Close-Up Vol. 15, Number 1 Winter 1985: The Spirit of Sport (Klein, Friedlander, Meyerowitz, et al) Signed
Special double issue of Close-Up, edited by Constance Sullivan, who had taken over the Polaroid funded periodical in 1984 with a drive to make it the preeminent photo journal it’s day. This 1985 issue makes a strong case that Sullivan achieved her goal. Designed by the renowned Katy Homans with Mark Strand in the consulting editor role, this volume remains the best kept secret of late 20th century photo and sports journalism.
Featuring eight combinations of writers and photographers, each focused on an individual sport. This presented volume features five of eight entries signed by the respective photographer (Klein, Meyerowitz, Nixon, Mark, Friedlander).
The 1984 French Open at Roland Garros is covered in the first piece, with 18 incredible William Klein images paired with esteemed writer Jonathan Baumbach documentation of the Open. Three years prior, Klein had been the first cameraman allowed into Roland Garros, shooting hours of 35mm film, from which one of the best sports documentaries of all time was assembled; The French.
The following sections are all equally as dazzling, with stellar writing and photography throughout, much of which remains uncollected elsewhere.
Daniel Halpern and Joel Meyerowitz on boxing
Donald Barthelme and Nicholas Nixon on baseball
Vicki Hearne and Sheila Metzner on equestrianism
John Irving and Mary Ellen Mark on North American amateur wrestling
Robert Coover and Jim Dow on soccer (with two beautiful double fold-out pages)
Leonard Michaels and Lee Friedlander on basketball
Phillip Levine and Starr Ockenga on body building
Scarce in any condition, this double issue is made all the more special with five pillars of 20th century photography’s signatures gracing their sections.
In overall very good condition with faint creasing to the spine and rear cover, minor dimpling to the interior glossy pages and a couple nicks here and there to the extremities. Small sticker removal to white of the cover, not noticeable at a glance. All told, a bright and extremely presentable copy of this incredible volume, signed five times over.
