Two new books chronicle Courier-Journal’s 150 years of ‘stellar documentary photography’


For 150 years, the Courier Journal has been Kentucky’s storyteller, winning 10 Pulitzer Prizes for compelling stories, cartoons and photographs. It’s a proud newsroom tradition that has served generations of readers across the commonwealth.

A community of photographers has passed along a tradition of amazing images from generation to generation. It includes Charles Betz’s photos of Babe Ruth and Charles Lindbergh’s trips to Louisville in the 1920s and ’30s, to Michael Clevenger’s exceptional horse racing photography today.

There has been an unbroken chain of stellar documentary photography.

Now, for the first time, the extensive work of the Courier Journal’s photo staff has been assembled and curated into two books:

• “Picture: Muhammad Ali” chronicles the life and times of Louisville’s most famous son, through extraordinary access and behind-the-scenes photos from age 12 through his global boxing career to his 2016 death.

• “Picture: Kentucky” is a tribute to the state and the wonderful photos shot here and throughout the world by our photographers.

“Picture: Ali” and “Picture: Kentucky” will be available this fall.

“Our archives are overflowing with some of the best photojournalism found in any American newsroom,” said Rick Green, editor of the Courier Journal.

“We’ve shared many of these images with readers in our daily printed editions and our courierjournal.com digital site. It’s an honor to now share these curated books, filled with memorable scenes of the life of Muhammad Ali and the wonders of Kentucky, with readers. We are certain you’ll enjoy them.”

To place an order for this collection of books, go to; cjbookproject.com and receive a 20 percent discount until Oct. 1.

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