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a black and white photo of a street light and a crowd of people
Jeschke Jádi Auctions Berlin

Estimate €200 - €300
Sale commission
Description
Photography Klein, Wilhelm Moscow. Foreword by Helmut Heißenbüttel. Hamburg, Nannen 1965. 4°. 184 pp. With 169 plates in heliogravure. Original linen binding with dust jacket. (‘Die Zeit’ Books). Heidtmann 18278. Cf. Auer 436. Koetzle 232 ff. The Open Book 204 ff. Roth, The Book of 101 Books 140 ff. (all US first editions from 1964). - First German edition of the third volume in William Klein’s legendary city tetralogy – following New York (1956) and Rome (1959), preceding Tokyo (1964) – and one of the most influential photobooks of the post-war period. The original American edition was published in 1964 by Crown Publishers in New York; the German version followed in 1965 as part of the ‘Die Zeit’ book series by Nannen in Hamburg, with a specially written foreword by the writer and essayist Helmut Heißenbüttel. Klein documents Moscow at the height of the Cold War in his unmistakable, raw black-and-white style – blurred wide-angle shots, extreme contrasts and a dynamic, almost cinematic montage of images, which critics at the time compared to the rhythm of jazz. The illustrated book is divided into four chapters – Moscow’s citizens, the privileged classes, parks and palaces, and streets – which Klein condenses into a self-contained “graphic scenario”, in which each individual photograph functions like a film still within a sequence. The work is regarded as a classic of street photography, photojournalism and vintage photobooks of the 1960s, and documents Moscow and the Soviet Union (USSR) at the height of the Cold War. Klein’s unmistakable, radical visual style – wide-angle lenses, motion blur, stark contrasts, collaged double-page spreads and cinematic, dynamic image montage – had a lasting impact on modern black-and-white photography and documentary photography, and influenced generations of photographic artists, Magnum photographers and photojournalists. A fine copy. With 169 gravure plates. Original cloth binding with dust jacket. (‘Die Zeit’ books). Heidtmann 18278. Cf. Auer 436. Koetzle 232 ff. The Open Book 204 ff. Roth, The Book of 101 Books 140 ff. (all referring to the American first edition of 1964). - German first edition of the third volume in William Klein’s legendary city tetralogy – following New York (1956) and Rome (1959), and preceding Tokyo (1964) – and one of the most influential photobooks of the post-war era. The American original edition was published in 1964 by Crown Publishers in New York; the German version followed in 1965 as part of the ‘Die Zeit’ book series, published by Nannen in Hamburg, with a foreword written especially for the book by the writer and essayist Helmut Heißenbüttel. Klein documents Moscow at the height of the Cold War in his unmistakable, raw black-and-white style – jarring wide-angle shots, extreme contrasts, and a dynamic, almost cinematic montage of images that critics of the time compared to the rhythm of jazz. The volume is divided into four chapters – Moscow’s citizens, the privileged classes, parks and palaces, streets – which Klein condenses into a distinctive “graphic scenario”, in which each individual photograph functions like a frame within a filmic sequence. The work is regarded as a classic of street photography, documentary reportage and the vintage photobooks of the 1960s, and it documents Moscow and the Soviet Union (USSR) at the height of the Cold War. Klein’s unmistakable, radical visual style – wide-angle distortion, motion blur, harsh contrasts, collaged double-page spreads, and cinematic, dynamic image montage – left a lasting mark on modern black-and-white photography and documentary photography, and influenced generations of photographic artists, Magnum photographers, and photojournalists. Fine copy. This lot is subject to standard tax. A 24.95% buyer’s premium is payable on the hammer price, and 7% (Books and Art) or 19% VAT (Manuscripts, Screenprints, Offset Prints, Photographs) is payable on the final invoice amount within the European Union. This work is subject to the standard tax regime. A 24.95% buyer’s premium applies to the hammer price, and 7% (books and art) or 19% VAT (manuscripts, screen prints, offset prints and photographs) applies to the final invoice amount within the European Union.
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About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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