful Time (Inscribed)
Located in New York, NY
First edition, stated, of Slim Aarons’s first book of photographs, published in 1974 by Harper & Row. “Attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places,” in the artist’...
Category

1970s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Signed Clothes and the Man by Alan Flusser Hardcover Book
Located in Stamford, CT
1985 Signed Clothes and the Man by Alan Flusser Hardcover Book
Category

1980s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Christie s Dec. 2010 Important 20th C Deco, Art Collection of Max Palevsky
Located in valatie, NY
Christie's December 2010 Important 20th Century Decorative Art & Design Collection of Max Palevsky. 1st Ed softcover auction catalog 426 lots illustrated in color and fully described...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Books

Materials

Paper

[1st ed] Kids: A Film by Larry Clark (Signed)
Located in New York, NY
First edition of this cult classic, “the teenage movie that…America never made,” published by Grove Press in 1995 in conjunction with director and photographer Larry Clark’s first mo...
Category

1990s American Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Francois Catroux Designer Book by David Netto
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Francois Catroux Designer Book by David Netto. Francois Catroux innovator interior designer. He mastered the idea of being contemporary. This book looks at his work projects ranging ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Going Solo, Signed by Roald Dahl, First Edition in Original Dust Jacket, 1986
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Dahl, Roald. Going Solo. London: Jonathan Cape, 1986. First edition. Octavo. Signed "Roald Dahl" in black ink on the half title page. In the publisher's original hardcover navy cloth...
Category

1980s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Lyle XOX Head of Design Hardcover Signed 2019
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Lyle XOX Head of Design Hardcover in slipcase Signed 1st edition 2019.Lyle XOX: Head of Design by Author Lyle Reimer, Foreword by Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren.1st edition out of ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Art Over 2500 Works from Cave to Contemporary by Nigel Ritchie Hardcover Book
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Art: Over 2500 Works from Cave to Contemporary by Nigel Ritchie Hardback Book. 2008.The definitive visual guide to over 2,500 paintings and sculptures from around the world, from pre...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Limited Edition Manus x Machina Signed by Anna Wintour - Iris Apfel Collection
By Yale University Press
Located in Morristown, NJ
Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, limited-edition boxed set (No. 490/600), signed by Anna Wintour. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2016 for the acclaim...
Category

2010s Modern Books

Materials

Paper

New Architectural Pleasures, French Book by George Pompidou Art Center, 1985
Located in Atlanta, GA
Nouveaux Plaisirs d'Architectures (New Architectural Pleasures), French book published by The National Center of Art and Culture Georges Pompidou in Paris, 1985. Les pluralismes de l...
Category

1980s French Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Paul Klee: The Thinking Eye (The Notebooks of Paul Klee)
Located in New York, NY
First American edition, first printing, of “the first full collection of Paul Klee’s ideas on form and artistic creation.” Published in 1961 by George Wittenborn as the fifteenth ins...
Category

1960s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Warhol: A Personal Photographic Memoir (with a drawing by Christopher Makos)
Located in New York, NY
First printing (stated) of this photo essay on Andy Warhol by his friend and collaborator Christopher Makos, “the man who first handed Warhol a camera and taught him how to use it.” ...
Category

1980s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

1986 Sotheby s New York Contemporary Art Auction Catalog
Located in Bradenton, FL
Sotheby's New York Contemporary Art Auction Catalog from May 5th and 6th, 1986. Paperback, 237 lots. Includes sales results stapled to front page.
Category

1980s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

The Moderns: Mid-century American Graphic Design Hardcover 2017
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
The Moderns: Mid-century American Graphic Design Hardcover – September 19, 2017 by Steven Heller (Author), Greg D'Onofrio (Author). In The Moderns, we meet the men and women who inve...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Rare Omega Watch Company 88 Page Catalog 1960
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
Rare Omega Watch Co catalog, from 1960. Approx. 88 pages, black/white with red logo inset. Showing the current Omega production from 1960 for both men and women's models. Great refer...
Category

1960s Swiss Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Calder The Complete Bronzes Book
Located in New York, NY
Calder: The Complete Bronzes book. Published on the occasion of the exhibition; October 25 - December 8, 2012, New York, New York. This exhibition book is ...
Category

2010s American Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Avedon/Baldwin: Nothing Personal (Signed by Richard Avedon)
Located in New York, NY
First edition of Richard Avedon’s provocative second book, a collaboration with the writer James Baldwin (a friend and former classmate) who provided the text accompanying Avedon’s i...
Category

1960s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

The Painter s Mind (Co-authored by Romare Bearden)
Located in New York, NY
First edition of an exposition on structure and space in painting co-authored by American artists Romare Bearden and Carl Holty. Published in 1969 by Crown Publishers. 8vo (6.5” x 9....
Category

1960s American Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Vintage Tiffany Co. Sterling Silver Male or Mars Symbol Bookmark
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine Mars bookmark. By Tiffany & Co. In sterling silver. In the form of the Mars symbol, used in modern day as the representation of the Male and Masculinity. Simply wonderful ...
Category

20th Century Modern Books

Materials

Sterling Silver

Picasso: His Life and Work (with an Inscription and Drawing by Roland Penrose)
Located in New York, NY
First edition of Roland Penrose’s monograph on his friend Pablo Picasso, published in 1958 by Victor Gollancz. With a full-page mixed media (crayon, pen-and-ink) rendering on the hal...
Category

1950s British Vintage Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Jazz Mania and Collection, French Book by Frédéric Marchand, 1997
Located in Atlanta, GA
Jazz Manies et Collections (Jazz Mania and Collections), French Book by Frédéric Marchand, 1997. Preface by Francis Hofstein and Bernard Lion. The author has collected 180 objects re...
Category

1990s French Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Pair of Signed limited Edition Photography Books by Mel Roberts
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Pair of signed Mel Roberts first edition photography books. From 2000 and 2001. Both books are hand signed. In great condition.
Category

Early 2000s American Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Modern books for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Modern books for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage books created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include more furniture and collectibles, case pieces and storage cabinets and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with paper, granite and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern books made in a specific country, there are North America, United States, and Europe pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original books, popular names associated with this style include Assouline Publishing, and Phaidon. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for books differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $24 and tops out at $510 while the average work can sell for $51.

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