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Twilight of the Romanovs opens a door onto the world of pre-revolutionary Russia in original photographs taken during the last decades of Romanov rule.

These photographs are snapshots of a vanished world and include many remarkable colour images created using an early three-colour-plate technique which bring the remote past to life with an especially vivid jolt.

The Russian Empire was soon to be destroyed and rendered unrecognizable. Yet these images reveal a surprising continuity: despite the subsequent cataclysm, faces, postures, buildings and landscapes still resonate with those who see them a century and more later.

The Russian Empire was torn between a rural population living almost medieval lives and the industrial and social change in the cities. The Tsar’s gigantic realm struggled with modernity and with its own internal contradictions between Asia and Europe; faith and science; ethnic divisions; and the divergent interests of the aristocracy, the middle classes, the urban workers and the rural poor. This continent of contradictions was captured by authors from Tolstoy to Chekhov, from Gogol to Gorky and Bely.

In an increasingly mobile society, it’s common to cross the globe many times in a single month. Journeys that might once have taken weeks, now take hours. All of this travel is a suitable metaphor for Andrew Macpherson’s rise to the pinnacle of celebrity photography. He has literally travelled the world to profile the best-known people of our age; Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon, and George Clooney to name a few. As he’s done so, he’s also embarked on an artistic journey to bring something fresh and inviting to each of his images. In this quest, he employs a multitude of varied techniques, playing with form, context and colour. A note of poignancy overshadows this work. Many of the original negatives were lost in a warehouse fire. It is a testament to the strength of Macpherson’s work that even scanned from magazine pages - as some of these images are - the results still radiate vitality and power.

Originally from London, Andrew Macpherson is now based in Los Angeles. His body of work includes covers for Rolling Stone and Vogue. He has photographed personalities as varied as Bono, Muhammed Ali, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone and John Malkovich.

From the Italian luxury sports car to the Swiss chronograph — the ultimate collection of the best, most exclusive, and most luxurious toys for men

There are only two notable differences between toys for little boys and toys for grown-up boys: the toys get bigger with age — and more expensive. Matchbox cars give way to high-end sports cars, model boats become motorboats and sailing yachts, and the plastic wristwatch turns into a Swiss chronograph with a perpetual calendar and minute repeater. The Toys for Men series has always stayed abreast of this male drive to play; in the latest volume, we present the ultimate wish list, a selection of the most exclusive, most innovative, and most luxurious toys that men with money can buy. Of course, the list includes the classic male fantasies of executive jets, mega- yachts, and super sports cars — the truly giant and great things that move men in the air, on water, or on land. But it also includes the little gadgets — from headphones and wristwatches to SLR cameras — that make tech-loving men’s hearts beat a little faster. We also include the vices that speak to connoisseurs, like that special bottle of Spanish wine or one from the USA, Scottish whiskey, or cigars from the Dominican Republic. And last but not least, we include one of the greatest luxuries of all: having a product tailored to you and you alone, bespoke-style. But we’re not just talking about custom-tailored suits. Cars, golf clubs, skis, nearly everything today can be customized to suit your particular tastes. If you’re searching for the ultimate toys for the gentleman who has everything, you’ll hit pay dirt here. Because as philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche already knew, “There is a child hidden in every man: and it wants to play.”

The author, MICHAEL BRUNNBAUER, has been working in the media for ten years. After studying Economics at the European Business School (EBS) University of Business and Law in Oestrich-Winkel, Germany, he worked as an investment banker for Deutsche Bank. In 2005, he started studying at the Deutsche Journalistenschule (DJS) in Munich and after his studies, worked for the Financial Times Deutschland (FTD) daily newspaper and the magazine Gentlemen’s Quarterly (GQ). Michael Brunnbauer is now head of the men’s lifestyle magazine Provocateur for Meth Media Verlag in Austria. He founded the magazine in 2011 with Alexander Meth, a publisher. He is also a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers such as Robb Report, Die Weltwoche and Wired. His main topics include cars, watches, consumer electronics and design. Michael Brunnbauer grew up in Munich and has lived in London and San Diego. He’s a passionate collector of watches and whiskys.

An opulent photo book that opens up a world full of luxury, pleasure, and aesthetic beauty to the reader
The perfect gift for all boys who have grown up, but preserved their inner child

Ultimate Toys for Men New Edition is the definitive catalogue for any discerning gentleman. Richly illustrated and meticulously curated, it gathers the best bespoke and luxury products and premium experiences around the globe, anchored in the belief that only top quality is true value for money.

