Laszlo Moholy-Nagy - Lot with 2 books - 1937-1978

The auction includes as a single lot two very rare publications about László Moholy-Nagy, the eminent photographer, painter, designer, typographer and Bauhaus teacher, as well as the founder of the New Bauhaus in Chicago.

Spectrum. International quarterly for poetry and original graphics. No. 79 dedicated to Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. Predominantly unpublished works and texts. Text selection by Claus Bremer. 20th volume. Zurich 1978

Issue No. 79 of the magazine "Spektrum" is devoted to László Moholy-Nagy, produced in collaboration with his daughter Hattula Mohol-Nagy (Moholy-Nagy Foundation NEW YORK) and contains predominantly unpublished works and texts by him. This issue is of particular significance for collectors and those interested in Moholy-Nagy's work, as it offers insights into lesser-known aspects of his creative output.
The condition is excellent. On the title page there is a small dark stain in the bottom left (see photos).


2. The “Eton Portrait” (John Miles LONDON) in the sought-after first edition of 1937. Very good copy in the original gold-embossed cloth binding. The spine and edges are slightly dusty and worn due to age. The 58 photographs are flawless. No dust jacket. Overall very well preserved. 187 pp., [58] pp. with plates: Illustrations, Photographs; 26 cm. Topics: Moholy-Nagy, László 1895-1946. History of Eton College.

Background of Moholy-Nagy's Photographic Work

The book “Eton Portrait” from 1937 is a photo-illustrated work written by Bernard Fergusson and equipped with photographs by László Moholy-Nagy. Moholy-Nagy, during his time in England (1935–1937), created a number of photographic works, including the photographs for “Eton Portrait.” In this period, he used a Leica camera to quickly and unobtrusively take photos for various photo-illustrated books, among them besides “Eton Portrait” also “Street Market of London” (1936) and “An Oxford University Chest” (1938).

Moholy-Nagy's photographic contribution to "Eton Portrait" consisted in that he supplied the photographic illustrations for the book. The book itself is a quarto-volume with 187 pages and 56 plates, which show his photographs.

The "Eton Portrait" is particularly interesting, because it shows Moholy-Nagy's adaptability as an artist. He used photography to portray a traditional British institution like Eton and at the same time connected his artistic vision with the expectations of a documentary project. The photographs display a clear, objective visual language that immerses the viewer directly in the atmosphere of the college. At the same time, they reflect Moholy-Nagy's interest in the interplay between person and surroundings – a central theme of his overall body of work.

Artistically, this phase marks a transition: while Moholy-Nagy, in the 1920s at the Bauhaus, worked with avant-garde techniques such as photograms and experimental typography, he developed in England a more documentary, almost journalistic style. This was also a reaction to his life circumstances, as after emigrating from Germany he had to earn money in England first. Nevertheless, his approach remained innovative, for example through the use of the Leica, which enabled him spontaneous, unposed shots—a novelty for the time.