The Astronomers Plan a Voyage to Earth.

N.p.: Apparition., 1999.. Original publisher's tan cloth, title to spine in black, original white pictorial dust-jacket with a reproduction of a drawing by Penn and titles to front cover and spine in black. 4to. (324 x 279 mm).. With 21 black and white plates. An excellent presentation copy with a long and admiring letter to the Swedish critic who had been the only one to appreciate Penn's first book 'Moments Preserved'.Irving Penn's presentation, is in black ink to the front free endpaper: 'To Ulf Hård af Segerstad / with admiration / Irving Penn'.Also included, loosely inserted, is a remarkable and personal letter from Penn, dated 'N.Y. Feb 7, 2000', in black ink on the photographer's mailing card: 'Dear Good friend, I am the grateful recipient / of Alison Durehed's translation of your recent writing / in Svenska Dagbladet. Over the years you have / enriched my existence with your generous appraisals. / Your words allow me to think more kindly of what / I do, as I recall with pleasure our converstions. / Warm greetings to you and your family. / Irving'.Ulf Hård af Segerstad had written extensively about Penn's 'Moments Preserved' (1960) and Penn's Swedish wife Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn had translated Segerstad's article. This prompted Penn to write to Segerstad: ' ... I would like you to know that it was the only review written on either side of the Atlantic which understood my aim, and was generous enough to say that it had been in some measure achieved ... '. The two maintained a warm and sympathetic correspondence over the course of the remainder of their lives.Irving Penn made the drawings in this lavishly produced volume in the years 1939 to 1942, before he had begun to take photographs; in 1997 he added a narrative about travellers to earth to accompany this group of works.