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Paris, 80 photographies de Moï Ver

Contributed by Stephen Coles on Mar 13th, 2017. Artwork published in .
Paris, 80 photographies de Moï Ver 3
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achtung.photography:

Moï Ver’s book Paris is iconic in the history of photobooks.

During 1927 Moï Ver (born Moses Vorobeichic, changed later to Moshé Raviv-Vorobeichic) studied at the German Bauhaus in Dessau, under such luminaries as Moholy-Nagy, Josef Albers, Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky. Following his time at Dessau Moï Ver had a remarkably productive period. Paris 80 photographies de Moï Ver was published by Éditions Jeanne Walter and Ein Ghetto im Osten – Wilna / The Ghetto lane in Wilna was published by Swiss publishing house Orell Füssli, both in 1931.

Paris, 80 photographies de Moï Ver 5
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Paris, 80 photographies de Moï Ver 6
Source: www.achtung.photography Image: achtung.photography. License: All Rights Reserved.
Paris, 80 photographies de Moï Ver 7
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Paris, 80 photographies de Moï Ver 8
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Paris, 80 photographies de Moï Ver 2
Source: photohistorica.myshopify.com Photo by Photohistorica. License: All Rights Reserved.

His visionary style of imagery and avant-garde layouts have inspired many photographers and art directors since. Paris 80 photographies de Moï Ver contains collages and double exposures which are not known to exist as actual photographic prints. It is as if the photographer purposefully chose the book as the ultimate form of photographic expression. Arguably Paris established the photobook as an independent medium and art form.

His choice for the cover design of this book echoes that of E.O. Hoppé’s book Deutsche Arbeit published the previous year, yet Moï Ver takes it one step further.

The Deutsche Arbeit jacket spine uses Futura, issued a few years earlier in 1927. Paris also employs the face throughout its interior, such as the introduction and postscript. The Futura style selection and alignment on the title page is typical of German modernist typography of the time. You can find similar layouts from Ver’s contemporaries, Otto Neurath, Walter Dexel, and Kurt Schwitters.

Facsimile edition published in 2002 by Éditions 7L.
Source: www.photoeye.com © 2004 Maya Raviv-Vorobeichic. License: All Rights Reserved.

Facsimile edition published in 2002 by Éditions 7L.

Advertisement for the book, as it appeared in Arts et métiers graphiques, No. 23 (May, 1931).
Source: gallica.bnf.fr Bibliothèque nationale de France. License: All Rights Reserved.

Advertisement for the book, as it appeared in Arts et métiers graphiques, No. 23 (May, 1931).

1 Comment on “Paris, 80 photographies de Moï Ver

  1. James James says:
    Jul 7th, 2021 12:33 am

    Futura is easily one of the most beautiful typefaces ever made. Also its name is aligned with the transmitted concept… Some echoes of the Art-Deco…

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