Items | Digital Collections at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library

Chicago Yacht Club
Image | 1904 | Picture ChicagoPhotograph has been vignetted.
Illinois Trust and Savings Bank
Image | 1906 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "The Illinois Trust and Savings Bank at the corner of Jackson Boulevard and La Salle Street is one of the oldest and most stable institutions in the city. The architecture of the building is particularly attractive, although the surrounding skyscrapers dwarf its really fine proportions. It is said to be an exact model of the Bank of England."
LaSalle Club
Image | 1888 | Picture ChicagoFrom text: "The LaSalle Club is a political and social organization. All the leading Republican politicians belong to it, and it is the centre of Republican activity in Chicago. … Organized in 1884 … early in 1888 it took possession of the fine building it now occupies, at 252 West Monroe Street, formerly the residence of C. C. Holton, Esq. The house is of marble, three stor...
Railway Exchange Building
Image | 1906 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "This edifice is numbered among the handsomest office buildings in the city. It is located on Michigan Avenue, near the Art Institute, overlooking Lake Michigan. The structure is devoted to office purposes, being designed especially for the accommodation of railroad headquarters." Building designed by firm of Burnham and Root.
McVicker's Theatre
Image | 1910 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "McVicker's Theatre, "Home of the Tragic Muse" By Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society"". Image undated but appears to be from the 1860s.
Wood's Museum and Theatre
Image | 1910 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Wood's Museum and Theatre Originally Kingsbury Hall By courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society". Image undated but appears to be from the 1860s.
View southwest from Court House dome
Image | 1910 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Views from the Court House dome in 1858 La Salle and Washington Streets (Looking South and Southwest) By Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society". View to the southwest, with masts of ships in the Chicago River in distance.
Montgomery Ward Building
Image | 1906 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Montgomery Ward & Company Building The headquarters of one of the largest mail order concerns in the world, located on Michigan Avenue and Madison Street. The structure enjoys the distinction of being the highest in Chicago. All orders come to Montgomery Ward & Company by mail, and sales are not otherwise made."
State and Madison Streets
Image | 1930 | Picture Chicagoit reaches its peak at State and Madison Streets, 'the busiest corner in the world." View is looking south on State Street, from just north of Madison.
Illinois Central entrance to Chicago
Image | 1930 | Picture ChicagoSoldier Field, Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium in the foreground". From text: "Central Station, on the Boulevard System, has an incomparable situation on the lake shore. Just off Michigan Boulevard, Chicago's most imposing thoroughfare, at Roosevelt Road, it places all of Chicago within easy reach by automobile. It is convenient to the down-town hotels, the theatres, steamsh...
Federal Building
Image | 1930 | Picture Chicagoit contains the principal Federal offices, including the Post Office, the second largest in the U. S., which does an annual business of almost $62,000,000, approximately one-seventh of the gross yearly business of the entire Post Office Department of the United States. A view of the great central rotunda is highly impressive."
Chicago theatres
Image | 1930 | Picture ChicagoFrom text: "Chicago is one of the best theatre cities in the land, in number of playhouses, in the variety of entertainments presented, and in point of discriminating patronage. Many high-grade productions originate in Chicago, and practically all current plays of established merit may be seen there during the season. Most of Chicago's theatres are open all year."
Farwell's Building
Image | 1883 | Picture ChicagoFrom text: "Within the past year they have moved into their new building, the largest, most extensive, and best arranged for their business in the East or West. … Regarding the architectural beauty of this building, it can be truthfully said to rival any building in Chicago. It is constructed of Philadelphia pressed brick, with stone trimmings, and the architects and contrac...
Chicago's reconstruction plan cover
Image | 1919 | Picture ChicagoText on cover: "Chicago America's Greatest and Most Attractive City Burned 1871 -- Rebuilt as by Magic--Now Her Reconstruction Plan".
Front of the Iroquois Theater
Image | 1903 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "In front of the theater at the time of the fire, December 30th, 1904, 4 p.m."
Chicago Plan street improvements
Image | 1919 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Map showing the Chicago Plan improvements proposed for the heart of the city in connection with the central street system."
Plan for Michigan Avenue
Image | 1919 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Plan of boulevard to connect the north and south sides of the city, view looking north from Washington Street. Painting by Jules Guerin. From the collection of the Chicago Plan Commission. Copyright, The Commercial Club of Chicago."
South plaza of new Michigan Avenue
Image | 1919 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "South plaza of the new Michigan Avenue looking south from bridge showing possibilities for attractive development. Drawing by A. N. Rebori."
Scene after shooting of Alfred Lingle
Image | 1930 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Put On the Spot--Alfred (Jake) Lingle, Tribune reporter, was shot down in a subway, just off Randolph Street and Michigan Boulevard at 1 o'clock in the afternoon as he, with a blond youth, were hurried along with a crowd towards a train bound for the races at Washington Park. The "blond" youth stepped back a few paces, whipped out a snub-nosed revolver, shot Jake i...
Clark Street
Image | 1875 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Clark Street, south from Randolph."
The Rookery
Image | 1891 | Picture ChicagoFrom text: "The Rookery, twelve stories, corner Adams and LaSalle Streets, one of the chief office buildings of Chicago and one of the most ornate structures erected by private enterprise in the world--159 feet."
Chicago River
Image | 1875 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Chicago River, from Lake Street Bridge."
