The most expensive book published in the 20th century

The photographer

Helmut Newton (1920–2004) was one of the most influential photographers of all time. He first achieved international fame in the 1970s while working principally for French Vogue, he became celebrated for his controversial scenarios. Most striking was his ability to make a throughly planned photograph seem fresh and dynamic. His many titles and awards included Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

The editor

June Newton, née Browne, was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1923. As a young woman she was passionately interested in the theater, and worked as an actress under the name June Brunell, receiving the Erik Kuttner Award in 1956. She married the photographer Helmut Newton in Melbourne in 1948 and became a photographer herself in 1970, using the pseudonym Alice Springs. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and publications, including Vanity Fair, Interview, Elle, and Vogue. Her many famous subjects include William S. Burroughs, Catherine Deneuve, Graham Greene, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Mapplethorpe, Yves Saint Laurent, and Nicole Kidman.

Helmut Newton’s SUMO

Publisher: TACHEN, Edition of 10,000

Hardcover with book stand, 50cm x 70 cm, 34.80 kg, 464 pages.

The Helmut Newton SUMO was a titanic book that towered above anything previously attempted. Twenty years later, we celebrate the legacy of this publishing venture in an XL edition, the result of a project conceived by Helmut Newton and revised by his wife June. Gathering 464 images and a new booklet that takes us through the making of the SUMO, it’s a spectacular tribute to the larger-than-life photographer.

The Original Book, published in an edition of 10,000 signed and numbered copies, the SUMO sold out soon after publication and quickly multiplied its value. It now features in numerous collections around the world, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

The legendary first copy, signed by more than 100 of the book’s featured celebrities, broke the record for the most expensive book published in the 20th century, sold at an auction in Berlin on April 6, 2000 for 620,000 German marks—about 317,000 euros.

Almost as enormous as its subject is influential, the original SUMO is an homage to the astounding photographer Helmut Newton. Edited by June Newton, supported with a Philippe Starck bookstand, and containing over 400 images, it covers every aspect of Newton’s outstanding career, chronicling his groundbreaking fashion photography, definitive nudes, and celebrity portraiture.

Limited Collector’s Edition of 10,000 copies, each signed and numbered by Helmut Newton, with bookstand designed by Philippe Starck.