John Esten Books

Callas Images of a Legend by Attila Csampai Hardcover Book 1st Edition 1996. This special edition brings together photographs of Callas' legendary stage appearances, portraits, snaps...

Published by Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, 1st edition, 2003, Hamburg. Hardback with German and French text woven throughout. This is a very scarce and extremely finely produced catalogue, it was published alongside an exhibition, in a very small number of 600 only, this being number 369. There are 22 photographs with German text followed by a catalogue of 145 objects thereafter with text in French and German. This sumptuous catalogue is strewn with gorgeous buttons, brooches and buckles, powder compacts and large necklaces - which like great works...

"Pucci - A Renaissance in Fashion" by Shirley Kennedy, 1st edition, printed in Japan in 1991. All excellent near perfect condition. Cloth cover. First white page...

Published by The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, 1st edition, Tokyo, 1993. Hardback with Japanese and English text. This catalogue was published alongside a Scarpa retrospective exhibition at the WATARI-UM. First full coverage of this major work, the 10-year restoration of a 17th-century villa at Monselice left unfinished at the time of Scarpa's death, an intimate documentation on the project - “Il Palazzetto” (small palace), commissioned by Aldo Businaro. Complemented by a list of other Scarpa’s prominent projects and designs, including the Castelvecchio Museum in Verona and the Brion family cemetery, Scarpa’s glassware...

First true edition, published by Cercle D'art Paris 1961. Lithographs by Mourlot A scarce first edition copy in original slipcase of Pablo Picasso's seminal "Toros y Toreros" artist...

With glorious color photographs, paintings, prints, and original designs, noted historian and author Sir Roy Strong presents Britain's royal gardens of today and yesterday--magnifice...

The Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts, 1890-1940. by Philippe Garner New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1978. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. Book condition is very good; wi...

“The deeper the white man went into Africa, the faster the life flowed out of it, off the plains and out of the bush…vanishing in acres of trophies and hides and carcasses” proclaimed renowned photographer and artist Peter Beard in his 1965 seminal publication The End Game, a tome highlighting the atrocities of man made destruction done to Africa’s wildlife in the National Parks of Kenya’s Tsavo lowlands and Uganda. An incredible 1st edition issue of "End of the Game...

Pre-Columbian Art of South America by Alan Lapiner. 1st Edition, 1st publication. Published by Abrams, New York, 1976. New York, Abrams, 1976. Large qu...

Own a Piece of Literary History: First Edition, First Printing of Thackeray's Vanity Fair. Step into the world of Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley with this exceptional first U.K. edit...

Les Déjeuners - Picasso, 1st French edition, 1962
Published by Éditions Circle D’art Paris, 1962 
 A beautiful copy of Picasso’s seminal book Les Déjeuners complete with fine cloth s...

Aldo van Eyck: Works. by Aldo van Eyck and Vincent Ligtelijn. A survey of the work and career of Dutch architect Aldo van Eyck (1918 – 1999). For the present publication the architect opened his substantial archive and provided unpublished original texts, plans and photographs. All main buildings and projects from 1944 to the present day are documented in depth. Aldo van Eyck, Doyen of Dutch architecture, is one of the most significant architects of the 20th century. His way of looking at buildings, his visual thinking, his way of perceiving and structuring time and space, events and social coexistence had a strong influence on his contemporaries during the 1950s and 1960s. The book is based on van Eyck's substantial archive of original texts, plans and photographs, documenting all presented buildings in depth. Aldo van Eyck, the "Grand Seigneur" of Dutch architecture is one of the most significant architects of this century. He exerted a strong influence on his contemporaries during the fifties and sixties, and this can be seen in many ways of their buildings both in the Netherlands and worldwide. It was not merely his way of looking at buildings which was influential but also his perception of architecture; his visual thinking, his way of perceiving and structuring time and space, events and social coexistence. The architectonic treatises he wrote are still relevant and useful today. The present publication has been produced on the occasion of Aldo van Eyck's 80th birthday in 1998. The architect has opened his substantial archive and has provided unpublished original texts, plans and photographs. All buildings from 1944 to the present day are documented in depth and an essay by Alexander Tzonis and Diane Lefaivre makes the historical and cultural background to his work accessible, explaining clearly and lucidly the ideas, the design principles which underlie the conception of his buildings. Further texts by Pierre Boulez, Herman Hertzberger, Rejma Pietila and Joseph Rykwert...