This lavish fourth volume in Abrams' Slim Aarons collection revels in his longtime love affair
with Italy. From breathtaking aerials of the Venetian canals and Sicilian countryside to
intimate portraits in the villas and estates of celebrities and the beautiful people Slim's
photography captures the essence of the good life of the rich and famous of Italy. Italy
undeniably held a special place in Slim's heart. As a photographer for Yank magazine he
witnessed the Italian campaign during World War II and was present at the liberation of Rome.
Later after the war he abandoned Hollywood to travel to Rome as a photographer for Life
magazine. Even after he relocated to New York he would return to Italy almost every year for
the rest of his professional life. His extensive archive documents the aristocracy high
society celebrity cultural elite and international jet set that found sanctuary in Italy's
most beautiful places. In addition to being his stock and trade what he called photographing
attractive people who were doing attractive things in attractive places these images paint the
social and cultural geography of fifty year of Italy from the Liberation of Rome to the 1990s.
The introduction by Christopher Sweet will portray the close friendship between Slim Aarons and
Robert Capa that began in Italy as well as compelling evidence supporting the claim that Slim
was the real life photographer on which Jimmy Stewart's character in Hitchock's Rear Window is
based.
