Posts tagged as:

Illinois

Century of Progress

May 4, 2010
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Here’s the reverse of the Morrison Hotel postcard I posted earlier. It’s not often that one finds tri-color printing on the back of a postcard, but this one has just that, in the form of a promotion for Chicago’s 1933 World’s Fair. Called, A Century of Progress, that’s definitely a must-see event for when I [...]

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Morrison Hotel

May 4, 2010
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Initially I was unimpressed by this postcard from Chicago’s Morrison Hotel, the muted colors and simplistic artwork failing to spark my interest. But when viewed larger than its original 3½” by 5½” the drawing comes alive, with vibrant pen work and subtle but effective details.

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Historic Illinois

March 3, 2010
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Nothing against the great state of Illinois, but is this postcard ugly, or what? Dating from the early 1960s, the back reads: GREETINGS FROM THE LAND OF LINCOLN Nearly a century and a half ago, a raw-boned youth planted his feet firmly on Illinois soil for the first time. With the long loose stride of [...]

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‘Tis the Willing Hand

February 13, 2010
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An interesting advertising postcard whereby the Remien & Kuhner wall paper house illustrates the danger inherent in papering one’s own home. If I’m reading the last number correctly, it looks like the card was postmarked in 1903.

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Grant Park, Chicago

February 4, 2010
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Officially designated a park in 1844, this expanse of land east of Michigan Avenue was called Lake Park until 1901, at which time it was named Grant Park in honor of the civil war general and 18th U.S. President. This Curt Teich postcard features a crowd enjoying a concert being performed from under the spectacular [...]

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Great Northern Hotel

January 22, 2010
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This postcard, published by P. Schmidt, was mailed to Colorado Springs from Chicago on Sept. 20, 1906. I’ve tried to find information regarding the publisher, and while I found a reference to an Author P. Schmidt & Co. that was active between 1888 and 1916, the description of their cards isn’t a particularly good match. [...]

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Army Consolidating Station, 1943

January 6, 2010
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Freight depot of the U.S. Army consolidating station, Chicago. The photograph was taken in April of 1943 by Jack Delano.

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Calvin Demarest

December 14, 2009
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Chicago native Calvin Demarest was a master of the games of pool and balkline billiards. He won the amateur championship in 1907 and 1908, and also captured the international amateur championship in 1910. Well known for his flamboyant play, Demarest is also remembered for having stabbed his wife during a psychotic episode in 1915. He [...]

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The River at Van Buren Street, Chicago

December 12, 2009
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This postcard goes way back, the postmark dated August 22, 1908. The card was made at a time when most all postcards sold in the U.S. were made in Germany. The outbreak of World War I ended trade with Germany and prompted a rise in the quantity, and quality, of American lithographics. I’ve also included [...]

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