The New York City Ballet by Kirstein, Lincoln and Swope, Martha and Lynes, George Platt - 1973

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1973. Gold title to spine and blind embossed title to front board which has a little rippling to front board (possibly due to manufacture or by gentle creasing) but no wear. Internally there is an inscription to front endpaper else very clean, tight and unmarked. Spine is cocked. Dustjacket has a touch of wear to lower front edge. Internally very good. PLEASE NOTE: Although the book is a Knopf stated first edition the dustjacket is for England for A and C Black with the price in UK Pounds. A very large format volume of 262 pages. Over 450 photographs, 32 in full colour. Here is the story of one of America's cultural glories, published to celebrate its 25th anniversary, the incomparable New York City Ballet. And because its magnificent narrative and pictures are the work of three people supremely qualified for the task, it provides an unparalleled illumination of dancing, of dancers, of individual ballets and of the complex, developing, creating organism that is a dance company. With a unique first-hand immediacy, the story is told by Lincoln Kirstein, who brought George Balanchine to America in the 1930's to found a school, a style and an American Ballet. The work of the company's two great photographers is brought together in this book for the first time.George Platt Lynes (with Balanchine arranging the dancers limb by limb) took superb sculptural photographs until his death in 1955. Martha Swope, herself once a dancer in the company's school, has for 14 years been the official photographer. PLEASE NOTE: A VERY LARGE HEAVY VOLUME OF 2.04 KILO UNPACKED WEIGHT WHICH WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SHIPPING COST 115. First Edition. Hard Cover. Good/Good. Folio - over 12" - 15" tall.