Signed; Carla Cerati - Mondo Cocktail - 2007

Exceptionally signed on the title page by Carla Cerati ((1926–2016)), a unique copy, impossible to find signed. 124 pages and around one hundred full-page black-and-white photographs printed separately from the text, with texts in Italian and English by Marialivia Serini, Philippe Daverio, and Carla Cerati. It is worth noting that a major retrospective exhibition devoted to photographer and writer Carla Cerati is currently being held at the Palazzo Reale in Milan, from September 26, 2026, to January 10, 2027. The exhibition celebrates the centenary of her birth and the tenth anniversary of her death. Paperback edition with illustrated softcover. In excellent condition, like new.

In this book, Carla Cerati set out to portray the world of the many cocktail parties held in Milan’s cultural scene. She had previously been commissioned by a magazine to report on a cocktail party held to mark the opening of a furniture and home décor store, and explains that she had been fascinated by the outfits and behavior of some of the women (the men’s attire was much more uniform). From that point on, she spent three years photographing cultural cocktail parties over time—an important aspect of social life, where each participant puts themselves on display. Mondo Cocktail is an iconic photographic series by Carla Cerati. These photographs, taken mainly between 1970 and 1972 in Milan, portray, with subtle irony and considerable insight, the gallery openings, inaugurations, and society parties of Milan’s upper bourgeoisie at the dawn of the 1970s, heralding the era of Milano da bere. (“Milano da bere,” literally “Milan to drink,” is a famous journalistic and cultural expression referring to the city’s social, economic, and high-society boom during the 1980s.) These images capture stiff poses, evasive glances, drinks in hand, and ostentatious furs, revealing the social rituals and theatricality of these events. Rather than judging this milieu from the outside, Carla Cerati acknowledges that she herself belonged to this social sphere. At the end of the book, in a list of the people she was able to identify, she names many figures, including publisher Alberto Mondadori, editor Inge Feltrinelli, writer Umberto Eco, bookseller Ulrico Hoepli, painter Valerio Adami, photographer Willy Rizzo, and many others.

Carla Cerati is known for the book Morire di classe, made with Gianni Berngo Gardin (Parr & Badger Photobook volume II, page 246), as well as Forma di donna (Ref. Bertolotti, Le livre de nus, page 250). However, she also had a significant career as a current affairs and press photographer in the 1960s and 1970s, and enjoyed some success as a writer of several novels. Her work has been exhibited on numerous occasions, and a tribute was paid to her in 2013 in Reggio Emilia as part of the Fotografia Europea festival. Her books are highly sought after.

Book from my personal collection, in excellent condition (like new), carefully preserved. Shipped very securely packaged, with international postal tracking guaranteed. For multiple purchases, combined shipping is possible, with any excess postage paid refunded via PayPal.

0.450 kg, excluding packaging