Modern Illustrated Books - Barbara Leibowits Graphics

LEBEDEV, Vladimir, Vasel’evich and MARSHAK, Samuel.

Doska Sorevnovanie. Moscow 1931. Illustrated by Lebedev, Vladimir, Vasel’evich. 20 pages, lithographs. Ref: Musee Imaginaire 1 1920-1930, James Fraser and Tayo Shima 1991 p.140, 3, Dictionnaire Des Illustrateurs de livres d’enfants russes 1917-1945 p.164-165.

KASSIL, Lev Abramovich (1905-1970). Lodka vezdekhodka [All-Terrain Land and Sea Boat]. Illustrated with photomontages. Designed by E. Nekrosov. Moscow: Ogiz, 1933. Unusual but striking two-color Constructivist photomontage wrappers over cardboard binding. Condition: Although there is some watercoloring of a few pages by a child, the book is rare. An imaginatively designed agit-prop children’s book about one of the wonders of Soviet technology that brilliantly combines photomontage with typographical experimentation. Kassil was one of the Jewish children’s book writers along with Samuil Marshak, Agniya Barto, Lev Kvitko and “Der Nister” (Pinchas Kahanovich) who were denounced for their “Hebrewization” of Russian juvenile literature during the last great wave of Soviet anti-Semitism known as the “Struggle Against Cosmopolitanism” of the early 1950s. The Jewish Virtual Library website calls Kassil “probably the most important Soviet writer for juveniles since the beginning of the 1930s.”

KONDRATEV, Pavel Mikhailovich. Parizhskaya communa (The Paris Commune). Moscow: OGIZ, 1925. Color lithographs by the author. Square12mo (18,5 x 17,5 cm) (12) pp. : color lithograph pictorial paper covers. First edition. Soviet propaganda children’s book on the Commune of Paris, linked to the Russian Revolution

Another of Pavel Filonov’s gifted students, Pavel Mikhailovich Kondratev (1902-1985) produced Parizhskaya kommuna (“The Paris Commune,” 1931) about the failed 1871 uprising. He worked in a brightly colored and slightly self-conscious naïve style in the manner of fellow students Tatyana Glebova and Alisa Porets.
Lovely Book.

KUSTODIEV (Boris). MARCHAK (Samuel). Tchudesa. [Wonders]. Moscow and Leningrad: "Raduga," 1925. Color lithographs by Boris Kustodiev. First edition for both text and pictures. 4to (16) pp. : color lithograph pictorial paper covers. Boris Kustodiev (1878-1927) painter, sculptor and stage designer studied in Saint-Petersburg under Repin and traveled widely in Europe. He exhibited in Paris at Diaghilev’s exhibition, with the World of art in 1911, Berlin in 1922 and Paris in 1925. "[Boris] Kustodiev and [Samuil] Marshak defined what they considered the Seven Wonders of the Modern World in Chudesa ([Wonders], 1925). These were from the every-day life of Lenin's New Economic Policy like the transcontinental railroad, a newsboy hawking Pravda and Novosti, and a modern stenographer. The author and artist constructed a clever riddle book that provided the answer to each puzzle with the turn of the page to Kustodiev’s picture on the back. The final illustration shows a man reading newspaper ads for the Moscow circus, a Charlie Chaplin picture, and other popular entertainment." Rare.

SAMOKHAVALOV, A. Svet bez Ognya [Light Without Fire]. Illustrated by A. Samokhvalov. Moscow and Leningrad, 1927. Square 8vo, [32] pp; decorated lithographed wrappers designed by the artist. A fine copy. The wonders of electricity in simple terms for young children.

TAMBI, Vladimir. Saveliev (A.). Vozduchnye Rabotniki [Workes of the Air]. Ogiz. Leningrad. 1934. 8vo (21,6 x 19cm). (12) pp.: full color lithograph pictorial covers. First edition. The contribution of the aircraft in the Soviet life. By Vladimir Tambi (1906-1955). Covers and 7 plates (including a double central page) showing airplanes in their various functions: areial reconnaissance, sowing and crop processing, transportation, exploration and forest protection. Lithographs in shades of blue and orange. Only two copies located in Princeton and at the University of Chicago.

TSEKHANOVSKY, Mikhail. Marchak, Samuel. Pochta [Post]. [Drawings Mikhail Tsekhanovsky]. Raduga. Leningrad, Moscow 1927. First edition. The journey of a letter around the world. The characters designed by Tsekhanovsky (1889-1965) according to the processes of poster and photomontage.

VANETSOV, Yourii. Khvosty [Tails], by V. Bianki. Moscow 1939. With color lithographs after Lurii Vanetsov. Square 8vo, [15] pp; decorated color self-wrappers designed by the artist. A lovely picture book illustrated by Vladimir Lebedev's prolific protégé.

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