The Vintage Chicago Channel
Vintage Chicagoland Photos, Postcards, and More

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Wrigley Field in 1947

Wrigley Field in 1947

An AP photo of the 1947 All-Star game, posted on Flickr by Matt Charoenrath. No rooftop bleachers yet, but if you look at the largest size of the photo, you can see plenty of folks watching the game from buildings on West Waveland Avenue.

The apartment building on the far left, where people are sitting on the ledge of the roof, is still standing at 1040 West Waveland Avenue. According to Jim McArdle's "Living the Dream: An Inside Account of the 2008 Cubs Season," it's the only building on Waveland or Sheffield that doesn't have bleachers and/or advertising, as you can see by the current street view of the building.

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Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Red Grange of the Chicago Bears in the 1930s

Red Grange of the Chicago Bears

Harold "Red" Grange eludes a tackle attempt by Joe Zeller during a Chicago Bears practice. According the Library of Congress details for this photo, it was taken in 1935, but it is likely from an earlier year, as Grange ended his playing career after the 1934 season. You can download a free high-resolution version of this photo from the Library of Congress.

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Monday, January 20, 2014

Martin Luther King in Chicago

Martin Luther King, Jr. at Chicago Freedom Movement Rally, Soldier Field

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Chicago Freedom Movement Rally, Soldier Field, on July 10, 1966. Posted on Flickr by UIC Digital Collections.

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Saturday, January 18, 2014

Lincoln Park Zoo in 1961

Lincoln Park Zoo in 1961

A photo of Lincoln Park Zoo in 1961, posted on Flickr by Jordan Smith.

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Friday, January 17, 2014

Governor Dan Walker Works the Crowd in 1973

Illinois Governor Dan Walker Greets Chicago Constituents During The Bud Billiken Day Parade in 1973

Governor Dan Walker works the crowd during the 1973 Bud Billiken Day Parade. Posted on Flickr by the U.S. National Archives.

Walker, who clashed with Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, served one term and was defeated in the 1976 Democratic primary by Michael Howlett, who lost the general election to James R. Thompson. In 1987, Walker was convicted on bank fraud charges and sentenced to seven years in prison. He served 18 months before being released. Though unlike three other Illinois governors convicted on federal charges (Otto Kerner, Jr., George Ryan, and Rod Blagojevich) his crimes were unrelated to his public service.

As a young child, I had a very brief encounter with Governor Walker at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. A very inebriated man stumbled out of a beer tent and came over to us and tried to shake my father's hand before he was hustled away by his aides. I was confused and asked my father who the man was, and he told me "that's the Governor of Illinois."

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Thursday, January 16, 2014

Union Station in 1943

1943 Jack Delano photograph of Chicago's Union Station

A 1943 Jack Delano photograph of Union Station, taken for the Farm Security Administration's photography program. You can download a free high-resolution version of this photo from the Library of Congress.

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Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Daley Plaza in 1968

View of Daley Plaza and Cook County Administration Building in 1968

A 1968 photo of Daley Plaza -- the Cook County Administration Building (where six people died in a 2003 fire) is in the background, across Washington Street, along with the Chicago Temple Building. Posted on Flickr by UIC Digital Collections.

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Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Michigan Avenue in 1951

Photograph of Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1951

A 1951 photo of Chicago's Michigan Avenue. Note the Seagram's sign on the left. Posted on Flickr by the U.S. National Archives.

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Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Oak Street Beach in 1959

1959 postcard of Chicago's Oak Street Beach

A 1959 Curt Teich postcard of Chicago's Oak Street Beach, posted on Flickr by John Winder.

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Monday, January 6, 2014

The Blizzard of 1979

Chicago blizzard of 1979

The Chicago Tribune has a gallery of photos of the 1979 blizzard, including the above shot of commuters waiting for buses at Randolph and State Streets. The Chicago Blizzard of 1979 dumped nearly 19 inches of snow on the city and suburbs on January 13th and 14th. Mayor Michael Bilandic was blamed for an inadequate response from the city and was defeated by Jane Byrne in the February 27th Democratic primary. Byrne then won the general election to become Chicago's first female mayor.

Also see: Life magazine's coverage of the Chicagoland blizzard of 1967.

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recent posts
Matching Shorts and Socks at the Corner of Chestnu...
Chicago's South Pacific Restaurant in 1966
Union Station in 1925
Chicago's Oriental Theatre in 1964
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View from the Field Museum in the Early 1960s
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Sports Illustrated Cover with Ronnie Bull of the C...
State Street in 1987
The Wrigley Building in 1960

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