Tag Archives: Assouline

Assouline, waterproofing, survival, and luxury

Most unexpectedly, I received a media alert yesterday (March 12, 2012) from Assouline, a book publisher, about their latest project authored by Christine Dell’Amore,

Assouline celebrates the publication of South Pole – unveiling the world’s first waterproof luxury photography book. Forewords of this extraordinary title are written by HSH Prince Albert of Monaco and HRH Princess Anne of Great Britain.
Limited edition of 150 numbered

When:
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Where:        
Sotheby’s
, 1334 York Avenue, New York City

Details:

ASSOULINE, the luxury brand renowned for collectible books on subjects ranging from fashion and travel to epicurean arts and viticulture, is pleased to announce the launch of its first waterproof luxury tome, South Pole, a limited edition of 150.

South Pole is a heroic tale of a team of explorers who made the treacherous journey down to the South Pole led by Captain Robert F. Scott. Thanks to Scott’s exceptional diary entries and outstanding photos their exploration was frozen in time.

The waterproof South Pole edition is made entirely of waterproof materials – including element proof paper, nylon thread, a uniquely formulated glue, and a thick resin for the cover.  It is the first luxury survival book of its kind featuring a collection of stunning black and white photography from Herbert Ponting alongside entries from Scott’s harrowing personal journal.

The book’s proceeds are graciously donated to the Antarctic Heritage Trust whose mission is to preserve expeditions and the thousands of associated artifacts that survive for the benefit of future generations, and inspire people through the values associated with adventure, discovery, and leadership.

The limited edition copies are priced at,

Artist’s Limited Luxury Edition (Waterproof) – $3,000

There are two ‘more affordable’ versions,

Special Edition – $1,050
Trade Edition – $45

The company is a luxury publisher (from the company’s About Us page),

Assouline began with an idea and a belief: the first, a notion that beauty, perfected, has meaning that is capable of transforming our lives; and the second, that a book—artfully crafted and highly considered in its visual content—can open our eyes and minds. With our first book, La Colombe d’Or, we sought to convey the experience of a small hotel in the south of France, a tiny, sublime world of art, history, luxury, and inspiration unto itself. Over time, that world has been expanded to create a universe that is anchored by our books but no longer limited to paper and pages.

Whereas other firms present themselves as curators of culture, Assouline seeks to be an engine of culture. We conceive of the company as a platform by which to disseminate the best thoughts and visions of the greatest creative minds, and our collaborators include the world’s foremost artists, photographers, writers, architects, fashion and interior designers, and culinary masters. Capitalizing on the incomparable network of founders Prosper and Martine Assouline, we activate our talent, production, and distribution to develop a custom-tailored solution unique to every project, whether books, furniture, leather goods, candles, gifts, or retail partnerships with other major luxury brands.

We have always heeded the French expression savoir vivre, which translates roughly as knowing how to live. This means being guided by a clear value set that privilege our passions. It means we put our resources and our time into things that matter: knowledge, relationships, and experiences; into history, culture, and travel. It means we favor things that are rare and precious not for their price tag, but because they enrich our lives. We are visual beings before we are verbal ones, and in every aspect of its presentation, products, and services, Assouline seeks to communicate the maximum content and value. Our ethic is aesthetic.

I have viewed the book online; it really is an ‘objet d’art’ and not their most expensive one by any means. You can view/purchase it here.

There’s more about Assouline (eponymously named) and its founders in an article by Lesley M. Blume (The World of Assouline; How a luxury book publisher has thrived in an anemic market) for Slate.com,

Plenty of publishers would have jumped at the opportunity to bid for the Radziwill [Lee Radziwill, sister to the late Jackqueline Kennedy Onassis and a member of the beau monde in her own right] project, but the book was a natural fit for Assouline Publishing, which has published more than 1,000 exquisite photography books celebrating the beau monde since 1994. Its first book, La Colombe d’Or, celebrated a quiet hotel in the south of France where the Assoulines had spent many blissful weekends. “It was exactly our vision of luxury,” Prosper recalls. “Small, with fantastic spirit—no marble and flowers, but full of art and soul.” He took the photographs; Martine wrote the text.

I’m glad to see a book publisher achieving success although it does suggest that, in the future, physical books will be ‘objets d’art’ and not that accessible to those of us who don’t have a lot of money.

In the meantime, I am most interested in how they made the book waterproof and whether there were any nanotechnology-enabled products involved.