Chicago at Night, December 1965
A while ago, Sue B. sent me some slides to scan... photos taken by her father, Lou Perry, back in late 1965. Lou loved to take pictures, and this time he got some great, unusual shots of downtown Chicago on a wet and cold night.
This first one looks like a scene from a movie, with the Christmas lights reflecting on the wet pavement. The famous Marina Towers can be seen in the distance. I love the signs for clothiers and record stores.
Stanley Green's was a deli on State Street, between Monroe and Adams that (as far as I can gather) was there from 1965 thru the mid-1970's. To the left is the elegant Palmer House hotel, now owned by Hilton.
There's snow on that car! Somehow I would think there'd be a lot more of the white stuff in December, but maybe '65 didn't get those big snowstorms.
I love this shot of two men decorating a Christmas tree in the front window of the Brunswick Building on West Washington Street!
Here's a nice photo of the Brunswick that I found online.
And... another great photo, featuring Karolls, makers of men's clothing. They closed in the 1980's.
There are more fun Chicago-area photos from Lou and Sue coming up! Many thanks to both of them for sharing.
19 comments:
Major-
"State Street, that great street-!" Boy, they certainly weren't fooling around with those street lights - the 'Many-Headed Hydra' of streetlights, if you will. Those were the days. It's always such a treat seeing mid-century streets adorned with Xmas decorations.
Thanks to Lou and Sue for sharing these.
I see a Mustang in that first pic! At least, I think I see a Mustang in that first pic. Nanook, do I see a Mustang in that first pic?
These pics are all so special. The one of the two men decorating the tree in the lobby, is extra special. I could see that one being used for a professional ad for something, back in the day.
And I see a Fanny May candy store in that last pic. From what I've been told, they were sort of like the "See's Candies" of the Midwest and maybe even back east, as well.
Thank you for sharing more of your dad's wonderful photos with us, Sue!
By the way, I'm pretty sure that man on the ladder, has gone past the official "Do Not Go Beyond This Step" step!
Mid century goodness here, and as usual, Lou has perfectly captured all the beauty of that toddlin town at Christmas. I want to jump in to all these shots. Thanks to Lou for the great shots, and to Sue for sharing them. Anyone want to step in to Palmer's Pub for a pint? Thanks major.
Thanks, Lou & Sue. These are amazing!
TM!, I think the refrigerated air is getting to your head. There are no horses at all in that first picture.
That first shot is pure joy! The cars are wonderful! In December 1965 I was 3 years, 3 months old and at the perfect age to begin noticing cars. Therefore, these cars will forever be what cars are "supposed" to look like. And yes, that's a Mustang in front of the red Bug. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's a 64 1/2 in Sunlight Yellow. My mom had a 65 Galaxie in that color. Thank you, L&S and Major!
I've only been to Chicago once, about 12 years ago, visiting cousins who live in Riverside, once a 'summer home' community for the Chicago rich. It was clean and vibrant and we spent almost $200 dollars for lunch for 4 at Frontera Grill! Never before or since have we spent that much for lunch! Or any meal, really.
The Blue Angles were there for an air show, screaming over the city. Stay there, I'm gonna set up my slide projector. Don't go away!
Great photos, great lights, great cars, great town. Thank you Lou for these and Sue for making them available. Stay safe, you two. I hope the virus is contained at Lou's home.
Thanks, Major.
dz
What great shots these are Sue and Lou! I have never been to Chicago :( The place I want to step into is Stanley Green's! My Dad took tons of slides on his and mom's vacations, but they were all so boring. Mostly plants, greenery, generic outdoor things. Nothing of any real interest like these. I also hope everyone is staying healthy during this time and protected. Yes, it is boring and I am missing going out but at least I have fun sites like this to visit. :)
Nanook, I wonder if those very badass streetlights were some sort of city-wide attempt to reduce crime? Or they just liked bright streetlights, who knows. But I always think of the 60’s and 70’s as a time when we heard a lot about “crime in the cities”.
TokyoMagic!, gosh that must be one of the earliest Mustangs. They’ve been around so long it’s hard to imagine a time when they didn’t exist. I agree, the photo of the men decorating the tree in that lobby is extra great. And yes, Fannie May candy is the midwest’s “See’s”, my mom would always send our Wisconsin relatives See’s Candy and they would send us Fannie May candy. Now an Italian company owns FM!!
