Adding books as part of the decoration of a house is not something new. May those books be exclusive pieces that are available to very few It is what makes them works of luxury. There are not many publishers in the world that are dedicated to this very reserved market.. And there are not a few projects that in the past have been doomed to failure due to the high cost of producing these books and their low margin.
We talk about pieces that go beyond what is known as coffee table books. Those that usually adorn the quietest corner of a house, that serve as inspiration for a quiet moment, to escape among your careful photos and forget about the digital world. They are limited editions that, due to their size, binding and price, are usually reserved for the most exclusive houses, palaces or yachts on the planet.
The giant books of Opus
(Photo: Opus)
Karl Fowler He left his stressful job in investment banking Goldman Sachs to open a very different business in 2005. He fully trusted a fashion that at the beginning of this century spread like wildfire among the wealthy classes of the planet: giant books.
They were the exclusive sneakers of today. Collector’s editions, of considerable size, with exclusive and very well cared for photographs on popular themes. Especially sport. was born Kraken Opus.
Giant books for sports lovers
(Photo: Opus)
His first book on Manchester United broke molds. A copy that weighed 44 kilos and of which 10,000 units were published and sold for around 4,500 pounds. They even had their own store in Covent Garden.
At the end of the decade financial problems began. Today the business is still active under the name Opus and publishes limited editions of sports such as boxing, football or Formula 1.
(Photo: Opus)
His most expensive book currently available is one about the Irish photographer Robert Carlos Clarke. There are only 100 copies of this book in the entire planet. With a size of 70 cm x 48 cm and weighing 17 kilos, it brings together a large catalog of his erotic photographs.
Also portraits of celebrities such as Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Jerry Hall, Dita Von Teese, Liz Hurley, Elton John o Rachel Weisz. It can be purchased for about 7,500 pounds.
Taschen’s handcrafted specimens
(Photo: Bags)
The German publisher Bags It has one of the most recognizable giant books of recent years. Yours is the giant book on the history of Ferrari that does not go unnoticed. Neither because of its size and content, nor because of the aluminum case designed by Marc Newson and inspired by an engine Ferrari.
A numbered edition signed in its entirety by Piero Ferrari. Under its leather cover they hide 514 pages packed with motorsport history in a also fascinating size: 32.3 cm wide by 43.2 high. The book only cost around 5,000 euros and with its select case it was sold out at a price of 50,000 euros.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s impressive book
(Photo: Bags)
Bags currently has a similar artistic example although with a very different theme. It brings together the work carried out during ten years of collaboration between the photographer Annie Leibovitz and the actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. One hundred copies signed by the actor that are delivered with a lectern Wayside Shrine designed by Studio65.
The book brings together portraits, vintage bodybuilding images, movie stills, dozens of personal photos from the private archive of Arnold Schwarzenegger and exclusive interviews.
The art of the Rijksmuseum brought together in a unique specimen
(Photo: rijksmastersofthegoldenage.com)
For art lovers beyond the book itself, this limited edition has been created about the Rijksmuseum. Photographs and illustrations about the works of Rembrandt, Asselijn, Vermeer o Van Ruysdael they meet in the Rijks Masters of the Golden Age. More than a book with a size of 70 x 50 cm, 35 kilos and 450 pages.
A publication that contains interviews with contemporary celebrities from the world of philosophy, art, cinema or gastronomy. Ferran Adrià among them. For 9,500 euros it is delivered with a lectern specially designed for it.
The giant book about AlUla created by Assouline
(Photo: Assouline)
The editorial Assouline, dedicated to special and giant books, has really striking (and very expensive) publications in its portfolio. Among them is an absolutely spectacular one: A book of 15,000 euros on AlUla. It is a immersive publishing, of 168 pages, with illustrations and photographs that aim to delve in a unique way into the history and local culture of the destination.
With images taken by famous photographer Robert Polidori and interpretive illustrations by the Catalan artist Ignasi Montrealthe book “virtually transports readers to the destination”. The first edition of this printed gem (of which one copy remains) was made in May 2020, it measures more than a meter high by almost 77 cm wide and weighs 34 kilos.
2024-01-26 15:26:10
#exclusive #giant #books #planet
