Not Your Typical Coffee Table Books!


A couple of the deliveries this week, but some books rather than prints or negatives. The books in question were both published by Taschen and featured the work of Serge Jacques, so not your typical coffee table books you could leave out for guests to flick through!

The first book was titled Icons with the orange cover and featured 190 pages of Jacques work, with many of them typical front and rear shots, as shown below. There’s a small introduction about his life and work and how he pushed the boundaries of uncensored glamour shots.


The second book, which I believe was the earlier book of the two, was much bigger at 766 pages. The cover is the same as the first book, but not as arty. The spine also features a great shot of Margaret Nolan. The book is split into several sections featuring Jacques work on Folies De Paris Et De Hollywood, at the studio, downtown and in the country. But all the photo’s have the signature Serge Jacques style of naturally uncensored shots. His groundbreaking nudes in the 1950s were often deemed obscene because he revealed his models’ pubic hair. He faced countless arrests, blacklists, and regular raids on his studio and darkroom.


Two great books full of uncensored open legged shots, but the small one does duplicate a lot from he bigger book. There are also some surprises, like shots of Ann Austin, June Palmer and other GHM models that posed for Jacques.

Incidentally, I also have an original black and white uncensored print of the model that poses on the covers. I’ll have to post at some point. ;)

Another Day, Another Corset! (1962)


Two stunning shots of Vera Day from the book 1962 book ‘Vera’ by Harrison Marks. What’s not to like about these two shots of Vera in striking corset, matching black panties and stockings posing on the backstage set. I love the coloured shot of her by the ladder, but there’s something quite domineering about the second one with the way she’s stood, hands on hips! I know if I was confronted by her looking like that I’d do as I’m told! :)

Vera Day – Nude & In Colour!

One of the few fully nude and colour images of Vera Day from ‘Vera’ by Harrison Marks. Classically posed on yet another leopard skin rug and it seems a leopard skin or sheepskin rug were de rigueur for any respected photographer back then!

Vera Day – Liptastic!

A shot of Vera Day applying lipstick in preparation for the next shot from the book ‘Vera’ by Harrison Marks.  Great mirror image with just a glimpse of boob thrown in as well!

Vera Day Nude

Two shots of Vera Day from the hardback book ‘Vera’ by Harrison Marks showing off a nude Vera in the top shot, with obvious re-touching and a shot in the familiar mirrored bath. Several models including Pamela Green and Tina Graham have posed in that bath before and one assumes this may be in GHM’s flat?

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