Anyone know where this is?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30885260@N06/4776113002/in/photostream/

Jarad, are you going to sell the photo?

Guess it could be almost anywhere. How about the SE corner of Webster & Sheffield, looking NNW?

Tim Wrote:
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> Guess it could be almost anywhere. How about the
> SE corner of Webster & Sheffield, looking NNW?


What makes you say that?

judging by the autos and the fact that one of the guys is wearing military garb, the most likely date is somewhere in the 40's. Tomek's is a very common Polish name. it's anybody's guess as so it could literally be any of the Chicago Polish neighborhoods from the 40's. Now whether Tomek's is a bar, deli, restaurant, store, etc..is anyone's guess.

other clues might be 1) venetian blinds 2) Bell telephone sign at doorway 3) men are nicely dressed, for Chicago ethnics in the 40's

so this could have possibly been a neighborhood bar/banquet hall, and this was some sort of event or family gathering.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/2010 12:50PM by captain54.

I found the exact location a few minutes after Jared posted the photo. I was curious if he was going to sell the photo.

Let me know what your price is and I'll see if I can get a better scan for myself. I didn't originally intend to sell it seeing as though I wasn't able to identify it.

$10.00. Pretty fair for a small snapshot.

Captain, was it the 26th St address or where was it located?

bwalsh Wrote:
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> Captain, was it the 26th St address or where was
> it located?


you'd have to ask Berwyn Frank...I don't have access to any directories from that era...if it's Pilsen or Lawndale that's his area of expertise

Sorry, Captain54, I addessed it to the wrong person.

So, Berwyn Frank, was it the 26th st location or where was it located?

bwalsh,

26th St. a.k.a. the Little Village area does not have buildings that old (the ones shown across the street in the photo).

I immediately recognized the area as Pilsen. In this case the photo was taken on the south west corner of the Pilsen neighborhood at 21st & Wood. The exact shot was taken standing on Wood St. looking slightly N.E. at the corner of 21st St. Here is a link.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2100+s+wood+chicago&sll=41.796008,-87.908446&sspn=0.007439,0.016469&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=2100+S+Wood+St,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois+60608&ll=41.854083,-87.670974&spn=0,0.016469&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.853974,-87.670968&panoid=VReppwQvVS5ocS_0SxdpuQ&cbp=12,59.35,,0,-3.56

Here is a better link to the three buildings shown across the street which have been modified over the past 70 years.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2100+s+wood+chicago&sll=41.796008,-87.908446&sspn=0.007439,0.016469&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=2100+S+Wood+St,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois+60608&ll=41.853988,-87.670931&spn=0,0.016469&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.854097,-87.670661&panoid=6K8D2HBvZxYpBhdmOEsI8g&cbp=12,5.06,,0,-8.48

Here is a link to 1759 W. 21st St. where the guys are on the front stoop of what I believe is a tavern. The storefront facade has been heavily muddled since the 40's when that shot was taken. Look at the front stoop though. It is exactly the same with the black "step" on the top and a concrete base on the bottom.



I love to locate the exact location of unidentified photos. I have done it many dozen times to photo's in my collection. I have a series of steps that I follow to accomplish this. Everybody here also knows that I collect and share any knowledge I have about the Pilsen, Little Village, and many other west side neighborhoods in books, newsletters for historical societies and other historic organizations, and on this site. Just so you guys don't think I am a jerk with the way I handled this with Jared, I did it for a reason. I have bought from Jared over the years and I know he is a dealer. Many items which he finds end up on e-bay for sale. I did it this way to see if Jared would give me a fair shot at an otherwise unidentified photo that may have just been tossed in a pile of other stuff without me taking the time to find its exact location. We will see if he excepts my fair offer.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2010 12:43AM by Berwyn Frank.

that's some pretty damn impressive detective work, sir...

the more I look at that pix, the more I recognize it to be similiar to the corner/neighborhood/tavern/banquet hall, from my memories of growing up in the Back of the Yards. The bar area would be be nearer to the front entrance, with two additional side entrances (in this case along Wood St)..in the rear would be a dance floor and possible a bandstand or full proscenium stage...and in a lot of cases these halls would have full operating kitchens



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/2010 11:54PM by captain54.

