Doe Avedon at the Gare du Nord, Paris, August 1947.

Photography by Richard Avedon, from the book Avedon Fashion 1944–2000, which accompanied the recent Avedon exhibition at the International Center of Photography in New York. Emily gave it to me for my birthday and it made me really happy — it's a big, beautifully designed book featuring essays by ICP curator Carol Squiers, Vince Aletti, and photography historian Philippe Garner, and 245 of Avedon's most iconic fashion photographs.I posted about the ICP exhibition here and here, and Emily and I had a chance to see it last time we were in New York, right before it closed. Actually, we scheduled our trip with that in mind — we were really looking forward to seeing it, and I'm glad to say that the show did not disappoint in the least.Looking at photography online and in books is great, no doubt, but seeing printed work in person can be a very moving experience. Visiting ICP is almost always first on my list of things to do with free time in New York.The current show is Dress Codes, ICP's third triennial of contemporary photography and video, running through January 17, 2010. Visit icp.org for more info.