Pouting Nicole Kidman, Whoopi Goldberg in a bath and a bikini clad Ellen DeGeneres go on show in new £1,750 Annie Leibovitz book

  • Photographer has produced 'sumo-sized' book of her famous work
  • Collection includes arresting images of actors, musicians and politicians
  • Aim is for it to be displayed rather than read and comes with its own stand
  • Collector's item on sale for £1,750

By Lucy Waterlow

PUBLISHED: 04:26 EST, 4 March 2014 | UPDATED: 06:18 EST, 5 March 2014

In a career spanning four decades, photographer Annie Leibovitz has snapped some of the world's most famous people.

Film stars, musicians, politicians and athletes have been just some of the high achievers who have posed in front of her lens as she's worked for publications including Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Vogue.

Now some of her most famous images - and others that have never been seen before - are to be showcased in a new book that has been several years in the making.

Striking portrait: This image of Ellen DeGeneres features in Annie Leibovitz's new book

Striking portrait: This image of Ellen DeGeneres features in Annie Leibovitz's new book

Prolific career: Actress Nicole Kidman is one of many Oscar-winners who have been in front of Leibovitz's lens. She's pictured here with director Baz Luhrmann

Prolific career: Actress Nicole Kidman is one of many Oscar-winners who have been in front of Leibovitz's lens. She's pictured here with director Baz Luhrmann

The tome will be a 'sumo-sized' collector's edition produced in collaboration with Taschen.

But you'll need to be a Leibovitz super fan with deep pockets in order to afford it as the hard cover book has a price tag of £1,750, which includes a tripod-style stand to place it on.

Leibovitz, 64, said the stand is important since this is a book to display rather than read.

She explained in a interview on Taschen's website: 'It’s not really a book. It sits on a stand. You can find a photograph that you care about and leave the book open to that and sort of dwell on it. There was a lot of discussion with Frank Goerhardt, the Head of Production, about paper.

Splashing around: This image of Whoopi Goldberg illustrates Leibovitz's point that her pictures involve an element of performance

Splashing around: This image of Whoopi Goldberg illustrates Leibovitz's point that her pictures involve an element of performance

'He would say, oh, when it sits there, you don't get the glare with this or that paper. I didn't realise at first why that was important.'

She added: 'It's hard to design a book that is not really a book. Everyone who worked on this built it as a book while trying to understand it as an installation.

'I'm not sure we succeeded completely, but we tried. This is not a book that you're going to put in your lap. You're going to look at it from a distance. One picture at a time.'

The large display book comes with an accompanying supplement book explaining the artistic portraits.

Olympian: Carl Lewis still looking athletic in high heels

Olympian: She once captured Carl Lewis still looking athletic in high heels

They include a stylised shot of Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman ready for her close-up with director Baz Luhrmann, musician David Byrne in a jacket made from leaves in a Magritte-inspired snap and actor Steve Martin covered in paint for a Rolling Stone magazine cover.

There's also a striking images of comedienne Ellen DeGeneres with a white made-up face in a bikini and Whoopi Goldberg part-submerged in a bath tub.

The photographer admitted that over the years, her favourite subjects have been comedians because of the element of performance involved in her shoots.

She said: 'Having your photograph taken involves a performance, portraits particularly. The photographer provides the subjects with a stage - but then they have to project... My background as a photographer is as an observer. I'm a terrible director.

The book spans Leibovitz's 40 year career
The book comes with a specially-made stand

Collector's item: The book spans Leibovitz's 40-year career and is designed to be displayed on a specially-made stand included in the hefty price

'The performers I have the most rapport with are comedians, who make up a very special group. They're sort of like maniac depressives. I sympathise with them. They are usually also very intelligent.

'The challenge for a photographer is to create a visually funny picture without it being stupid. It's difficult to take a funny picture.'

The Leibovitz collection will be limited to a total of 10,000 signed and numbered copies produced with four different dust jackets.

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I want Carl Lewis' shoes.

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1,750 times 10,000 equals seventeen million five hundred thousand pounds. . A print run of 10,000 is limited, by definition, but a long way from rare. Will this collection make money? It certainly will but not for the purchaser. Ten thousand invested in shares or a painting would do much better. I wont be buying it.

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I thought it was a picture of Grace Jones with her top off. I was thinking she was brave for someone so flat chested.

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CARL LEWIS HAS FANTASTIC LEGS!!!!!!

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That's Bob Woodward ("All the President's Men") behind Annie L. in last pic.

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Meh...

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Pretentious rubbish

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"It's hard to design a book that is not really a book. Everyone who worked on this built it as a book while trying to understand it as an installation". Why are all these people so pretentious? It's a book!

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Carl Lewis... a legend in talent, body and heels...

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I gotta say - in a world of cheap this and second-rate that, Taschen produces first-quality products to be proud of. I'm not surprised to read that even a perfectionist like Leibovitz was surprised at their attention to detail. Their books are treasures. I'm saving up to buy their large-scale book on circus history - oh, how I've lusted for that, as I wouldn't for one produced on the cheap!

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