TokyoMagic!, that is for sure, I can just imagine him losing his balance. What a disaster.
Jonathan, I have spent some time in Chicago (and was born there!), but I wish I knew the city better, it’s a wonderful place. I’ll go to Palmer’s Pub for a Zima with a twist.
Chuck, I’ll bet that Mustang has at least 120 horses!
stu29573, I never really paid super close attention to cars. There were cars that I liked, and then other cars that might as well have been invisible. My older brother was into WWII airplanes, so I feel like I learned more about those! We had plenty of Revell models hanging from our bedroom ceiling in perpetual dogfights. “Sunlight yellow”, I love it.
dzacher, like any big city, Chicago can be very expensive it you want to really live it up. $200 for lunch for 4 is pretty amazing, did you have filet mignon in the afternoon?? Of course a bottle or two of wine can easily make a bill go sky high. I used to love to go see the Blue Angels, my dad was in the Navy, it was a regular thing with us. So amazing to see those four jets flying right next to each other.
Irene, I was somewhat surprised to learn that Stanley Green’s was NOT a place that had been there since the 1920’s; I figured it had probably had more than a few old time gangsters there back in the day. Ha ha, I have gone through plenty of boxes of slides in which there are just photos of flowers, and some lake, and then a random field with some trees. Some people just don’t have the knack.
Nanook, TM!, JC, Chuck, Stu, DZ, Irene - I'm glad you like these.
TM! Yes, Fannie May is the equivalent of See's, but their candy is not as good as it used to be, since the new ownership changed the quality of chocolate. "They" swear they changed nothing, but I KNOW my chocolate.
DZ - The Blue Angels (and all of the fighter jets) that would perform at the yearly air show were fantastic to see! I'm glad you were able to be there. I worked in Chicago for about 14 years and, a few times, I ate lunch at the "95th" - a restaurant on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building that has floor to ceiling windows. Eating lunch by the windows, while the fighters were practicing, was exhilarating - to say the least. The planes would zoom past at eye-level and then you'd hear and feel their rumble, a few seconds later. (I want to see your slides!)
I have more comments to add, and will do so, in a little while (as soon as I have another free moment) . . .
Major, full disclosure- We took the train in and so had a couple of cocktails each. Boom!
Our cousins affectionately, I think, called the Marina buildings the 'Corn Cob' buildings.
I wonder, not being from the mid-west, could someone please send me a sample of Fannie May chocolates? Chuck's card doesn't work anymore. I want to make a comparison to See's. To borrow a phrase- 'With a name like Fannie's, it's got to be good'. It's for science, don'tcha know.
Happy Saturday
dz
BTW, this is my first attempt to add pictures to my comments, so hopefully I did this right . . .
When I mailed these slides to the Major, I didn't know exactly what buildings or streets (in Chicago) were on these slides . . . until now. While working in Chicago, I walked past the Brunswick building often. Right across the street is the Picasso statue, looking our way, as you can see
HERE. This was always one of my favorite places to walk past, as the Picasso statue is in the Daley Plaza - which usually had a lot going on . . . the CHRISTKINDLMART at Christmas time - with lots of wonderful German shops set up outside and delicious German food for sale (I ate a lot of potato pancakes at lunch time, from there); bands playing; performers dancing, and more.
My office had some of their Christmas parties at the Palmer House [Hilton] - in their Empire Room (where Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and more, performed in the past) - probably the most beautiful location where I have ever attended a work Christmas party! Since our parties went on for hours, I would leave for a while and just walk around the beautiful hotel - taking in the lovely atmosphere (gorgeous lobby) and wandering through their gift shops. After one party, after dark (40 years after these pictures were taken), I walked to the train station while big beautiful fluffy snowflake clumps were floating down everywhere, on a still night, with beautiful Christmas lights and decorations everywhere (much more than when these pictures were taken). It was a magical moment, seared into my memory.
Major, thank you for posting these! You are a true Chicagoan - just like my dad, mom and me - all born in Chicago. I will admit, though, that our hearts have always been in California, too!
Sue
P.S. Yes, Lou is safe and doing well.
You know, I always had a soft spot for urban scenes, especially in the 1970s. They always had a grungy, gritty vibe behind them. You could almost feel the smog and urban decay in every nook and cranny. Made the urban landscape look real.
