Tag: A R Gurrey Jr

Hand-assembled and one of only 8 known examples, ‘The Surf Riders of Hawaii’ is illustrated with actual photographs and is regarded as the first book dedicated to the sport of surfingBURBANK, Calif. – Whether you’re an armchair surfer or can confidently hang ten alongside Kelly Slater, you’ve probably heard of The Surf Riders of Hawaii – the earliest and most important book pertaining to the sport of surfing. Only eight copies of the book – all of which contain actual photos of surfers in Hawaii around 1910-1914 – are known to exist. One of those extraordinarily rare books will be auctioned on January 27th in an online-only event through LiveAuctioneers. It is the top prize in a 350-lot selection of goods being offered with no reserve by Los Angeles Estate Auction.‘The Surf Riders of Hawaii’ by A.R. Gurrey Jr., the earliest and most important book pertaining to the sport of surfing, circa 1910-1914, one of eight known survivors or an unknown original number. Handmade with eight gelatin silver period photos of surfers in Hawaii, adorned with hand calligraphy and including poetry and prose by Lord Byron and GurreyThe Surf Riders of Hawaii books were handmade by A R Gurrey Jr, who had a shop in downtown Honolulu that sold photos, either loose or framed. He also did custom framing and produced and sold greeting cards and holiday cards that were printed as photographs, then trimmed and folded to the appropriate size. A distinctive trademark of Gurrey’s work was the addition of hand calligraphy, which added beauty and flair to the surfing books. “There can be no question that Gurrey was passionate about the surfing-book project. He was a member of the Hui Nalu surf club that counted as one of its founding members the legendary Duke Kahanamoku,” said a spokesman for