Fine Books & Manuscripts

[CAXTON CLUB CHICAGO BY THE BOOK]. SEARS, Mardy, book artist and binder (proprietor of India Cloud House and conservationist at the Art Institute of Chicago). 101 Pandemic Portraits. [An altered Caxton Club publication of “Chicago by the Book: 101 Publications that Shaped the City and its Image”]. Privately printed, 2021. Small 4to. 101 book pages with collaged cyanotype portrait prints, hand stitched. Original Ethiopian binding technique with walnut covers and a Chicago star in red leather onlayed to boards, signatures lined with navy book cloth; folding cloth box. “What shapes Chicago more than anything? The answer I gave myself is: the people. I decided to create portraits of 101 Chicagoans to pair with the 101 publications; but how to go about this during a worldwide pandemic? I began at work while the Art Institute of Chicago was shut down and very few people were working in the museum. I wandered the empty galleries looking for those who were still doing their jobs - keeping the museum running. Almost half the portraits in this book were taken at work. I learned the names of colleagues whom I’ve worked with for a decade or more, and the project united us on a personal level at a time when we have been told to keep our distance. I found that the part of this project that filled me with dread, approaching people for photos, ended up giving me the greatest joy. Then as a polar vortex swept into Chicago and we had many days of snow, I began to take walks during lunch. I went into businesses that were still open and asked shopkeepers if I could photograph them for my project. I was often the only customer in the shop. I talked to strangers! I didn’t realize how much I enjoy talking to people I don’t know and it was such a pleasure to see their whole face. I took most of my photos in the downtown area surrounding the Art Institute… I felt the most connection to those who work in small businesses, who are surviving a pandemic, shutdowns, looting, and destruction of property. These are the few who have made it through difficulties and are still providing a service. This is not a group without bias - the portraits in this book have more to do with my own surroundings than anything else. Where did I go, and what did I see in the process? These photos as a whole tell a story of a place during a worldwide pandemic. Who continues to work onsite and interact with the public? Are there more men or women, young or old, how many are BIPOC? I remember where I was for each photo, some conversations, connections, and many instances of kindness (Sears).”