Architects and Artists: The Work of Ernest and Esther Born by Olsberg, Nicholas - 2015

San Francisco: The Book Club of California [designed by Michiko Toki, Toki Design, printed by Artron Art Group, China], 2015. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. No. 17 of 300 copies, folio size, 264 pp., with prospectus and cover letter. Ernest Born (1898-1992) and Esther Baum Born (1902-1987) were a married couple who collaborated on many architectural projects in the San Francisco Bay Area, including designs for some of the Bay Area Rapid Transit train stations and housing in North Beach. Ernest also created mural paintings for the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939, establishing his reputation as an artist (n. b., info from Wikipedia). Esther was an architect and photographer; her photographs drew attention to Mexico's modern architecture, which, along with their friendship with Frieda Kahlo and Diego Rivera, influenced both Esther and Ernest's architectural designs. This publication by The Book Club of California examines the work of these two artists, and is filled with photographs and drawings of their work, lending insight into these two influential figures of the Bay Area modern architectural movement. Spanning almost sixty years, their careers in architecture demonstrate their finesse in visual communication during a time of rapid change in San Francisco. ___DESCRIPTION: Full dark blue cloth, silver lettering on the spine, red endpapers, photographs and drawings, in black and white and in colour, by Ernest and Esther Born throughout; Bulmer, Futura, and Bodoni Ultra types, Lumi Silk Matt art paper, folio size (12.25" by 9.25"), pagination: [1-10] 11-264, one of 300 copies, this number 17. Loosely laid in is the prospectus, one sheet folded once, with two black-and-white photographs and one full-colour watercolour, and the cover letter, one page printed front and back. In a dark blue cloth slipcase. ___CONDITION: A fine copy; the covers clean, the corners straight and unrubbed, the binding tight with solid hinges, the interior clean and bright, and free of prior owner markings; clean, crisp, as new. The slipcase is fine also, strong and sturdy, clean, without wear. The prospectus is very good plus, clean overall, with some light overall creasing, especially to the top edges. The cover letter is near fine, clean and with only a very shallow vertical crease. ___POSTAGE:  Please note that this is an extremely heavy volume and additional postage may apply; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.