Whether a sports car or mega yacht, a weekender bag or a boutique hotel, editor Michael Görmann selects the best the world can offer the modern cosmopolitan man. Age is irrelevant; the boys’ toys just get bigger, or more exclusive.

The much-anticipated sequel to Ultimate Toys for Men, this updated edition includes a dazzling array of slick new gadgets for guys, handmade beauties, customizable accessories, and all manner of luxuries to rent, buy, and experience. Special features cover the “Best of Mallorca,” “Best of London,” and the finest collector’s items.

Michael Görmann does not work, at least not in the traditional sense. He has been working exclusively with his hobbies for almost 30 years: writing and photographing the beautiful things in life. Görmann’s favourite subjects are typically fast-­moving and technically meticulous. His heart races for Old Timers, luxury watches, and technical innovation. After a traineeship at a daily newspaper, Görmann was Chief Reporter for Uhren-Magazin (a magazine about watches), founded two agencies, and has worked for titles including Focus, Robb Report, Playboy, and Stern.

- Lavish luxury products and experiences around the globe
- An ideal gift book for men — or a source of gift inspiration
- With special features “Best of Mallorca,” “Best of London,” and on the finest collector’s items

“Extremely sexy, extremely wild and extremely talented.”
— Uma Thurman

“Steve McQueen gave a new meaning to coolness.”
— Kimi Raikkonen

“He loved speed. He was strong-headed. We could have gotten along well, I think.”
— Maria Sharapova

Can it really be a quarter-century now that Steve McQueen has been gone? Felled in 1980 while undergoing treatments for mesothelioma, the actor who ruled the box office in the 1960s and 70s remains a myth, having been a juvenile delinquent, Marine, oilfield roughneck, lumberjack, producer, motorcycle racer, sports car driver, and Hollywood King of Cool.

Verlhac Editions is proud to announce a revamp of its popular forthcoming Unforgettable Steve McQueen, which now features a series of exclusive quotes from famous McQueen admirers such as Formula One pilots Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, and Sébastien Bourdais, actresses Uma Thurman and Priyanka Chopra, and tennis star Maria Sharapova. Steve McQueen inspired these prestigious celebrities so much that we felt compelled to allow them to express themselves in Unforgettable Steve McQueen.

Now, Unforgettable Steve McQueen documents his fascinating life with a collection of rare and stunning images. McQueen is most famous for his work in such films as The Great Escape, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bullitt, and The Towering Inferno, but was also an avid motor racer, whom the American Motorcyclist Association posthumously added to their Hall of Fame in 1999 and hailed for helping the sport overcome its outlaw image. The book captures both life stories in photographs by Sid Avery, William Claxton, Raymond Depardon, Larry Kastendiek, and others, as well as vintage selections from various archives. Unforgettable Steve McQueen is the definitive picture book on this legendary icon.

For more than ten years, wildlife photographer Steve Bloom traveled all over the world, roaming through the jungles of Borneo, the African savannahs, and the frozen banks of Antarctica to assemble this dazzling collection of photographs of animals in their natural environments. With an international range that is rare in books of animal photography, the 200 photographs in Untamed (2004) bring to life a vast panorama of animal diversity and the landscapes, climates, and habitats in which these creatures live.

Now this terrific survey of Bloom's animal photography is available in a smaller, giftable format. Once again, the reader is treated to the serene gaze of a gorilla relaxing in the trees, a shark-jumping in midair to catch its prey, a Siberian tiger traipsing through the snow in search of food, and penguins congregating on an ice floe. Bloom's anthropomorphic approach reveals rage, tenderness, and even humor in his subjects, capturing those fleeting moments when the gap between animal and human seems to disappear altogether. These amazing images, augmented by a personal account of Bloom's unforgettable career as a wildlife photographer, make this reissue of Untamed an excellent gift for all animal and photography.

About the author
Steve Bloom is an award-winning wildlife photographer who founded his own wildlife stock photo agency and fine print gallery in the mid-1990s. He was a contributor to Abrams’ One Planet: A Celebration of Biodiversity.

