About
The Chicago Public Library Collections
Chicago’s
Front Door
The
grand design of Chicago has centered on the lakeshore from the
beginning. This collection of photographs, postcards, blueprints,
maps, documents and ephemera explores the impact that the development
of the Lake Michigan waterfront had on Chicago. From the earliest
days of French exploration, to the rebirth after the Great Fire of
1871, and through the two World’s Fairs, these images reveal
how the ever-changing lakefront affected the city’s history.
Researchers can also take a look at how the planning of the city has
changed through the years. With its many advantages, Lake Michigan
has shaped the course of Chicago’s history and will continue to do
so for many years.
Chicago
Renaissance
Photographs in this
collection highlight a time in Chicago history (1930-1950) that is
known for a surge in African American creativity, activism and
scholarship. Portraits of several African American community leaders,
performers, artists, writers and activists are represented. There are
also images of posters, pamphlets and events that helped define this
era of cultural development. Through these images learn how the
African American community pulled together during and after the Great
Depression to create a new community on the South Side that was
distinct and unequally their own.
Down
the Drain
Ever
wonder what lies beneath your feet? This collection of historic
photographs from the Chicago
Department of Water Management holds
the answers to that question. Featuring construction photographs of
sewers and tunnels, these images give researchers and the public a
rare look at the “underbelly” of Chicago. The sewer systems and
passageways that lie beneath our feet are critical for the health and
well being of our communities and are taken for granted everyday.
This is an opportunity to learn about how the technology of urban
infrastructure works and how Chicago became a leader in this field.
Millennium
Park
Chicago’s
Millennium Park is acclaimed for its art, music, architecture and
landscape design. The photographs in this collection provide a
fascinating visual record of the Park’s development, including
detailed images of the construction of Cloud Gate, the Jay Pritzker
Music Pavilion, B.P. Pedestrian Bridge, Crown Fountain and Millennium
Monument. Patrons can watch the site transform from an industrial
wasteland to a new urban park of world renown.
Ravenswood,
Lake View
Ravenswood, Lake View
is a growing collection of digitized photographs from the 19th
and 20th centuries. The photographs portray houses,
churches, public buildings, families, clubs, amusement parks, street
scenes, and more, sure to be of interest to patrons researching the
history of their homes and neighborhoods in the Ravenswood/Lake View
area of Chicago.
Remembering
Harold Washington
These photographs are a
unique record of the eventful years during which Harold Washington
was Mayor of Chicago, 1983-1987. He made history in 1983 by becoming
the first African American mayor of Chicago. Born and raised on the
South Side of Chicago, Harold Washington held several state and
national political offices prior to being elected Mayor. As Mayor, he
is remembered for his many accomplishments, including creating an
Ethics Commission; increasing minority business contracts with the
City of Chicago; opening up City government with a Freedom of
Information Executive Order; fighting for equal provision of public
services to all neighborhoods; and opening the City’s budget
process to public input and participation, to list just a few
achievements.
Tragically, seven
months into his second term, Mayor Washington died suddenly of a
massive heart attack. This image collection captures Mayor Washington
at community, political, and charity events, traces his Mayoral
years, and demonstrates his importance in the history of Chicago.
Teaching
with Digital Content
Teaching with Digital
Content covers aspects of the Civil War and the World’s Columbian
Exposition. Highlights include photographs from George Barnard’s
Photographic View of Sherman’s Campaign (first published in 1866)
and C.D. Arnold’s images of the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago.
These images range from the destruction of Civil War battles to the
soaring architecture of the World’s Columbian Exposition. Created
with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, this collection
of primary sources is designed to dovetail with the Illinois state
K-12 curricula.
Then
and Now
Have you ever wondered
what your neighborhood looked like 100 years ago? If so you might
want to take a look at this collection of photographs. The
neighborhoods of Ravenswood and Lake View on the north side of
Chicago are the main focus of this collection but the changes that
they have undergone in the past 100 years are representative of many
of the Chicago neighborhoods. Photographs from the 1890’s showing
farmland and tree covered areas on some of today’s busiest avenues
are representative of the dramatic changes that have taken place over
the years. More subtle changes are also represented and can be
compared with some examples of more modern photography of these same
areas.
Windows
on our past
After
the Great Fire of 1871, worldwide relief efforts provided many
materials for the rebuilding of Chicago and one of those materials
was books. Before the devastation of the fire, Chicago had no public
library system and books were found in universities, private
collections, and book shops. Following the success of the English
Book Donation after the Fire,
several prominent citizens met and decided that a public institution
needed to be established. The product of this meeting was the
Illinois Library Act of 1872. In January of 1873 the Chicago Public
Library opened its doors and these photographs trace our history.
From the first building in an abandoned water tower to the
development of branch and regional libraries, researchers can see how
the Chicago Public Library has progressed through the years.
