This spring, Aperture presents the sixtieth anniversary edition of Edward Weston: The Flame of Recognition. Originally issued in 1965, The Flame of Recognition holds the distinction of being the very first book in Aperture’s publishing history.
This acclaimed monograph is an essential title in any library, covering the range of Edward Weston’s most renowned works, from portraits and nudes to landscapes and still lifes. Now offered as a softcover edition, The Flame of Recognition offers unmatched insight into the mind, life, and work of an iconic figure in the history of twentieth-century photography.
Aperture’s founders appreciated the generative potential of words and pictures; fittingly, The Flame of Recognition brings together a selection of Weston’s images alongside compelling examples of his writing, excerpted from his now-famed Daybooks and letters. Drawing on a decades-long collaboration between Weston and Nancy Newhall, Aperture cofounder and Museum of Modern Art curator, the book channels the photographer’s creativity and, in his own words, “present[s] clearly my feeling for life with photographic beauty . . . without subterfuge or evasion in spirit or technique.” Other contributors to the book include two of the artist’s sons, Brett and Cole, as well as two additional Aperture cofounders, the filmmaker and author Dody Weston Thompson and Ansel Adams, whose preface offers an insightful posthumous tribute.
As Aperture’s first book, The Flame of Recognition marks an important moment that changed the course of this nonprofit publisher’s history and role in the field. Content from the book was originally featured in a 1958 themed issue of Aperture magazine released in celebration of Weston’s life. In response to the overwhelming interest in this dedicated issue, Aperture’s founders made the decision to expand the reach of their quarterly magazine by adding a book publishing platform, whose list has since grown to include over one thousand titles. In 2015, Aperture reissued The Flame of Recognition to celebrate the book’s fiftieth anniversary; ten years later, Aperture is pleased to present this sixtieth anniversary edition in an elegant and accessible softcover, preserving the subtle beauty of the original.
Sarah Meister, Executive Director of Aperture, states, “The Flame of Recognition embodies Aperture’s long-standing commitment to recognize and amplify creative thinking from a broad range of perspectives in photography. It is an honor to celebrate the vision of our founders with this anniversary edition of Weston’s classic monograph, and to acknowledge their dedication to the medium that Aperture continues to value and uphold. Kelli Connell: Pictures for Charis [Aperture, 2024], which takes Weston’s road trips with his wife and muse, Charis Wilson, as a point of departure, is one signal among many of the enduring interest in this title. We are grateful for the generous support that allows us to make this landmark book available for future generations.”
This book was made possible with generous support from Lisa and Harry Segalas and an anonymous donor. Edward Weston: The Flame of Recognition is available at aperture.org/books
Format: Paperback with flaps
Number of pages: 112
Number of images: 64 duotone images
Publication date: 2025-06-24
Measurements: 8 3/8 × 9 3/4 inches
ISBN: 9781597115872
Price: US $39.95 / CDN $55.00 / UK £30.00
aperture.org/books
