SUMO

Helmut Newton’s SUMO is a monumental artist book, released in 1999 in a limited edition of 10,000 signed copies. Edited by the artist’s wife and fellow photographer June Newton, SUMO contains over 400 images, including his provocative fashion photographs that earned him the nickname “King of Kink.” The title SUMO derives from the volume’s sheer size and scale, measuring 20 by 27 inches and weighing more than 66 pounds. “I wanted to build a monument to the most important photographer of the 20th century,” explained the book’s publisher Benedikt Taschen. In 2000, the first copy of SUMO—signed by 80 celebrities featured in the artist’s work—shattered records when it reached $430,000 at auction, becoming the most expensive book ever produced at that time.