Alex Steinweiss. The Inventor of the Modern Album Cover, Art Edition (German, French, English) (AP)

This Art Edition (No. 1–100) features an original seven-color serigraph print of The Firebird Suite, signed by Alex Steinweiss. The artwork was originally created as the cover for Decca Records’ 1957 LP release of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet of the same name. It is accompanied by the signed hardcover monograph The Inventor of the Modern Album Cover, housed in a clothbound slipcase.

Art director Alex Steinweiss first created album cover art in 1940 and with it a new art form which would evolve to be as intrinsic a part of pop culture as the music itself. This Collector’s Edition showcases his unique combinations of bold typography and elegant illustration which took the industry by storm and revolutionized the way records were sold.