Out and Proud in Chicago: An Overview of the City's Gay Community edited by Tracy Balm is an anthology of essays and other writings on the general history and specific mini-biographies of LGBT persons in the city throughout the decades, arranged chronologically and lavishly illustrated with many period photographs, free courtesy of publisher Agate's Midway imprint.
This is a repeat from mid-2012.
This was made to accompany the WTTW public television documentary of the same name, according to the publisher's website, and also has an accompanying website of its own:
Chicago Gay History.
It's done in a semi-academic style for many of the articles (some of which are reprinted from the Chicago History magazine), with extensive explanatory footnotes and source citations, as well as sprinkled throughout with topical sidebars. Really rather nifty and well-put together, IMHO.
Currently free @
B&N &
Amazon (not available to Canadians). Will likely show up in DRM-free PDF available worldwide
direct from the publisher's website in another couple of days if it follows the pattern of Agate's other recent freebies (currently just the presskit is up).
Description
Out and Proud in Chicago takes readers through the long and rich history of the city's LGBT community. Lavishly illustrated with color and black-and white-photographs, the book draws on a wealth of scholarly, historical, and journalistic sources. Individual sections cover the early days of the 1800s to World War II, the challenging community-building years from World War II to the 1960s, the era of gay liberation and AIDS from the 1970s to the 1990s, and on to the city's vital, post-liberation present.