11:02 Nagasaki by Tomatsu, Shomei; Tamaki Motoi - 1968

Tokyo: Shaken, 1968. Hardcover. Second edition. Near Fine hardcover with blunting to two tips, a bit of crimping to the crown, and previous owner's name and date in Japanese to the verso of the colophon page in the original clear vinyl dust jacket, now slightly yellowed and chipped at the crown; lacking the slipcase. BOOKS SHIP THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY, WRAPPED IN PADDING, IN A BOX. In 1960, Shomei Tomatsu (1930-2012) was offered the assignment of documenting the aftereffects of the atomic bomb which leveled Nagasaki in 1945 and the city's reconstruction. He knew little about Nagasaki and like many Japanese had chosen not to confront the trauma of the bombing. But on exploring the city, he was shocked by the depth of the scars and the lingering effect on the survivors. That initial assignment resulted in Hiroshima-Nagasaki Document 1961, a collaboration with Ken Domon, and a lifelong interest in the city. Further visits in the early 1960s resulted in the 1966 publication, 11:02 Nagasaki, arguably one of the most significant books of modern Japanese photography. Despite the title reference to the moment the bomb exploded and froze the iconic watch pictured on the cover, the book is as much a Klein-like tour of a city or a Strand-like record of a "place." However, in Tomatsu's editing, that fateful moment in 1945 echoes throughout--either literally in images of the victims and objects left behind or in more symbolic ways such as the presence of the U.S. military and the spread of American pop culture. As with so much of Tomatsu's work, a major theme of 11:02 Nagasaki is the collision of east and west, and the cultural and moral repercussions that followed. The second edition is actually unsold copies of the first edition with a new printed paper label glued to the spine and a new colophon page tipped in at the rear. Photographs by Shomei Tomatsu; texts by Tamaki Motoi; quotes by survivors. Unpaginated [168 pages]; 119 full-page b&w gravure-printed plates; 7.75 x 9 inches. Text in Japanese. LAID-IN are two different leaflets from the publisher about the book. Reference: Parr & Badger, Photobook: Vol. I, p.276-277; Roth, Open Book, p.226-227; Auer, 802 Photo Books, p.454; Visions of Japan, p.207. Due to size and weight, international and expedited shipping will be more than quoted.