[Photography]. Alvin Langdon Colburn. London: With an Introduction by Hillaire Belloc. London: Duckworth & Co., [1909]. First edition, the first of two major works in book form (the second being New York, 1910). Folio. Approximately 16 x 11.75 inches. 21, [3, blank] pages. With twenty plates of photogravure illustrations after his original photographs, each illustration hand-pulled by him, and tipped-onto a leaf. Rebound in modern quarter black levant morocco over marbled boards, spine ruled in gilt, two brown gilt morocco lettering labels, five raised bands. Very minor foxing to a few text leaves, else fine.
Alvin Langdon Coburn (1882-1966) was "enthused by Arthur Symon's 1903 book Cities, envisaged a series of publications on London, New York, Edinburgh, Paris, Venice, Liverpool, Birmingham, Boston and Pittsburgh. These would be a close marriage of inspired texts by a major writer interpreted by his photographs, as in his partnership with Henry James. He eventually realized publications on the first three cities..." (Foster)
Foster, et. al., Imagining Paradise, p. 225. Truthful Lens, 36.