He was 94. His classic book of photographs, Nelson Algren’s Chicago, was published three decades after shooting them for Life during the height of Algren’s fame in the 1950s. The magazine never used them.
Art Shay [Photo: Steve and Dick Shay]
Algren and Shay in a photo taken by Marcel Marceau when he came to Chicago on one of his theatrical tours.
According to Shay’s obit in the Chicago Tribune by Rick Kogan, the late Roger Ebert once said that Shay’s photography “shakes you up, sets you down gently, pats you on the head and then kicks you in the ass.”
Hey Jan. This is a book I’d love to see. God I miss real cameras. — Chris
Yes, it’s a beauty. All black & white. I’ve got it on my bookshelf. Come up and see it some time.