February 2014 | Nate Pedersen

Diodato Photobook Collection Offered at Auction by Swann

683836.jpgOn Thursday this week, Swann Galleries will be offering for auction 250 books from the renowned photobook collection of photographer Bill Diodato. Beginning in 1990, Diodato built an impressive library of photobooks to educate himself about photography aesthetics. Diodato complemented his collection with fine art photographs from master photographers, some of which will be included in the February 27th sale.  

"Bill is a talented photographer and student of the art," said Andrew Cahan, an ABAA bookseller who specializes in photobooks. Diodato was one of Cahan's long term customers. "He assembled a fine library of the master photographers of the 20th century, which I am sure gave him sustenance and pleasure."

Speaking of his own collection, Didodato said, "The many artists who helped build the photobook genre will not be forgotten so long as photographic literature survives.  I see myself as a custodian of these treasures and now have the wonderful opportunity to share this material for the next generation of collectors to enjoy."

Auction highlights include:

·         Bernd & Hilla Becher, Anonyme Skulpturen, Eine Typologie technischer Bauten [A Typology of Technical Constructions], first edition, Düsseldorf, 1970. (Estimate $1,200 to $1,800)

·         Brassaï, Paris de Nuit, first edition, Paris, 1933. (Estimate $3,000 to $4,500)

·         Alexey Brodovitch, Ballet, New York, 1945. (Estimate $7,000 to $10,000)

·         Claude Cahun, Aveux non Avenus, Paris, 1930. (Estimate $6,000 to $9,000)

·         Robert Capa, Death in the Making, first edition, New York, 1938. (Estimate $1,200 to $1,800)

·         Lewis W. Hine, Men at Work: Photographic Studies of Modern Men and Machines, first edition, New York, 1932. (Estimate $3,000 to $4,500)

·         Andy Warhol, Andy Warhol's Index (Book), first hardcover edition, in original sealed wrapper, New York, 1967. (Estimate $2,500 to $3,500), 

·         Superbly-produced monographs devoted to Japanese photographers Eikoh Hosoe, Daido Moriyama and Nobuyoshi Araki;

·         A gathering of 12 conceptual photobooks by Ed Ruscha, all are first editions and 2 are signed by the artist (Estimate $18,000 TO $22,000).

·         Bernd and HIlla Becher, "Industrial Facades" (1978), a suite of 12 photographs.  (Estimate $100,000 to $150,000)

·         Sally Mann, Vinland, 1992. (Estimate $14,000 to $18,000), Jesse Bites (1985), (Estimate $12,000 to $18,000), and Deep South #7" (1988; printed 1999), (Estimate $14,000 to $18,000)

·         Irving Penn, Fish, New York, platinum palladium print, 1939, printed 1983. (Estimate $20,000 to $30,000)

·         Irving Penn, Soot Paper, platinum palladium print, 1975. (Estimate $5,000 to $7,500).

·         Aaron Siskind, Chicago 22 (1960), (Estimate $10,000 to $15,000);

·         and photographs by O. Winston Link, Charles Hoff, Arno Minkken, among others.