The bibliographic data which accompany the following images are from the database of the Jack Ginsberg Collection and have been gleaned from the title, colophon or justification of the books themselves. Additional information has been taken from book-dealer’s catalogues, catalogue raisonnés of the artists’ work, recognised artist’s or dealer’s websites, collection records and personal correspondence with the artists or book dealers.

Each entry is accompanied by an exhibition number followed by a curatorial key (see below) which is used to position each book thematically in the exhibition. These numbers are followed by the title of the work in bold and italicised, followed by any subtitle. Thereafter, the entry provides the names of all known producers starting with the name of the book artist. This is followed by the publisher’s name and place of publication. If the work is privately published or produced by the artist, the entry reads ‘Artist’s publication’ followed by the known city and country in which the artist resides or resided when the book was made. Thereafter the following information is provided: the date of publication / production; the height of the book in millimetres; the number of pages if annotated. If the page numbers are not annotated, ‘unpaged’ appears. Thereafter, the specific number of the book in the edition is given along with the edition size. When the specific number is unknown ‘One of ……’ is listed. If the edition number and size are unknown, ‘unknown’ is stated. An ISBN, where applicable, is provided after the edition listing, after which any inscriptions are given. The bibliographic entry is completed with ‘Notes’ in which additional colophon information and important printing or other technical facts are provided.

Curatorial key:

MM1&2: Modernist books and/or artists/authors which also appeared on Riva Castelman’s 1994/5 MoMA exhibition A Century of Artists Books

MPM3: Postmodern books and/or artists/authors which also appeared on the MoMA exhibition

NMM2A: Important modernist books and/or artists/authors which did not appear on the MoMA exhibition

NMPM3A: Important postmodern books and/or artists/authors which did not appear on the MoMA exhibition

OC4: Offshoots of established books such as those by Edward (Ed) Ruscha and Stéphane Mallarmé

C: Contemporary artists’ books divided into the following themes:

C5 2/3: Visual-verbal Dynamics | Colour

C6 4/5/6: Journeys | Maps & Structures | Landscapes & Places

C7: Fantasy & the Fantastic

C8: War, Death, Fear & Apocalyptic Imagery

C9: Sex, Love & the Body

ZA: South African producer

List of artists