John Green - Birds of Britain - 1967

Copy in very good condition, slight wear to edges of DJ. Else near fine hardcover binding with clean and bright pages inside.

Birds of Britain is a seminal 1967 photographic coffee-table book by British photographer John d. Green that serves as an iconic time capsule of "Swinging London". Despite what the title might suggest to modern ears or birdwatchers, the book has nothing to do with ornithology—"bird" was popular 1960s British slang for a young woman. Published in September 1967 by the Macmillan Company, the book captures the absolute peak of the "youthquake" movement, fashion, and pop culture that defined London in the mid-to-late 1960s.

Disturbed by the fact that only fashion photographers like David Bailey or Terence Donovan were getting mainstream recognition, John d. Green decided to create a comprehensive photographic portrait of the women making London the coolest city in the world.

The large-format, 144-page book features strikingly individual, unconventional, and witty portraits of 58 prominent women who drove the decade's culture. This included top fashion models, pop singers, actresses, aristocrats, and boutique owners.

It was highly stylized, quirky, and occasionally controversial for its time. The introductory essay by Anthony Hayden-Guest famously frames the subjects as a "novel phenomenon" of independent, ultra-visual British girls.

Rather than traditional, rigid studio glamour shots, Green photographed the women in dynamic, eccentric, and avant-garde poses. For example, Pattie Boyd was famously shot in a series of images wearing a sharp men's suit.

Birds of Britain was an astronomical mainstream success. It completely blew past its original projection, selling over 60,000 copies. The book spawned a massive promotional US tour for Green and several of the featured women, which included an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show and even the release of a tie-in musical single. Today, first editions of the book are highly sought-after, expensive collector's items for enthusiasts of vintage photography and 1960s British fashion history.

Green boards, purple and green lettering on the spine. Black and white photographs throughout. A touch of wear to the extremities,otherwise a fine, unmarked copy. . Pictorial jacket has the Original $12.50 price on the front flap. The Patti Boyd color photo is still striking. in mylar sleeve. The quintessential coffee table book of the swinging 60s featuring scores of Black and white photos of Britain's top models and actresses. Britain ruled the world again for a brief time in the mid- to late-60s, when it dominated the worlds of music, fashion, film and, of course, soccer. The cover image of Patti Boyd has now become one of the iconic images of that decade. Other celebs include, Lulu, Julie Christie, Mary Quant, Charlotte Rampling, Size: Large Folio