Arcana:

(LEONARD, HERMAN). Leonard, Herman & Richard Williams. NP. ND (1992).: Self-Published. First Edition #270/300. Folio. Loose Plates in a Solander Box. Photography Monograph. Fine/No Jacket - As Issued. One 14 x 22" sheet folded neatly in half vertically to make 4pp + twelve 14 x 11" heavy cardstock sheets printed recto in duotone and verso in offset - each housed in a printed vellum sleeve, 12 duotone illustrations. "In Memorium" (sic) is the luxe 1992 self-published portfolio of twelve iconic images of legendary deceased Jazz musicians by the noted late American photographer Herman Leonard. It contains twelve individual suitable for framing duotone offset plates featuring Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, Art Blakey, Miles Davis, Edward "Duke" Ellington, Erroll Garner, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Billie Holiday, Thelonious Monk, Charlie "Bird" Parker, Sarah Vaughan, Lester "Prez" Young, and Sarah "Sassy" Vaughan. Each is comes in its own captioned vellum protective sleeve and accompanied by a four page colophon/booklet with biographical texts by Richard Williams. The contents are housed in a sumptuous gilt-stamped deep burgundy moiré silk-over-boards solander box. According to the photographer in a letter dated in 2010 "This was a boxed set we produced in 1992, as you describe. You have a rare item. Not more than eighteen were sold". It seems that the portfolios were completed as they were purchased from Leonard's studio, and the few copies that have turned up in the marketplace in recent years have virtually all been unsigned and unnumbered. An internally pristine example from the exceeding uncommon SIGNED AND NUMBERED (#270/300) edition in a like portfolio. Inventory Number: 026048