Views of Chicago, IL (1957)

The following Curt Teich postcard photos were taken from the scrapbook of my mother, M. Jeanette (Lane), who had visited Chicago in June of 1957. Born in St. Louis in 1942, Jeanne often went to Chicago with her Granny Mae (Mary Jeannette Moore-Lane). This particular visit was made after she had moved to Phoenix the year before with her mother and step-father, and was the last time Jeanne would go to Chicago with her granny. She did, however, visit St. Louis on two known occasions afterwards: once with her husband in 1980, and once with her daughter and granddaughter in 1992. Jeanette passed away in Glendale, Arizona at the age of fifty-seven on 04 Nov 1999 and is dearly missed.

Note: Curt Teich, who opened his Chicago factory around 1900, was one of the most noted pioneer postcard publishers.

Questions, comments, corrections? Please feel free to contact Patricia Davidson-Peters.

GRANT PARK
BUCKINGHAM MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN

Dating as far back as 1835, Grant Park is proudly referred to as Chicago's "front yard" and is the site of three world-class museums - the Art Institute, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Shedd Aquarium. Its centerpiece is the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain.

Completed in 1927, the fountain is one of Chicago's most popular attractions and is one of the largest in the world. Dedicated to the people of Chicago in memory of her late brother, Clarence, Kate Buckingham worked with technicians many nights to achieve a "soft moonlight" effect.

The fountain, which is located in Grant Park at Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway in Grant Park operates from mid April to mid October, depending on weather. Every hour on the hour for 20 minutes it produces a major water display and its center jet shoot 150 feet into the air.

For futher information and hours to visit, see Chicago Park District's Outside Link.

"CITY OF TOWERS"
CHICAGO STADIUM (1929-1995)

Situated close to the loop, the Chicago Stadium was completed in 1929 and opened with a boxing match. It was the largest indoor arena in the world at the time and was the site of numerous historic events. Having been used for circuses, midget car races, rodeos, political conventions, concerts, water shows, bicycle races, soccer games, and church services, it was closed in 1994 and demolished in 1995. It was replaced by the sleek, modern arena of the United Center which was built next door.

CHICAGO TOWERS ...
PALMOLIVE; OLD WATER TOWER & WRIGLEY BUILDINGS

Built in 1929 as Chicago’s most prestigious office building, The Palmolive Building was headquarters of the Colgate-Palmolive Company. It is world renowned for its dynamic stepped design, and is considered to be among the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the world. Between about 1965 and 1989 it was known as the Playboy Building, as it housed the offices of Playboy magazine and its name "Playboy" was spelled out on both sides of the building in 9-foot illuminated letters. In 2001 the Palmolive Building began renovation to convert the offices into ultra-luxury condominiums, and two years later the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The oldest building along Chicago's Magnificent Mile, the constructed on the Old Water Tower began in 1869. Built in gothic style with limestone blocks, it stands out amongst the more modern buildings. Having survived the Great Fire of 1871, the tower remains one of Chicago's main symbols of resilience.

Triangular in shape, the Wrigley building was patterned after the Seville Cathedral's Giralda Tower in Spain and serves as the headquarters of the Wrigley (chewing gum) company. Built in 1920 by William Wrigley, Jr., founder of Wrigley chewing gum, it is situated on the approximate site of Chicago's first home - homestead of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. The building consists of two sections which are connected by an open walkway on street level and two elevated walkways on the 3rd and 14th story.

MERCHANDISE MART BY NIGHT
WACKER DRIVE & CHICAGO RIVER BY NIGHT

MERCHANDISE MART & WACKER DRIVE AT NIGHT

The Merchandise Mart building was constructed in 1930 by Marshall Field as a wholesale store. Spanning two entire city blocks and rising twenty-five stories, it is the largest trade center in the world. Declining sales during the depression forced Field to sell the building to Joseph P. Kennedy in 1945. From 1986 to 1991 it underwent major renovation.

A major street in Chicago, Wacker Drive borders the north and west sides of Chicago’s downtown "Loop" and runs along the south side of the main branch and the east side of the south branch of the Chicago River. The original two-tier roadway was completed in 1926 and stretched from Lake Street to Michigan Avenue, the latter of which was also rebuilt into a two-level road. In 2003 the roadway underwent demolition and replacement of the seventy-five year old viaduct.

NEW POST OFFICE & UNION STOCK YARD

Now considered "The old main Chicago Post Office" it was built in 1921, the original structure being a brick sided mail terminal building that still sits just east of the major building that engulfs the then Eisenhower Expressway. In 1932 it underwent a major expansion which added a total of nine floors. In 1997 a new, modernized facility was built and the old building was vacated. In 2004 it was used in the filming of Batman Begins, and in April of 2007 was used in the filming of The Dark Knight.

Construction of the Union Stock Yards began in June 1865 and between then 1900, approximately 400 million livestock were butchered within the confines of the Yards. By the turn of the century the stock yards employed 25,000 people and produced 82 percent of the domestic meat consumption, but due to the decline of the meat packing industry, it was closed in 1971. Still preserved in the writings of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle," Carl Sandburg's poem "Chicago," and Sinatra's song "My Kind of Town," the limestone gate which marks the entrance, also survived as a tribute to Chicago's heritage and was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1972.

CONSERVATORY AT WASHINGTON PARK
SOLDIERS FIELD & MUSEUM AT THE LAKE FRONT

CONSERVATORY AT WASHINGTON PARK & SOLDIER FIELD

Located at 56th Street and Cottage Grove, Washington Park Conservatory had been authorized to be built in 1869. Known as South Park until 1881, from 1897 until the early 1900s the park housed an impressive conservatory and ornate sunken garden whose gardeners became famous for the unique floral displays that surrounded the park's plant conservatory. At one time Washington Park was the most pictured Chicago park in postcards and stereopticon cards.

Located on Lake Shore Drive, Soldier Field officially opened in 1924 as Municipal Grant Park Stadium, but changed its name the following year to serve as a memorial to American soldiers who died in wars. Currently home to the NFL's Chicago Bears, it underwent a complete rebuild between 2002-2003.

LINCOLN PARK - NORTH AVENUE
OUTER DRIVE LINK BRIDGE & SKYLINE

Stretching from North Avenue on the south to Ardmore, Lincoln Park is a 1,200 acres and is situated on the lakefront facing Lake Michigan. The land here was initially used as a cemetery, but in 1864 the city council decided to turn it into a park. It now has many recreational facilities as well as a number of harbors with boating facilities, public beaches, landscaped gardens, a zoo, conservatory, nature museum, and a theater on the lake with regular outdoor performances during the summer.

The double-decker Link Bridge which crosses the Main Branch of the Chicago River opened in 1937, and was rebuilt in 1986. At the time the bridge was built, it was the longest and widest bascule bridge in the world. Several films based in Chicago feature scenes on Lake Shore Drive, including Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Blues Brothers, Risky Business, My Best Friend's Wedding, National Lampoon's Vacation and When Harry Met Sally. When the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, some 15,000 anti-war protesters marched across, and temporarily blocked, Lake Shore Drive.

Photos - Homes, Buildings & Places

Former Residence of Ralph M. Shaw (1427 N. State Parkway)

Lawyers of Winston, Payne, Strawn & Shaw

Chicago Landmarks (Outside Link)

The Birth of the Chicago Union Stock Yards (Outside Link)

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