African Queens

Simple, sensual portraits of dark-skinned beauties

"Poets have described the beauty of African women with their words,
Uwe Ommer with his camera."Photo Presse, Germany

Uwe Ommer, a sought-after commercial photographer based in New York and Paris, has made a name for himself with his own uncommissioned works, as this book eloquently attests. For the aesthete Uwe Ommer, the bodies of black women represent the epitome of beauty. His photographs are exactly what they show, no more and no less than a homage to female beauty. And of course that homage is paid in the perfect setting, the stunning landscape of Africa.
Calixthe Beyala, born in Cameroon, is one of the leading African francophone poets. The texts in this book were written especially as a commentary on the photography of Uwe Ommer.

The photographer:
Uwe Ommer became fascinated with photography at a young age and in 1962 moved to Paris, where he initially worked as a photographer’s assistant. Within a few years, he opened his own photography studio, primarily shooting fashion and advertising photos. Quickly gaining respect for his work in Paris, Ommer began showing in local galleries and eventually published his first book, Photoedition Uwe Ommer, in 1979, a collection of personal and advertising works. In the following years, he would publish five more books of his photographs. In 2002, Uwe Ommer was awarded an Honorary Fellowship to the Royal Photographic Society for the impact of his lifetime of work. His books for TASCHEN include Black Ladies, Asian Ladies, Transit, and 1000 Families.

Back in 1974, the sexual revolution was in full swing and the adult entertainment business was on the verge of becoming Big Business. Deep Throat had created America’s first porn star in 1972, but by 1974 Linda Lovelace was already retired and the industry was seeking the next big thing. Vanessa del Rio should have been that thing, except in 1974 there were no ethnic sex stars. Undeterred, Vanessa took any role they’d give her, because, amazingly, she was there for the sex more than the money. Fans, awed by her ferocious onscreen sexuality, made her a top box office draw and America’s first Latina star. Retired since 1986, Vanessa del Rio remains a sexual icon who cuts across all ethnic boundaries.

What her fans don’t know is that her real life was, and is, as wild as anything she did on film.

In this sumptuous over-sized volume, TASCHEN celebrates a remarkably candid, confident and exuberantly sexual woman. Presented through Vanessa’s own archive, in her own words, is a life at once shocking, titillating, amusing, and inspiring. And because paper and ink can’t do justice to a personality this big, an original 140 minute DVD documentary is included. If you aren’t already convinced, this book will end all doubt that there could ever be another woman like Vanessa del Rio.

Vanity Fair 100 Years showcases a century of personality and power, art and commerce, crisis and culture — both highbrow and low.

From its inception in 1913, through the Jazz Age and the Depression, to its reincarnation in the boom-boom Reagan years, to the image-saturated Information Age, Vanity Fair has presented the modern era as it has unfolded, using wit, imagination, peerless literary narrative, and bold, groundbreaking imagery from the greatest photographers, artists, and illustrators of the day.

This sumptuous book takes a decade-by-decade look at the world as seen by the magazine, stopping to describe the incomparable editor Frank Crowninshield and the birth of the Jazz Age Vanity Fair, the magazine’s controversial rebirth in 1983, and the history of the glamorous Vanity Fair Oscar Party.

With its exhaustive sweep, visual impact, and time-capsule format, Vanity Fair 100 Years is the book everyone will want in 2013.

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Пролистать книгу Vanity Fair 100 Years: From the Jazz Age to Our Age на Google Books.

Von Edward Steichen und Cecil Beaton bis Annie Leibovitz und Mario Testino - Vanity Fair Portraits feiert 95 Jahre Photogeschichte, mit Klassikern der Portraitkunst, die von Vanity Fair in Auftrag gegeben und veröffentlicht wurden. Diese Portraits wurden zu Ikonen der bekanntesten Figuren aus Film, Musik, Sport, Wirtschaft und Politik. Vanity Fair Portraits ist eine Kulturgeschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts und ihrer führenden Persönlichkeiten. Leitfaden sind die Seiten des Magazins, das die Moderne mit eingeleitet hat und zu einer festen Größe des Lebens im 20. Jahrhunderts geworden ist. Dieser Band versammelt über 300 Photographien aus beiden Epochen des Erscheinens von Vanity Fair und bietet ein Feuerwerk an Prominenz, Talent und Glamour. In der ersten Ära - 1913 bis 1936 - dominieren Figuren aus dem Zeitalter des Jazz und Stars wie Pablo Picasso, Amelia Earhart, Cary Grant und Katharine Hepburn. Die zweite Ära - von der Neugründung 1983 bis heute - bringt Hollywood-Stars, Schriftsteller, Sportler, Stilikonen und große Namen aus Wirtschaft und Politik, mit Portraits von Robert de Niro, Arthur Miller, Madonna, Margaret Thatcher, Rupert Murdoch und vielen anderen. Vanity Fair Portraits bündelt wie ein Brennglas die Energie des Magazins, das mit dem Versprechen antrat, »eine Dinner- Party auf fünfzig Meter in Brand zu setzen« und zeigt, warum es zur wichtigsten Plattform für photographische Ikonographie geworden ist.

