Stopping Time: The Photographs of Harold Edgerton First Edition - Harold E. Edgerton - Bauman Rare Books

Stopping Time: The Photographs of Harold Edgerton

Harold E. EDGERTON

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Stopping Time: The Photographs of Harold Edgerton

RETROSPECTIVE OF HAROLD EDGERTON, INVENTOR OF THE FLASH BULB AND MULTI-FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY

(EDGERTON, Harold E.) JUSSIM, Estelle. Stopping Time: The Photographs of Harold Edgerton. New York: Harry Abrams, (1987). Quarto, original gray cloth, original dust jacket.

First edition of this engaging chronicle of the analysis of motion by means of multi-flash photography.

Generously illustrated with color and black-and-white reproductions of Edgerton’s photographs, this work chronicles the history and achievements of his pioneering work in the fields of stroboscopy and electronic flash photography. “In addition to their scientific value, Edgerton’s stop-motion and multiple images are widely admired for their intrinsic beauty… [His new vision] is the revelation of what the unaided eye cannot see but which has ever existed” (Witkin and London, 129). Includes his first multi-flash photograph, “Water from a Faucet” (1932). Bauhaus artist and photographer Moholy-Nagy was so intrigued by Edgerton’s work that he persuaded Edgerton to exchange prints.

Fine condition, with only two tiny surface abrasions to dust jacket.

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Aquatint Copperplate process by which the plate is “bitten” by exposure to acid. By changing the areas of the plate that are exposed and the length of time the plate is submerged in the acid bath, the engraver can obtain fine and varying shades of gray that closely resemble watercolor washes. Although the name contains the word “tint”, this is a black-and-white printing process; aquatint plates can often be hand colored, however.
Armorial Used to describe a binding bearing the coat of arms of the original owner, or with bookplates incorporating the owner’s arms.
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Boards Hard front and rear covers of a bound book which are covered in cloth, leather or paper. “Original boards” refers to cardboard-like front and back boards, from about 1700 to 1840, used as temporary protection for books before their purchasers would have them bound. Of particular value to collectors as evidence of a very early form of the book.
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Calf Binding material made from cowhide—versatile, durable, usually tan or brown in color, of smooth texture with no or little apparent grain. Readily marbled (“tree calf”), mottled, diced, colored, polished, tooled in gilt or blind, even scented (known as “russia”). Reverse calf, with a distinctive suede-like texture, is occasionally used.
Chromolithograph Lithograph printed in colors, typically three or more.
Collation Process by which the contents of a book are inspected for completeness, checking against internal evidence, the table of contents and/or plate list, and reference works. Also a shorthand bibliographical description of a book’s composition by its leaves and signatures, rather than its pages. A-C, for example, would indicate a quarto volume composed of three signatures or gatherings of eight pages each for a total of 24 pages.
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Doublure Pastedowns made not of paper but of leather, for decorative purposes.
Duodecimo (12MO) Smaller than an octavo, typically less than six inches tall; smaller formats, such as 24mo and 32mo, are uncommon.
Edition Print-run from a single setting of type without substantial change. Depending on demand, any number of printings can be made from a setting of type For example, a first printing might consist of 1000 copies, followed by a second printing of 2500 copies; in which case the book would have a first edition, first printing of 1000 copies, and a first edition, second printing of 2500 copies.
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Japanese Vellum Expensive handmade paper often used in deluxe editions.
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Wood-Engraving Engraving made with the graver or burin on the cross-section of a piece of boxwood; the harder wood and finer tools allow for more delicate, finely detailed images, while the block can still be set in the page alongside text and printed on the same stock as the text. While much older, wood engravings enjoyed an important renaissance in the late eighteenth century through Thomas Bewick and continued in popularity thorugh the nineteenth century.
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