Greg Borzo is the author of Chicago’s Fabulous Fountains (Southern Illinois University Press, May 10, 2017) Fountains have been flowing in Chicago since early in its history, softening the city’s hard edges and soothing its citizens. Alas, scores of these watertossers—from the scandalous Nymph Fountain to the
Top: Temporary Central Library Directory, The Chicago Public Library, 1975 Bottom: Courtesy of Joe Sislow Starting in 1975, the Central Chicago Public Library began moving out of its home since 1897 on North Michigan Avenue between Washington and Randolph Streets to several temporary quarters, including the twelfth floor of the
Architectural Forum, 1933; highlights added by author Fully 58 years before the Harold Washington Library Center was dedicated on October 4, 1991, the southern end of Chicago’s famed State Street shopping district was described in a 1933 edition of a national magazine as “horrendous” and teeming with “burlesque shows
Look around when you’re out and about Chicago. Check out industrial buildings. Look at basement windows, look at bathroom windows. It’s hard to miss glass block. This ubiquitous architectural detail got me wondering: where did it all come from? Is Chicago unique in its use (possibly abuse) of
Realty and Building Chicago’s longest-running real estate and building magazine from 1888 to the early 2000s was Realty and Building, named The Economist until 1946. Only partially digitized through 1922, Forgotten Chicago has photographed and scanned more than 6,500 articles and images from the 1920s to the 1990s,