RARE BOOK GUIDE - THE RUNNERS, THE RIDERS & THE ODDS

23 February 2010

Michael Cooper. Blinds & Shutters (1990)



Michael Cooper. BLINDS & SHUTTERS. Genesis/ Hedley, Guildfrord, 1990.

Current Selling Prices
$350-$3000 /£500-£2000


PHOTOGRAPHY / ROCK MUSIC
A desirable photobook, from cool limited edition publisher Genesis, of the work of beautiful person and rock photographer Michael Cooper. Like all rock snappers - Mick Rock, Keith Morris, Chalkie Davis, Dominique Tarlé etc.,- he is beneath the Martin Parr radar but that doesn't stop the book changing hands at sizeable prices. Cooper is probably best known for shooting the cover of Sergeant Pepper and also the Stones drug addled response Satanic Majesty's Request. He had the dubious honour (healthwise) of being Keith Richard's closest friend and was with Jagger, Richard, Robert Fraser, Marianne Faithfull and Christopher Gibbs at the famous Redlands Bust. So opiated was the environment he moved in that it is amazing his pictures are in focus. He was also at the Stones French exile residence Villa Nelcote in 1973 but sadly was one of those troubadours who got killed before they reached Bombay-- he overdosed that year (some reports say suicide.)



Getting close to the Stones appears to have been a perilous business, some of Coopers photographs show whole gatherings of young groovers who are now long dead, exquisites, dandies, flower children--all broken butterflies and moths to fame --extending the lepidoptera metaphor George Melly called Cooper a "dragonfly that darted and hovered across these careless years." His photo below demonstrates the casualty rate- of this bunch only the indestructible Anita Pallenberg is still with us- from left you have Brian Jones, Nicki Browne, Bill Willis, Talitha Getty, John Paul Getty II and Anita all tripping on acid near Luggalor - a Gothic castle in the Wicklow mountains home of Tara Browne ('he blew his mind out in a car...').



Blinds and Shutters is one of the finest and most valuable of Genesis publications. More valuable are their editions du tete, the lavish de luxe productions some limited to 100 copies. The most famous are the two signed George Harrison books Fifty Years Adrift (1984) and I, Me, Mine (1980) both of which can sell at over £2000. Equally desirable, talking of broken butterflies, is the more recent Mick Rock volume of photos of Syd Barrett 'Psychedelic Renegades' the de luxe of which was fully subscribed form the get-go; amazingly it is signed by the madcap himself. Copies on Ebay signed by Syd can make £2500 [to be continued with a monumental list of all the signers of Blinds and Shutters--all copies are signed by Bill Wyman and eleven other 60s scenemakers and none of the 5000 are the same--the most valuable copies have the rarest signatures, its a minefield...] Below Cooper shoots Beaton snapping Keith by a pool in Marrakech, man.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

You might find Nicki Browne is still in the land of the living. Thanks for this though.

Anonymous said...

Got one mint condition copy for sale.. stig@snorkel.no

Anonymous said...

I am about to see my copy that is superior mint condition. It's #92 with a photo of John Lenon and Yoko Ono on front. Signatures from Eric Clapton and many more..
dhopkins77@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

Correction to above post: I am about to *sell* my copy on Ebay...

Anonymous said...

I have a copy that I want to sell. Mint condition. #368 of 5000. Any ideas who to contact to engineer the sale? smd6107@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

I'm interested in buying a first edition. Hit me if you've got one at filmmxman@aol.com

Ribbit said...

Hello from New Zealand. I have a pristine copy of this beauty. No 123. Signed by Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Ian McGlagan, Bill Wyman and7 others. Anyone interested in buying? Of course buying from New Zealand you're sure to get a real good deal. Long live the 60's

jff said...

Anyone selling a copy of Blind & Shutters at a reasonable price ? Interested in buying one.

Anonymous said...

I have a contributors edition here and have never seen one for sale anywhere, does any one have any ideas of what this is worth. It has some damage to the spine where the red ink has run, but being one of only 250 contributors editions must help its value! You can contact me at brodie_nz@hotmail.com if you know anything more than I do!

Andrea said...

I have a copy signed by Keith Richards for sale.
Anyone interested please contact me.

Anonymous said...

I have a mint condition boxed copy for sale (we tried on ebay but no takers) Where should I try to sell it? thanks pls email mrsp306@aol.com

Anonymous said...

I have a super limited edition, a Contributors Edition, one of only 250, Roman Numerals, for sale. Perfect condition. In the USA. If interested, let me know, I'll give you more particulars: mfeder@aol.com

Anonymous said...

I have a pristine mint condition boxed copy for sale (only handled with gloves), number 3335, signed by Bill Wyman plus Leonard Cohen, John Mayall and Graham Nash plus others, the unique cover photo is of Anita Pallenberg, for more info pls email bernievg@live.com.au

Herviken said...

Copy signed by William Burroughs and others. Unique cover picture is Donovan.
Probably for sale if price is right.

kjetil.hervik@gmail.com.

Anonymous said...

Mint condition still in its original foam box. Will sell make me an offer.
lester.curtis1@bigpond.com

Matthieu said...

I have one for sale; number 3618, signed by Peter Blake, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, etc. Also personal messages to me from Bill Wyman and Spencer Davis dated 1990. Mint condition!
m.vanderkruijs@hotmail.com (Netherlands)

gvout said...

I wish I could afford a copy. Is there a Blinds and Shutters owner willing to do me a favor? Contact Greg at gvout@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I have a mint condition still in the box for sale , only seen light a handfull of times

Only genuine buyers please with genuine offers, I can send pictures.

contact me: Frank freeman_cooper@optusnet.com.au

Will ship anywhere around the world