A swanky coffee-table book celebrates Charleston through profiles of 50 fascinating residents
Charleston: A Good Life by Ned Brown (top right) hits shelves October 3.
Picture this, if you will: Charleston mogul Anita Zucker gussied up and mid-tango. Die-hard angler Champ Smith primed for reeling. Artist Jonathan Green framed by his own vibrant work.
Such is the spirited thrust of Charleston: A Good Life (Arcade Publishing; October 3, 2017; $85), which profiles a gregarious gathering of 50-plus denizens-about-town doing what they love to do the most. The hefty tome’s creator is Ned Brown, a Charleston-based author and bon vivant who penned casual, conversational glimpses into each subject’s life. These are illustrated by highly stylized images from editorial and landscape photographer Gately Williams.
Inspired by fabled photographer Slim Aarons (known for the shots he began capturing of celebs and socialites in the ’50s), the approach was informed by discussions among Brown; his wife, Christina; and Mary Aarons, the late artist’s daughter. “We came up with the concept of profiling interesting people, doing interesting things, in beautiful places,” the author explains.
The first of a planned series set in different locales, it is intended to be more about bliss than bank holdings. From the well-heeled to the water-sporty (wet swimsuits splash a few pages), it aims to portray people leading rich, full lives. And, lucky for Charleston, we have those folks in abundance.
Photographs by (interior of Charleston: A Good Life) Molly Zacher & courtesy of (book cover & Brown) Arcade Publishing
