Imperial & Imperial: Photographs by William T. Vollmann (2 Volumes)

New York/Brooklyn, NY: Viking/powerHouse Books, 2009. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. Vollmann, William T.. William T. Vollmann's monumental book "Imperial" explores the history of southern California's Imperial Valley that passes over the US/Mexico border and continues into Mexico from the U.S. Vollman looks at the situation on the ground and interweaves it with the long history of the region from Native Peoples to Chinese immigrants, Anglo settlers moving west, migrant workers from the south as well as illegal immigrants who cross the border daily. While writing and researching the book Vollmann also photographed the people and landscape he was (truncated) writing about, primarily with a large format 8x10 camera; many of the images he captured are included in the companion volume of photographs. Unusual to have as a set. First Printings. xxx, 1306 pp. 8vo.; 223 pp. Folio. Both volumes are clean, crisp copies with dust jackets in mylar covers. (Inventory #: 30406)