This is a near fine copy of the rarest of Brassai's books, which has been bound into a hardcover binding from the period, in handsome red and black marbled paper-covered boards, and a linen cloth spine with red leather label, gilt title. The original binding of this book was a spiral plastic ring type. The spiral binding was taken off and the book with its original red-orange covers with the title printed in large white letters, was bound in whole. Covers are bright and clean, in very good condition, (small closed tear to bottom corner of back cover), inside completely clean. There is no date on the colophon page (inside back cover) and there apparently were two editions. The first edition was published in 1930, but Brassai was reportedly unhappy with the selection of images and because he was not credited. In our copy he is credited as the photographer and so we assume this is the second edition from ca.1934. It is unpaginated. There are 40 pages, with 38 black and white photographs of ladies of the night, strippers, models, night clubs and balls like the Bal Tabarin, shots of tough streetwalkers in Les Halles, many shots of men and women in costume, sometimes drag, also a lesbian couple in a club "strictement Feminine", shots of lovers in parks, on streets, playful shots of men looking into a lingerie shop window with elaborately garbed mannequins at night, 1 shot of Kiki in a Montparnasse night club, an amazing shot in " La Cage a Femmes d'un Grand Music-Hall Parisien" which shows a cage or pit, viewed from above with women on stools, like lions, in various states of undress and performing "acrobatic" feats. Finally tipped in at the very end on the collophon page a half-page size shot in color of a nude woman in profile, we assume not by Brassai. Large 4to, 11" high X 8" wide. The original book was not cut down when re-bound, it is in its' intended size, and because of the re-binding, it has been kept in near fine condition. A beautiful copy of a true rarity. This book will be securely wrapped and packed in a sturdy box and shipped with tracking.
