Richard Cahan Livres

In the late 1930s, the federal government embarked on an unusual project. As a part of the Works Progress Administration's efforts to give jobs to unemployed Americans, government workers tracked down 3,000 men and women who had been enslaved before and during the Civil War. The workers asked them probing questions about slave life. What did they think about their slaveholders? What songs did they sing? What games did they play? Did they always think about escaping? The result was a remarkable compilation of interviews known as the Slave Narratives. This book highlights those narratives--condensing tens of thousands of pages into short excerpts from about 100 former slaves and pairs their accounts with their photographs, taken by the workers sent to record their stories

Updated with new material to celebrate the ten year discovery of Vivian Maier's work This is the only book that tells the life story of Vivian Maier in words and pictures. Known as "the nanny photographer," Maier became an Internet sensation after her photos were put online in 2009. Since then, Maier's breathtaking pictures--which show everyday life in mid-century America--have earned her recognition of one of the masters of photography. Presenting her photographs alongside revealing interviews with those who knew her best, this volume puts Vivian Maier's work in context and creates a moving portrait of her as an artist. To better understand Maier, authors Richard Cahan and Michael Williams studied census records, ship manifests and interviewed every person they could find who knew Maier, from her childhood days in the French Alps to the families whose children she cared for in the United States. They combined this biographical information, much of it unreported, with more than 300 photographs that she took starting in 1949 to create the first comprehensive record of her life story.

Exploring the fate of significant American architecture, this book documents the destruction of over 100 notable buildings through compelling narratives and visuals. It highlights the efforts made to preserve some structures, the collective mourning of others, and the quiet disappearance of many that went unnoticed. Through this poignant examination, the book reflects on the cultural and historical implications of these losses in the American landscape.

The book features extensive bibliographical references, providing a comprehensive foundation for further research and exploration of its themes. This resource is designed to enhance the reader's understanding by connecting to a wider array of scholarly works, enriching the overall reading experience.

Chicago. It's a city of giants. From the Auditorium Building to the Sears Tower. Louis Sullivan, Richard Wright and Clarence Darrow - they have all left their mark. But Chicago rises from the prairie because millions of people call it home and have worked hard to make it great. People such as Gurdon S. Hubbard, the pioneer who loved a Native American princess, and Robert S. Abbott who called Chicago the Promised Land. People such as Margaret Anderson, the siren of Chicago's literary past, and John Peter Altgeld who signed his own political death sentence. From the Great Chicago Fire to the Great Migration, author Richard Cahan explores Chicago, its events and its people. He has found an epic story and used unforgettable photos to illustrate what makes the city so special. To turn these pages is to travel through the enchanted world of Chicago from 1830 through 1945. With an introductory message from Chciago Mayor Richard M. Daley, this is a people's history of a dynamic city. Cahan uses mementos - postcards, sheet music, newspapers, woodcuts, matchbook covers, posters, stereographs, police records, souvenirs and ticket stubs - to bring home the sweet story of Chicago.