Free (nook/Kindle) Chicago Portraits [Photography Journalism History Archive Artbook]

[ATDrake]

Chicago Portraits by the Chicago Tribune Staff with a foreword by Rich Kogan (Wikipedia) and an introduction by Michael Zajakowski, is their deceptively simply-titled compilation of over a century's worth of photographic portraits from the newspaper's journalism archives, free courtesy of publisher Agate's Midway imprint.

This is an incredibly nifty freebie, which combines art with reporting with history, and places it all in context. There's stuff as recent as Lady Gaga's concert appearances, and as old as Charlie Chaplin's early silent film career, and all the portraits come with at least brief notes on who/what/when/where they were taken, with some giving additional retrospective explanation of the significance of the person/event they were capturing, and a handy index in the back lets you look up any particular persons you might have been interested in.

Currently free, probably just until the weekend @ B&N and Amazon (not available to Canadians, but free in the UK). May or may not also show up later as a DRM-free PDF download directly from the publisher's catalogue page, as Agate freebies sometimes do.

Naturally, this is a rather large file at 40+ megs, so you might prefer not to download it via 3G if your device's plan has data limits.

And this has been the (late!) selected 3rd (non-repeat) free ebook thread of the day.

Because not only is this a really nice historical artbook in its own right, it's great to see Agate getting back into the freebie giveaways after a lengthy hiatus, and making them free outside the US as well (now do Canada again! ).

As a reminder, Agate are generally couponable @ Kobo and eligible for other forms of discount/rebates at other retailers who carry their books, in case there's anything in their extensive catalogue of quality selections which happens to catch your eye.

Enjoy!

Description
The Chicago Tribune possesses a vast photo archive spanning its more than 150 years in publication. From the Civil War era through today, its photographers have captured thousands of people, from everyday Chicagoans to visitors to the Second City to well-known artists, athletes, and politicians.

For the first time, the best of these great photographic portraits are being collected in a large-format coffee-table edition. Chicago Portraits comprises the most memorable of the innumerable images that some of the greatest photographers in journalism have created over the past century. It's a unique showcase for the unsung photographers who've quietly documented daily life in Chicago, and through their decades of work created an unparalleled panorama of the City of Big Shoulders.

Curated by the Tribune's photography directors and compiled in a beautiful sewn hardback edition, this will be an engrossing visual cross-section of Chicago life that will be pored over by readers young and old for years to come. Chicago Portraits is a fascinating and colorful look into the lives and legacies that make up this great American city.