Wellington Hotel
Image | 1893 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "[Engraved for The Standard Guide Company.] Wellington Hotel, Wabash Ave. and Jackson St. [See "Hotels."]" From text: "Located on Wabash avenue and Jackson street. This hotel, although only known to the public for about one year is now recognized as one of the ultra fashionable hotels of the city. The hotel is magnificently arranged, decorated and furnished in the h...
Homecoming banquet
Image | 1914 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Homecoming banquet at the conclusion of the world tour--Congress Hotel, Chicago, March 10, 1914." Photographer name is illegible.
Plan to straighten Chicago River
Image | 1921 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Plan to straighten South Branch of Chicago River." From text: "By straightening the river, as the city council has very recently proposed to do, the land lying between Clark Street and the present river channel would be capable of harmonious development along normal rectangular lines. ... Briefly, this report recommends the straightening of the Chicago River betwee...
University Club
Image | 1920 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "The Mullion-windowed University Club." Located at 76 E. Monroe St.
Clark and South Water Streets
Image | 1860-1869 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Corner Clark and South Water Streets Before the Fire. Original owned by Chicago Historical Society".
Terrace Row
Image | 1860-1869 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Terrace Row on Michigan Avenue Before the Fire". Terrace Row was located where the Auditorium Building now stands (at Michigan Avenue and Congress Boulevard).
Henry Field Room
Image | 1912 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Henry Field Room, Art Institute: Containing paintings of the Barbizon School"
Women's room in safe deposit vaults
Image | 1902 | Picture ChicagoFrom text: "At the left is a reception room for women, furnished quite in the style of a similar apartment in a luxurious residence. A uniformed maid is in attendance, the huge mahogany table in the center of a splendid rug contains a score of late magazines, and the chairs invite the visitor to rest and read. At one side of the room is an open fireplace topped with a marble...
Peoples Gas Building
Image | 1920 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Beauty and Business." View is looking northwest, from the Art Institute of Chicago, towards the Peoples Gas Building located at 122 S. Michigan Avenue. The Pullman Building appears at left.
Chicago Opera House
Image | 1893 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "[Engraved for The Standard Guide Company.] Entrance to the Chicago Opera House. [See "Amusements."]". From text: "Located in the Chicago Opera House building, a magnificent structure, southwest corner of Clark and Washington streets, opposite the Court-house ... The theatre was built for Mr. Henderson, and arranged with the idea in mind of the subsequent production...
Chicago The Vacation City book cover
Image | 1930 | Picture ChicagoText on cover: "Chicago The Vacation City Illinois Center The Road of Travel Luxury". From text: "Grant Park, between East 11th Place, Michigan Boulevard, Randolph Street, and Lake Michigan, is Chicago's down-town playground, 303 acres in extent. … In Grant Park are ... Buckingham Fountain ... [and] ... Ivan Mestrovic's bronze American Indians ..."
Chicago from the air
Image | 1930 | Picture ChicagoCaption: "Chicago from the Air, Showing Lake Michigan, Grant Park and Michigan Boulevard". From text: "Europeans have sauntered up Michigan Avenue at theatre time, when the moon was climbing out of the lake, silhouetting the classic lions of the Art Institute against a Maxfield Parrish sky, glorifying the Grecian peristyle with its silver radiance, and they have pronounced i...
South Water Street today
Image | 1919 | Picture Chicagoobstructive to its prosperity, and a conflagration danger to the whole Loop district. South Water Street is a physical misfit. If left as it is, it must forever remain dwarfed, destroying its own usefulness."
Ambulance loaded with fire victims
Image | 1904 | Picture ChicagoFrom text: "While the streets began to crowd for blocks around with weeping and heartbroken persons in mortal terror because of knowledge that loved ones had attended the performance, patrol wagons, ambulances and open wagons hurried the injured to hospitals. Before long they were called upon to perform the more grewsome [sic] task of removing the dead. In wagon loads the la...
Chamber of Commerce
Image | 1869 | Picture Chicagoand above this the grand hall, where the members of the Board of Trade assemble daily. The building is surmounted by a Mansard roof, pierced with oval windows, the corners ornamented with urns. The entrance consists of four handsome Corinthian columns, from which spring three arches supporting a handsome balcony, underneath which a broad flight of stairs leads to the first f...
Chicago harbor
Image | 1869 | Picture ChicagoFrom text: "In 1833 Congress made the first appropriation of $30,000 to improve the harbor. The north pier was run out a short distance and a light-house erected. An embankment was made to cut off the river from her old channel, which had previously emptied into the lake near the foot of Madison street. This work was commenced in the summer of 1833, and vigorously pushed for...
Christian Brothers Academy
Image | 1869 | Picture ChicagoFrom text: "The Academy of the Christian Brothers, on Van Buren street, near Clark, was first opened in the spring of 1868, and has already achieved a very high and deserved celebrity. In the Order of the Christian Brothers, founded for the purpose of devoting themselves to the education of youth, the members are trained especially to fulfill the duties of teachers. How well...
Merchants Insurance Company building
Image | 1869 | Picture ChicagoFrom text: "One of the most stately and beautiful edifices in the United States, is the new building of the Merchants Insurance company of Chicago, on the northwest corner of LaSalle and Washington streets. It is five stories in height, and has a frontage of ninety-six and one-third feet on LaSalle street, and a frontage of one hundred and eleven and a half feet on Washingto...

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