Saudi Arabia: Photographs and Documents of Saudi Royalty and the King Khalid Military City
£2,800
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photography
Auction: 11 October 2017 at 11:00 BST
Description
Photographs and documents of Saudi Royalty and the King Khalid Military City, Saudi Arabia, comprising: "Ground Breaking Ceremony", 1978, photograph album 117 colour photographs, c.8 x 13cm, each numbered, dated 31st January or 1st February, showing the ceremony itself and preparations, including various photographs of royalty, other dignitaries and one of Robert Azzi in the process of taking the photograph described below, several photographs feature in the work A New City is Born; Azzi, Robert King Khalid and Prince Fahd at Ceremony, photograph, signed, 61 x 46cm, taken on 1st December at the Dedication at Hafar Al Batin during the Ground Breaking Ceremony through the glass partition in a car, one of five artist's proofs given to Azzi, signed by Azzi (unnumbered) and David Rose who prepared the proof and inscribed by Azzi: "For Nils - with best wishes, + thanks!!"; [Saudi Ministry of Defence and Aviation, and others?] A New City is Born 1977-1978. [N.p., n.d.] 8vo, original green cloth, dust-jacket, RARE: no copies found on Copac or OCLC, probably produced as a small run, containing numerous printed photographs; US Army Engineer Division - Middle East Briefing on Construction Program for King Khalid Military City. [Al Batin], 1976. Technical document pre-dating the Ground Breaking Ceremony, labelled "Copy No. 14", 25 x 29cm, including , 41 un-indexed colour models, artist's impressions, aerial views, highly detailed maps and plans relating to the construction of the city; US Army Corps of Engineers Middle East Division King Khalid Military City, Al Batin - Project Plan Update June 1978. [Al Batin], 1978. Technical document published shortly after the Ground Breaking Ceremony, 2 volumes, each 24 x 28cm (collection)
Footnote
Note: The King Khalid Military City was built between 1974 and 1986 along Saudi Arabia's border with Kuwait, by the US Army at the request of the Saudi Ministry of Defence and Aviation. The Ground Breaking Ceremony marked the beginning of construction on 1st February 1978, and was attended by King Khalid, Crown Prince Fahd and Prince Sultan among others.