Ken Ohara - One [First Edition with promotional leaflet] - 1970
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Description from the seller
One is the seminal first photobook by Japanese photographer Ken Ohara and one of the landmark works of conceptual portrait photography.
Created in New York during the 1960s, the book consists of more than 500 tightly cropped, full-page black-and-white portraits of anonymous people encountered on the streets. Each face is photographed and printed at approximately the same scale and tonal range, placing eyes, nose and mouth in almost identical positions from page to page. Individual differences remain clearly visible, yet through repetition the hundreds of sitters gradually form a single collective portrait—the “One” of the title.
Ohara moved to New York in 1962 and later worked as an assistant to Richard Avedon and Hiro. One was subsequently included in the landmark “New Japanese Photography” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1974.
This is the original Japanese first edition, published in 1970, complete with its original obi, which is often missing from copies on the market.
Featured in Martin Parr & Gerry Badger, The Photobook: A History, Vol. I, p. 291, and in The Open Book, pp. 266–267.
An important and highly collectible Japanese photobook, and Ohara’s best-known publication.
CONDITION
The dust jacket shows some sunning to the spine and slight creasing along the edges. The book itself is in very good condition. Includes the original promotional leaflet shown in the photographs.
SHIPPING
Shipped via EMS or DHL. Delivery is available within one week, with a tracking number provided.
Seller's Story
Totodo is a curated antiquarian bookstore based in Japan, dedicated to art books, photography, exhibition catalogues, artist publications, and rare out-of-print titles.
Rather than operating as a volume-driven reseller, we approach bookselling as a form of editorial practice. Each work is carefully selected for its artistic significance, historical context, and lasting relevance, with an emphasis on titles that have shaped visual culture and contemporary thought.
Drawing from decades of experience in the Japanese art book ecosystem, as well as relationships with collectors, estates, and specialized distributors, we are able to present material that is both culturally important and increasingly scarce in the international market.
We maintain rigorous standards for condition assessment and bibliographic accuracy, and every item is securely packaged for international shipment. Our aim is to provide collectors and institutions with thoughtfully chosen works, professional service, and complete transparency.
One is the seminal first photobook by Japanese photographer Ken Ohara and one of the landmark works of conceptual portrait photography.
Created in New York during the 1960s, the book consists of more than 500 tightly cropped, full-page black-and-white portraits of anonymous people encountered on the streets. Each face is photographed and printed at approximately the same scale and tonal range, placing eyes, nose and mouth in almost identical positions from page to page. Individual differences remain clearly visible, yet through repetition the hundreds of sitters gradually form a single collective portrait—the “One” of the title.
Ohara moved to New York in 1962 and later worked as an assistant to Richard Avedon and Hiro. One was subsequently included in the landmark “New Japanese Photography” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1974.
This is the original Japanese first edition, published in 1970, complete with its original obi, which is often missing from copies on the market.
Featured in Martin Parr & Gerry Badger, The Photobook: A History, Vol. I, p. 291, and in The Open Book, pp. 266–267.
An important and highly collectible Japanese photobook, and Ohara’s best-known publication.
CONDITION
The dust jacket shows some sunning to the spine and slight creasing along the edges. The book itself is in very good condition. Includes the original promotional leaflet shown in the photographs.
SHIPPING
Shipped via EMS or DHL. Delivery is available within one week, with a tracking number provided.
Seller's Story
Totodo is a curated antiquarian bookstore based in Japan, dedicated to art books, photography, exhibition catalogues, artist publications, and rare out-of-print titles.
Rather than operating as a volume-driven reseller, we approach bookselling as a form of editorial practice. Each work is carefully selected for its artistic significance, historical context, and lasting relevance, with an emphasis on titles that have shaped visual culture and contemporary thought.
Drawing from decades of experience in the Japanese art book ecosystem, as well as relationships with collectors, estates, and specialized distributors, we are able to present material that is both culturally important and increasingly scarce in the international market.
We maintain rigorous standards for condition assessment and bibliographic accuracy, and every item is securely packaged for international shipment. Our aim is to provide collectors and institutions with thoughtfully chosen works, professional service, and complete transparency.
Details
Number of books
29
Subject
Photography
Book title
One [First Edition with promotional leaflet]
Author/ Illustrator
Ken Ohara
Condition
Very good
Publication year oldest item
1970
Height
27 cm
Edition
1st Edition
Width
22 cm
Language
Japanese
Original language
Yes
Publisher
Tsukiji Shokan
Binding/ Material
Softback
Extras
Dust jacket
Number of pages
500
