ITALIA IMPERIALE

"THE BEST ITALIAN PROPAGANDA PHOTOBOOK FROM THE FASCIST ERA”

Folio (448x375 mm). [624] pp. With hundreds of b/n and color illustrations on thicker paper. The past pages are devoted to advertisement. Publisher's illustrated cellograf binding (minimal damage to upper cover). A very good copy.

First and only edition issued as a special edition of the "Rivista illustrata del Popolo d'Italia" on the occasion of the founding of the Italian Empire (May 1936). "The best Italian propaganda photobook from the fascist era [...] the ultimate guide to the Italy of Benito Mussolini, the Italian equivalent of the great Russian propaganda photographic books" (The Photobook, Parr & Badger, p. 175).

The impressive iconography consists of photographs by Bricarelli, Patellani, Ridenti and Stefani of Istituto Luce and beautiful color plates by Mario Sironi, Bramante Buffoni, Erberto Carboni, Paolo Garretto, Ruggero Micaelles and Marcello Nizzoli. Extremely innovative is the graphic design by Luigi Poli. The texts are by Arrigo Solmi, Roberto Almagià, Luigi Federzoni, Achille Starace, Mario Appelius, Umberto Notari, Giovanni Agnelli, among others. The work is divided as follows: Storia del passato; L'Italia fascista; Versaglia e Ginevra; Precedenti del conflitto etiopico; La conquista militare di Abissinia; Fondazione dell'Impero; L'economia imperiale.

Italian Union Catalogue, IT\ICCU\LO1\0353811.

[10974]