Modernist Masterworks to 1925. From the "deLIGHTed eye," a Private Collection.

International Center of Photography, 1985. Edition of 3000. Large book in wraps, issued in conjunction with exhibition of works from the collection of Carlos Cruz. [Photographers include Eugene Atget; Alfred Stieglitz; Paul Strand; Ralph Steiner; Moholy-Nagy; Edmund Kesting; Tina Modotti; Edward Weston; Margrethe Mather; Constantin Brancusi; Man Ray; Alvin Langdon Coburn; Jaromir Funke; Frantisek Drtikol; Anton Giulio Bragaglia; Francis Bruguière; Albert Renger-Patzsch.] Beautifully printed by Meriden-Steinhour Press with a 300 line screen. Edition of 3,000. Very good copy with water mark and waviness on back cover and a modicum of wear at extremities. Summary:

Modernist Masterworks to 1925: From "the deLIGHTed eye," a Private Collection is a 30-page exhibition catalog published by the International Center of Photography (ICP). Printed in a limited edition of 3,000 copies, this oversized softcover volume serves as a curated record of a highly significant private collection assembled by South American collector Carlos Alberto Cruz.

Overview of the Catalog

• The Exhibition: The catalog was issued in conjunction with a landmark ICP exhibition, which marked the only time this extraordinary private cache of vintage photographic prints was displayed together publicly.

• The Scope: The collection is tightly focused on the initial dawn of modern photography, spanning approximately 70 exceptional vintage prints executed primarily between 1900 and 1925.

• Structure: The publication features high-fidelity duotone plates printed with an ultra-fine 300-line screen to accurately preserve the quality of the original prints. The front cover showcases a photograph by Francis Bruguière, while the rear panel features a work by Alfred Stieglitz.

Authors and Critical Analysis

The catalog's text is anchored by three primary contributors who analyze the collection’s historical weight and aesthetic architecture:

• Carlos Alberto Cruz: Authors an introductory essay explaining his personal collector's philosophy. He explains that he named the collection "the deLIGHTed eye" because of his fascination with how early modernist photographers used light with a level of freedom and ingenuity that completely broke away from contemporary painting.

• Jill Rose: Authors critical commentary detailing how she advised Cruz to build the collection. She outlines their specific strategy of crafting a "wish list" of elite photographers and hunting down single, "ideal" images that perfectly represented the pinnacle of each artist's career.

• Anne Hoy: Authors an art-historical essay framing the collection within the broader context of the transatlantic transition from traditional Pictorialism to radical, sharp-focus Modernism.

Featured Masterworks and Artists

The catalog documents a checklist of works by 33 revolutionary photographers who were deeply influenced by the artistic avant-garde movements of Western Europe and the United States:

• The American Masters: Highlights rare, transitional vintage prints by Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Edward Steichen, Ralph Steiner, and Edward Weston, alongside his frequent collaborator Margrethe Mather.

• The European Avant-Garde: Features camera-less abstraction, surrealism, and formal experiments by Man Ray, László Moholy-Nagy, Christian Schad, and Alvin Langdon Coburn.

• Global Pioneers: Documents vital early twentieth-century imagery from French street chronicler Eugène Atget, Italian Futurist Anton Giulio Bragaglia, Czech modernists František Drtikol and Jaromír Funke, and revolutionary artist Tina Modotti.