BRANDED YOUTH AND OTHER STORIES

Boston and New York: Bulfinch Press / Little, Brown and Company, 1997. First printing. Near fine.. Signed first edition from the noted photographer - inscribed to the mother of musician Jeff Buckley, who Weber featured in this book. Buckley, best known for his indelible cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" (as well as his majestic debut album GRACE), tragically drowned the same year BRANDED YOUTH was released. Weber photographed the singer a number of times throughout the early to mid 1990s, and Weber includes two images of Buckley on pages 70 and 71 of this book. Weber would later say of Buckley and others he photographed who died young (like River Phoenix, also included here): "I had amazing encounters with these people [...] They were so alive for me. I believed so much in what they thought, what they were doing, how much they loved doing things. They had that romance, that kind of honesty" (APERTURE). A tender and moving association from this major photographer. 10.5'' x 8.25''. Original black-and-white photographic boards. No jacket, as issued. Illustrated throughout in black and white, with a handful of images in color. Unpaginated (300 pages approx.). Inscribed by Weber on the title page: "for Mary / Jeff and his music came / into my life when I first / photographed him. I just / never wanted to stop listening / to his music or stop / taking his photograph. / He was [underlined] and is [underlined] / a ray [underlined] of light. / Bruce Weber / NYC 1999." Touches of shelfwear. Bit of bumping at corners. Else bright and sound.