The Concord Free Press, photographer Gilles Peress, and Kodak collaborate on photo essay book to raise funds for Hurricane Sandy relief on the one-year anniversary

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - One year after Sandy, the lethal hurricane that wreaked havoc on the mid-Atlantic, a new book is focused on raising awareness and funds for relief efforts. The book, titled The Rockaways, was conceived by The Concord Free Press and printed exclusively with KODAK Digital Technology. It combines visceral photos by renowned Magnum photographer Gilles Peress with the voices of residents of The Rockaways, one of the communities hit hardest by Sandy in 2012.

The project involved dozens of writers, editors, designers, print professionals, and publicists who donated their time and talents to create The Rockaways. Kodak served as the technology partner for the book, leveraging its state-of-the-art digital printing technology to deliver a high-quality final product on paper donated by NewPage Corporation. Blending output from the KODAK NEXPRESS SX3300 Digital Production Color Press with output from the KODAK PROSPER 5000XLi Press, the book showcases these two leading imaging technologies and the ability of KODAK Solutions to provide high quality and low cost for book publishers.

“This was a very unique production approach, using both electrophotographic and inkjet printing technology in one project,” explained Will Mansfield, Kodak’s Marketing Director for Inkjet Printing Solutions. “The publishing market is increasingly turning to short-run business models, and this book is a perfect example of the quality that can be achieved with our latest digital printing technology. With the right solutions, short runs can be cost effective, and publishers can mix and match the best solutions to achieve the desired results. Being part of this particular project was a very rewarding opportunity to bring our technology to bear on an important issue.”

Officially launched by The Concord Free Press recently at an event in New York City, The Rockaways will be available at no charge through independent bookstores, museums, and on the Internet. Organizers ask that recipients donate to a Sandy-related aid organization, another charity, or someone in need, and then pass the book on to another reader so that he or she can donate as well. One of the important benefits of using digital printing for these books is the ability to sequentially number each individual copy so that readers can track donations via the Concord Free Press website.

“The Concord Free Press is on the outer edge of the publishing world, exploring new ideas and approaches, challenging assumptions, and creating books that matter—like The Rockaways,” says Stona Fitch, Founder of The Concord Free Press. “We’re proud to have the chance to collaborate with a technology visionary like Kodak, which shares our belief in the power of print. With Kodak as our technology partner, we could be confident that the book would look fantastic and make a real impact with readers.”

A number of national media outlets, including the New York Times,Huffington Post, The Atlantic Wire, and Shelf Awareness have already covered the project. To find out more about the book, visit http://www.concordfreepress.com/the-rockaways. To see a video showcasing the book production and launch event, visit http://youtu.be/twq7YRj48WE.