Polygraph Rare Books…

…is an independent online bookshop specialising in Surrealism and 20th-century livres d’artistes. It was set up in 2006 by Mark Baczoni. After graduating from Cambridge in 2003 with a degree in History and History of Art, Mark worked in the Book Department at Christie’s, and has also experience of working with some of London’s top antiquarian book dealers, including Bernard Quaritch Ltd., and Simon Finch Rare Books.

A strong interest in modern art and a love of books led Mark to explore the meeting-ground of the two, and exploration that has, in more than three years in the London and Paris book worlds, to an awareness of the rich interaction between artists and authors in the 20th century. So many of our favourite artists worked also on illustrating books - and it is these books, with their wonderful, important, and often neglected illustrations, that we’d like to share with you now…

“‘What do you propose to call yourself?’

The man straightened his tie and replied: ‘Poligraph Poligraphovich’”