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 (Click for larger image) 
Levinthal, David (Artist/Photographer) & Corey, David (Contributor).
SMALL WONDER: WORLDS IN A BOX.
Washington, DC:
National Museum Of American Art,
1996.
Softcover.
First Edition/First Printing.
160 pages.
Fine.
The fourth and the best collection in the American Scene Series of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution Washington DC. Now considered a contemporary photography classic. Published in a relatively small and limited print run as a paperback original only. A brilliant production by David Levinthal: Oversize-volume format in oblong shape. Pictorial softcovers with large flaps and titles on the cover and spine, as issued. Photographs by David Levinthal. Introduction by Merry A. Foresta and Steve Dietz. Essay by David Corey. Printed on thick coated stock paper in the United States to the highest standards. Without DJ, as issued. Presents David Levinthal's "tableau-style" photographs of the series of fine toy sets made in the 1950's by the master toymakers Louis Marx and T. Cohn. Levinthal continues his conceptual exploration of what it means to be an American and what he believes American history has largely been: A brutal, violent, and proto-fascist frontier masked as play, fun, and joy. The assemblages integrate elements from toy box art, assembly instructions, and the makers' logo, reinforcing the appearance of playfulness. David Corey relates the toymakers' work to the seemingly innocent America of the 1950's. Levinthal's work is disturbing and powerful precisely because he works with toys and the photographic surface is glossy, bright, and cheerful. No one has explored the true meaning underlying toys and what they say about the culture at large with more compelling power and penetrating insight as Levinthal has. An indispensable book, this is a "must-have" title for David Levinthal collectors. This title has been out-of-print for a very long time. This is one of very few copies still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. A scarce copy thus. 200 color and black-and-white plates. One of the finest living photographers. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER DAVID LEVINTHAL TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 1881616398. $50.00 |
