Hat & Beard was in Chicago last week hosting a salon and installing a pop up.

With several recently released books to promote, we held a salon and sale at the new Hoxton hotel in the West Loop. Deep in their swanky Apartment space, Hat & Beard publisher and editor JC Gabel moderated a discussion about inimitable musician Lou Reed with Mike Heath and Pat Thomas, the editors of My Week Beats Your Year: Encounters with Lou Reed, our latest book. Vintage audio clips of Reed answering questions from curious if poorly matched journalists served as perfect proof of his legendary irascibility. 

After a short break and a quick visit to the bar, we resumed the program with an introduction from artist Joey Garfield of Hamburger Eyes, a 30-minute documentary directed by Aaron Rose produced by Hat & Beard Films, in association with Mailchimp, on the seminal street photography magazine of the same name. Our book, SF Eyes, which compiles the best of the best San Francisco themed photos from 20 years of Hamburger Eyes photography, was just released on Hat & Beard Press.

Finally, the new Asrai Garden location in the Ace Hotel is now the only place in all of Chicagoland to carry all available Hat & Beard titles. Go and get'em, Chicago.