GENIOUS, BREATH-TAKING FIRST PHOTOBOOK by Dirk Alvermann (1937-2013) - IN MY OPINION ONE OF THE BEST PHOTOBOOKS EVER MADE. Martin Parr, Gerry Badger: The Photobook, volume 3, page 190/191. "Algerien" ("Algeria"), brilliantly layouted by the photographer and filmmaker Dirk Alvermann, was published for the very first time in 1960 by an East-German publisher. TRUE ORIGINAL FIRST PRINTING (not to mix with the later editions by Steidl). EXCELLENT, VERY FRESH AND FLAWLESS CONDITION (often used and bumped, often foxed and often marked). PLEASE ENJOY the ONE-SELLER-AUCTION by 5Uhr30.com (Ecki Heuser, Cologne, Germany) - with INTERNATIONAL PHOTOBOOKS from my PRIVATE COLLECTION and from RECENT ACQUISITATIONS. "When he went to Algeria in the 1950s Dirk Alvermann was only eighteen, a rebellious West German teenager thrilled by the struggle for freedom by the Algerian people against French colonial rule. After his return to West Germany he set about planning the publication of his work in the most accessible form available. The book should go from hand to hand like a political manifesto. At first, Rowohlt agreed to publish the book but later canceled it when any partisanship with the Algerian resistance seemed inappropriate. The book was finally published by the East-Berlin publishing house Rütten and Loening in 1960 as a hardcover, contrary to Alvermann's own vision for the project." (Steidl, publisher of the later edition) Super beautiful design and layout by the artist himself where you can see perfectly that Dirk Alvermann was not only a photographer, but a great filmmaker as well. Dirk Alvermann is also famous for "Keine Experimente" (1961) and for "Ich liebe Dich" (1979). Dirk Alvermann was mentioned by Martin Parr in the "Photonews" and the "Aperture magazine" as probably one of the most important photographers and for sure the best bookmaker coming from east-germany. This is a lot by 5Uhr30.com (Ecki Heuser, Cologne, Germany). 5Uhr30.com guarantees detailed and accurate descriptions, 100% protection, 100% insurance and combined shipping worldwide. Ruetten and Loening, Berlin. 1960. First edition, first printing. Hardcover (as issued). 110 x 180 mm. 220 pages. Photos: Dirk Alvermann. Text in German. Condition: Inside and outside excellent with only marginal trace of use, very fresh and flawless, clean with no marks and with no foxing. No remarkable flaws, no remarkable defects (often rubbed and bumped). Overall very fine to near mint, much more better than usual condition. Excellent East-German photobook title in wonderful fresh condition - SCARCE IN ANY CONDITION. Founded in Frankfurt in 1844, the publishers Joseph Ruetten and Zacharias Loewenthal - later converted to Carl Friedrich Loening: Carl Friedrich Loening - immediately came up with a book that became a bestseller for decades: ‘Der Struwwelpeter’ by Heinrich Hoffmann. In the 1920s, authors such as Romain Rolland and Rudolf Binding shaped the publishing house's programme. The year 1936 marked a major turning point: the publishing house was forcibly ‘aryanised’ and relocated to Potsdam. Wilhelm Ernst Oswalt, one of the publishers, was arrested and murdered in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in 1942. The publishing house was revived during the GDR era; editions of works by Stendal, Emile Zola, Chekhov and Charles Dickens were published, as well as the novels of Hermann Kant. Under the umbrella of Aufbau Verlage, Rütten & Loening has stood for sophisticated light fiction since 1995. ‘Die Päpstin’ by Donna W. Cross proved the company's expertise in historical novels in particular. Authors such as Helga Glaesener and Wolf Serno have renewed this reputation. Kristin Hannah's ‘The Nightingale’ was a novel that set standards and became a global success. Rütten & Loening has a very independent profile in the field of suspense. Authors such as the South African Deon Meyer, the American Eliott Pattison, who writes about Tibet, Sofie Sarenbrant from Sweden and Craig Russell from Scotland tell their very own stories and demonstrate what the publishing house stands for: literature that entertains and at the same time opens up new worlds.