Pioneering preservationist Richard Nickel lived and died to save America’s architecture. He is remembered for the photographs he left behind. But he also left thousands of notes and letters—funny, angry, and always eloquent—that detail a life of passion and determination.

This book is the closest you will ever come to knowing Richard Nickel.

Collected here are his own writings, some yellowed with age, paired with never-before-seen photographs of the urban world he captured so well.

We are finally catching up to Richard Nickel. He took risks, spoke his mind, and championed an over¬size cause. His rebellion against the shortsighted disregard of great architecture appeals to a new generation interested in conservation—whether of old buildings or natural resources.

This singular book tells a life story through evidence. It is a narrative built around the written and photographic documents in Nickel’s life.

What he left behind still inspires people to stop and look. He is more relevant today than ever before.