I bike, therefore I am.

Riding a bike is easy. Once someone can do it, they will never forget how. Riding a bike can be addictive — in the best cases for life. Understanding the subtleties of contemporary bicycle culture can be challenging. Like it or not, choosing to ride a particular bike — whether an old-fashioned city bicycle, a high-tech machine, a mountain bike, a touring bike, a fixie, or a beach cruiser — means being associated with a certain lifestyle.

Velo — 2nd Gear explores these diverse bicycle scenes and reveals their histories, relationships, and insightful details. Alongside its presentation of especially attractive and unusual bicycles, the book documents how riders’ accessories and styles vary just as widely as the bikes’ tires and other equipment. It explains how each scene cultivates its own distinct codes through the choice of certain jerseys, caps, or bags or by visiting specific events or key establishments.

The examples in Velo — 2nd Gear span the globe. Tours in traditional costumes and on historical paths in Belgium or Italy are not only appealing as athletic challenges, but also as adventures for cosmopolitan travelers. In urban centers at night, bicycle messengers hold races on city streets. Specialized bike boutiques focus on details such as customized paint jobs. Frame builders in Oregon, Paris, or southern Germany create highly coveted bikes tailored to individuals or in very limited editions with long waiting lists.

Velo — 2nd Gear makes abundantly clear that contemporary bicycle culture is more alive and well than ever before. The book celebrates its healthy, environmentally-friendly, discerning, and slightly obsessive scenes and their protagonists. It shows why, for a young generation, bicycles have now replaced cars as the vehicles that best express their identity.

These moody, monochrome landscapes speak of an Italy far removed from the familiar, tourist images. Mostly ‘empty’ – without people – they highlight the intrinsic beauty of Venice itself, and capture the timelessness of the city throughout the centuries.

Juxtaposing black and white photographs of traditional, theatrical Venice with images of the city’s industrial area, Marghera, this is a hauntingly beautiful and utterly original take on one of the world’s most photographed cities.

These portraits of New Yorkers are remarkable for their diversity, but also for the common humanity that binds them all. Photographer Horst Hamann asked New Yorkers - an adventurous but generally skeptical bunch - to come off the street and be photographed with their eyes closed. The resulting work is a profile of human characteristics and emotions. We see anxiety in some photographs, and bravura in others. Because their eyes are closed - as if dreaming - we somehow get closer to their true nature, and by extension, to our own.

Horst Hamann has become famous during the last twenty years for his panoramic photography. His internationally
acclaimed and widely exhibited photographs of New York and Paris have been published by teNeues in the best-selling New York Vertical and Paris Vertical. Born in Germany, he is now based in New York.

75 duotone photographs

The entire story of jazz from its earliest days in New Orleans to the 1970s and beyond told through archival material from Verve, the genres most important label.

Verve signed practically every major jazz artist of the 1950s and 1960s and is home to some of the greatest music ever recorded. Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, and Ella Fitzgerald all released records through Verve. This superb new volume presents some of the rarest records and unseen ephemera from the label that helped define the world of jazz. Hundreds of the best examples of iconic seven-inch, ten-inch, and twelve-inch records appear, along with publicity reports, news clippings, posters, telegrams, and programmes.

The ultimate music guide, the book includes features on key artists and key albums as well as insightful timelines that connect Verve with wider musical history. Looking beyond the music scene, the book discusses segregation in America, the missions to take jazz to Europe and the world, the clubs, the places, and the people who made Verve great and jazz cool.

Commentary from the biggest names in jazz today, including some of Verves own artists, complements the text. 1,200 illustrations in color and black and white.