Polaroid Close-Up. Volume 14, Number 1. April 1983. Barbara Kasten, Philippe Halsman, et al.

Large format glossy magazine, not limited to Polaroid photography, with heavy weight illustrated wraps. This issue includes "Barbara Kasten: Picture Apparatus," by Belinda Rathbone; "At the Edge of Beauty and Decay," by William E. Parker (20x24 Polaroids of flowers by Chris Enos); Polaroid photographs by Philippe Halsman of Georgia O'Keeffe, Susan Sontag, Danny Kaye, Mickey Rooney, Father Cyril D'Arcy, Edward Steich, Dr. Bronowski, Peter Sellers and Ursula Andress, Alfred Hitchcock, Five Rockefeller Brothers, and Weegee; "The Artful Marie Cosindas," by Jeffrey Simpson; "The Shavanti of Central Brazil," by William Crawford; "Cool Light" by Isaac Asimov; and "The Manifold Shapes of Time: Tucson's Center for Creative Photography," by Estelle Jussim, with mostly unfamiliar photos in color and black-and-white by Ansel Adams, W. Eugene Smith, Paul Strand, Paul Caponigro, Edward Weston, Ralph Gibson, Judy Dater, Harry Callahan, Lee Friedlander, Frederick Sommer, Imogen Cunningham, Jerry Uelsmann, Dean Brown, Aaron Siskind, Arnold Newman (portrait of Siskind), Joyce Neimanas, Kenda North, Robert Fichter, and Betty Hahn. Summary:

olaroid Close-Up (Vol. 14, No. 1, April 1983) is a prominent, large-format glossy corporate-arts magazine published by the Corporate Communications Group of the Polaroid Corporation. Edited by respected photography curator and editor Constance Sullivan, the 58-page issue functions as a high-end showcase for how contemporary fine artists, photojournalists, and writers interact with both instant and traditional photographic mediums.

Core Content & Featured Portfolios

1. Contemporary Profiles and Large-Format Experiments

The issue features deep dives into the workflows of boundary-pushing contemporary artists, illustrating how Polaroid's proprietary technology was being adopted by the fine-art establishment:

• Barbara Kasten: Features an essay analyzing Kasten’s highly structured, architectural, and geometric studio fabrications.

• Chris Enos: Includes an essay focusing on Enos’s large-scale, expressive macro botanical studies captured using Polaroid’s massive, studio-bound 20x24-inch instant camera.

2. Historical Restrospectives and Portraiture

A major centerpiece of the volume is a curated portfolio dedicated to the legendary portrait photographer Philippe Halsman. The magazine reproduces Halsman's striking portraits of major 20th-century cultural, artistic, and political icons, including Georgia O'Keeffe, Susan Sontag, Alfred Hitchcock, Edward Steichen, Mickey Rooney, Danny Kaye, Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, Weegee, and the five Rockefeller brothers. Additionally, the issue features an essay celebrating one of the earliest pioneers of creative color instant photography.

3. Documentary and Scientific Intersections

True to Polaroid's identity as a bridge between technology, science, and culture, the issue includes:

• William Crawford: A documentary feature highlighting ethnographic visual work.

• Isaac Asimov: A contribution by the famed science fiction author and biochemist, bringing an intellectual, scientific perspective to the magazine's broader thematic framework.

This issue also includes a major profile on the University of Arizona's Center for Creative Photography (CCP) in Tucson. The feature highlights the repository's world-class archives, showcasing masterworks and research materials from canonical photographers such as W. Eugene Smith, Paul Strand, Edward Weston, Harry Callahan, Imogen Cunningham, Aaron Siskind, Jerry Uelsmann, and Betty Hahn.

Copies available:

• VG- condition, with two front cover crimps and some spots on back cover, interior pages are fine. 
• VG with minor rubbing, crimp, and spots on front cover.
• Fine.