Polaroids
Guy Bourdin
2009 · ★ Gold Star object
Focused publication of Bourdin’s Polaroid work, much of it unpublished at the time. Especially valuable as a process document: the instant images expose his staging, composition and surreal fashion-image language before the polished final photograph.
Read the catalogue note →- Creator
- Guy Bourdin
- Publisher
- Éditions Xavier Barral
- Edition / printing
- First edition
- Country
- France
- Language
- English
- ISBN-10
- 2915173567
- ISBN-13
- 978-2-915173-56-7
- Format
- Padded silver cloth hardcover with tipped-on Polaroid-format image; 128 pp.; approx. 245 × 175 × 20 mm
- Pagination
- 128 pages
- Dimensions
- approx. 245 × 175 × 20 mm
- Condition
- Near Fine — approx. 9.0 visually
- Completeness
- Complete as designed; no separate dust jacket
Catalogue note
Focused publication of Bourdin’s Polaroid work, much of it unpublished at the time. Especially valuable as a process document: the instant images expose his staging, composition and surreal fashion-image language before the polished final photograph.
Credit / attribution note: North American D.A.P. distribution followed in 2010, which causes some catalogues to date the book 2010; this archive retains the original 2009 Xavier Barral date.
Edition / bibliographic note: Original 2009 Xavier Barral edition, linked to “Guy Bourdin, ses films…” at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, Paris, 17 Sept–29 Oct 2009.
Condition note: Padded silver cloth notably clean with light handling only. Temporary cleaning mark previously visible at upper-right rear is not catalogued as damage.
Preserved discrepancies / uncertainties: North American D.A.P. distribution followed in 2010, which causes some catalogues to date the book 2010; this archive retains the original 2009 Xavier Barral date.
Research status: Core bibliographic claims independently revalidated 15 Aug 2026 against Atelier EXB / Éditions Xavier Barral. ISBN, hardcover format and 128-page extent are corroborated; photographed object evidence remains authoritative for copy condition and completeness.
Legacy record ID: 002
Why this object matters
The first Xavier Barral edition gives unusually concentrated access to Bourdin's working process through 98 largely unpublished instant photographs. That specific publication contribution supports exceptional photographic-documentary value; the score is not based on fashion-market desirability.
Evidence limits: No new physical inspection or collation was performed. Copy-specific conclusions remain limited to the retained catalogue and accession evidence.
Score and assessment method
Archive Importance: 9.2 / 10 · Gold Star.
This is a curatorial judgement, not a measurement accurate to one tenth or a market valuation. Read the explanation and its evidence limits together.
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Recorded contributions · 1
- Guy BourdinCreatorCatalogue credit
Creator credit: Guy Bourdin Original catalogue credit
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