BTW, it's been a while since I've seen you all on my blog. I've been publishing new content more frequently now, especially due to the outbreak. Come by and check me out sometime. Thanks.
Magic Ears Dudebro, did you notice the person standing in the shadows, to the left, in the 3rd picture? It adds to what you said about the 'vibe.' It's interesting how 'downtown' Chicago has gone through changes over the years (like any other big city, I'm sure). When my parents were kids, they slept outside in the summer months - everything was safe and "wonderful." Then, as you mention, in the 60's, things changed - and not necessarily for the better, especially downtown. By the time I went downtown to work (1998), the city was a whole different world. A lot less concrete - lots of large flower planters and trees added to the sidewalks, and along the Chicago river; more parks and fountains, and a beautiful lake front - with Navy Pier and all the attractions added, with boats for lunch and dinner cruises, fireworks throughout the summer time, and so on. There still are areas in Chicago (outside of the downtown area) that I would NEVER choose to visit, but we were considering moving to Chicago, back in 1998. (We were even considering a condo in the Marina Towers, which was going for $70,000 at that time. Boy, we missed out on a good investment.)
Magic Ears Dudebro, I enjoy your blog and appreciate all the work you put into it! It's great to see 'younger' folks like you, taking the time to blog for our enjoyment! Thank you!
DZ, you said: We took the train in and so had a couple of cocktails each.
I presume you had the cocktails IN a Chicago restaurant or bar, but I bet you didn't know that some of the trains (Metra trains) into Chicago (that I rode everyday to work), also had 'bar cars.' Yep, cars set up with full bars and they sold drinks and snacks, for the evening rides back home. Boy, talk about noisy, but fun!
Sue
Yeah,we took the train into the city from Riverside and had our expensive lunch and drinks at the restaurant.
You mentioned, and I should have, about the trees and flower planters that add so much to the experience of downtown.
Thanks for your Chicago stories. Was it the winters that caused the move to California?
Dz
Dz, I'm still in the Chicagoland area (suburbs of Chicago). Our family has/had lots of relatives and friends living in California, so that's one of the reasons we took [and still take] vacations to Disneyland/California. We love California! The winters can be long and cold here (we had snow twice in the last 10 days). And my dad fell and broke his hip 12 years ago, thanks to our winter weather. Our jobs and family have kept us here, but we hope to be able to retire in a few years and move. Maybe Disneyland will be open, by then . . . let's keep our ears crossed. ;)
I love Chicago too, I’ve been there mostly for work. The Palmer House is a favorite, but I’ve never stayed there, just visiting the pub and hanging out in that amazing lobby with the ceiling paintings!
I had to stay at the character-free Hyatt up by the river with a disco in the lobby because my meetings were there.
Last trip was for a wedding, we stayed in Oak Park, toured the Wright neighborhood and took the train into town a couple of days. A civilized commute. But that weather...
Thanks for sharing these!
JG
JG, I always loved Oak Park. We lived in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago - which is right next to Oak Park. In the 60’s, one of the Wright homes was for sale and I remember my parents talking about how they wished they could afford to buy it. Was the wedding you attended in a church in Oak Park? (Just wondering because we went to church in Oak Park.). Thanks for sharing your stories.
Hello Sue, that's a great story about Wright houses. I'm sure they come up for sale occasionally, but not sure I would want to buy one. They probably come with all kinds of restrictions on what you can do with them, and expensive to boot. Then there would be the perennial maintenance issues. Wright buildings in general are noted for being leaky and difficult to repair, so many of the exotic tricks used in the design are not the best for keeping out the weather.
There is a great story about the Master and an irate client who called to complain about his leaky roof; Wright asked him "Why was he leaving a work of art out in the rain?"
No, the wedding was not in Oak Park, but in a neighboring town just to the west. I can't recall the name. It was in a beautiful stone church, not ancient, maybe 60-70 years old, but before the "modern" style took over. We stayed in Oak Park since it was close to the festivities, and had the architectural associations. We stayed in a hotel right downtown, a short walk from Wright's home and neighborhood, and the rail station where we could run into Chicago.
It was cold and wet, I've never been to Chicago in the summer, or the winter for that matter, Spring there is bad enough. We took the "Architecture Boat Cruise" on the river, which was really worth being out in the cold and wet to see, and finished up with a hot toddy at the Palmer House.
JG
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