Acquisition by The Gorman Rare Art Book Collection

The COLLECTOR’S EDITION of The Best of the Best represents R. J. Kern’s third book project which engages a range of artisans and essayists.

The Francis V. Gorman Rare Art Book Collection at the University of Minnesota Library recently acquired the COLLECTOR’S EDITION of The Best of the Best (Edition 1 of 12) for their permanent collection.

This Minnesota book arts collection consists of art exhibition catalogs, rare artists books, illustrated periodicals (19th century), published sketchbooks from artists and architects, rare monographs, style guides, and zines from the 1500s to the present with focus on 19th-century and the post-1950 avant garde.

I greatly appreciate the enthusiasm and support of curator Deborah Ultan, enthusiastic in the intersection of book arts and photography. In my research for this project, she shared completed works published by the 21st Editions. I found it incredible to hold prints signed by Sally Mann and Cy DeCosse, study clamshell box design of Sheila Metzner’s work, and read colophon details of John Metoyer’s Blood Migration. I am growing to really appreciate the book arts in Minnesota and am proud to be apart of her collection.