Featured Bill Holm First Edition Analysis of Form (1965) - Signed, Personalized

I collect more books than just about anything else, particularly signed, first edition books that relate to Northwest Coast or Alaska Native art. This book is among my prized possessions - a signed first edition Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form that was given by author Bill Holm to fellow anthropologist/art historian Ed Malin. Malin wrote a number of books about NWC art in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I especially like that Holm included a little formline illustration. This book came with a number of other books, including personal copies of Malin's books (with marginalia on edits for future editions), an unpublished manuscript, original illustrations, and tons of 1960s NWC ephemera. I'm including pics of a great flyer for Holm's NWC-themed dance troupe when they performed at Portland State (where Malin taught) in 1965. If anybody else collects signed first editions, post them here! Thanks!

 

I don't collect books.....but...I do have a signed 1st edition copy of ,

Tangible Visions by Allen Wardwell
&
Robert Davidson , Eagle of the Dawn,
&
NWC Indian Graphics , by Vincent Rickard.
&
From the Wolf and Bear, by the Inuit Gallery...signed by the 3 artists,
Stan Bevan, Ken McNeil & Norman Jackson...

& one or two more floating around..

 

Those are great! I worked for Norman in Ketchikan for two summers while I was an undergrad. He's a great artist, he made a number of objects for me - 2 model totems, a frontlet, and two silver pendants.

 

I luv frontlets.....

 

Show us your frontlets! Preferably modeling them.

 

I collect signed firsts as well. I know nothing about the subject matter or authors of your particular area of interest, but I have to say that your collection is amazing! Gorgeous examples with super cool signatures and artwork. Ordinarily personalizing a book to someone lowers its value as opposed to a simple signature, but you may have the exception to the rule. Love that formline drawing.

Thanks for sharing, and please feel free to show more. I'd probably pass on the frontlets though......

 

Here are some pics of the pieces that Norm made for me - the small beaver pole in yellow cedar I purchased, the octopus in hinoki wood he gave to me as a birthday present, and the alder beaver frontlet (unmounted/no rigging) he gave to me at the end of the 2007 summer season. The two silver pendants I purchased from him.

 

Very cool!

OK, I guess I envisioned "frontlets" as something else....

 

Ordinarily, a frontlet would be mounted to rigging with whale baleen, ermine fur, flicker feathers, and sea lion whiskers to be used as a headdress. This guy just hangs out on my shelf as a sculpture. I'm always on the fence about making the rigging for it.

 

frontlet is Kick ass !!!!!

 

Nice.....

 

Glad you like it!

 

r u sure it's a frontlet?
just asking cuz i don't know the size.....and size matters..

 

I am. Again, it's not rigged up, but it's the right size to be. Here's a photo of Norman working on it.

 

Ha...he's not working on it ....he's telling it where to go !!!!!

It's on the large side.....but ya...still frontlet size !

 

that was a joke....

 

I try to have a copy of every book on NW Coast native art, not necessarily first editions, or signed, but it is nice to meet the artists and authors.
I've got some nice signed Hilary Stewart's, and my wife visited with her a number of times at her home, having interesting conversations...
and some of Bill's, and Robert Davidson, Steve Brown, and others.
Not real photogenic I suppose...and currently hidden behind our Christmas tree.

 

I watched Don Yeomans carve the wood model used for this bronze.
I told him then & there...I'll buy it right now..... he said no.
It was supposed to be used for a pet food commercial.....
I can't say if it was...or wasn't....but years later these bronzes showed up on the market.
He never liked the bowl anyways....