I was pretty sure this was Pilsen, but not sure where in Pilsen. When Berwyn Frank offered to purchase the photo I knew it! I thought it might be this building at W 19th and S Troop
<iframe width="562" height="314" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=41.856097,-87.659102&amp;panoid=YmL-NwKdG_WRZJDUMtyPUg&amp;cbp=13,133.88,,0,5&amp;ll=41.856097,-87.658989&amp;spn=0.001255,0.003015&amp;z=18&amp;source=embed&amp;output=svembed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=41.856097,-87.659102&amp;panoid=YmL-NwKdG_WRZJDUMtyPUg&amp;cbp=13,133.88,,0,5&amp;ll=41.856097,-87.658989&amp;spn=0.001255,0.003015&amp;z=18&amp;source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>
But I was wrong, I knew Berwyn Frank would figure it out, very impressive!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2010 12:12AM by 222psm.

222psm, the photo would have been cooler to me if it WAS that building at 1902 S. Throop! I found this cigar box at a Berwyn estate sale for a buck! Would have been cool to display the box with the photo in my "museum room."

1902 S. Throop

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1902+S.+Throop+chicago&sll=41.854093,-87.67097&sspn=0.007432,0.016469&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1902+S+Throop+St,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois+60608&ll=41.856185,-87.658818&spn=0,0.016469&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.8561,-87.658813&panoid=K5KfUvvG-JlDLmexONCqPQ&cbp=12,227.76,,0,-9.2





Yes, many saloons were built with the "hall" in the back. I touched upon this in my book about Little Village.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2010 12:36AM by Berwyn Frank.

That is so cool! I walked in front of that building so many times when my aunt and uncle lived on the South side of w 19th between s Troop and s Loomis. So was that a cigar store? One night when we walked by, the door was open, they had a boxing ring set up in the middle of the floor. Two guys where in the ring, I guess it was some kind of boxing training school? That had to have been some time in 1975 or 1976.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2010 02:45PM by 222psm.

very very cool Frank! Pilsen is an area that I really have no knowledge of at all aside from driving through it once in awhile.
I like to try and figure out old photos also, but I know I am not in your league at all! In fact I have one myself that I would LOVE to find out where it was, but I fear that it might not be possible. I see no clues that could help in identification although I was told it was possibly on Wentworth. I don't think there is enough of the building front or surrounding area in the photo to be able to identify it, sadly.

222psm, Frank Brozak WAS a cigar mfr. He might have also had a retail cigar store out of that building.

I also looked up the 1759 W. 21st St address in the 1929 Polk directory and it is listed as Mrs. Anna Sandowski Meats. It may have become a tavern by the WWII time period of Jared's photo.

bwalsh, to identify a photo you MUST have something, anything, that you could use to identify it. The easy ones are the ones that just have an address number on them. I have a way of checking those out and narrowing down the street pretty quick. A business name also helps. In the case of Jared's photo I used the three houses across the street and found it that way. If they were gone it would have been almost impossible to identify the photo.

Berwyn Frank Wrote:
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In the
> case of Jared's photo I used the three houses
> across the street and found it that way. If they
> were gone it would have been almost impossible to
> identify the photo.

that's pretty amazing...those houses don't have any visible numbers so I don't know how in Gods name you would know those were near the corner of 21st and Wood. they could have been north,south..anywhere practically.

The history gods told me where to look.:D Seriously, I have figured out many totally "unidentifiable" photo's that have baffled some of my history buddies. It just takes patience and the right tools.

George Tomek owned the tavern at 1759 W. 21st St.

Interestingly he was still there in 1960 when three robbers brandishing shot guns came into the tavern and relieved him of $270 in USC.

Frank, I'll post on ebay later today or tomorrow. I'll post the link to the auction here in case anyone else is interested.

Huh? Are you serious? I am no longer interested. This is why I do not do more business with you Jared.

Jared, I would appreciate if you did [b]NOT[/b] use any of the reasearch I did on the photo in your auction. Run it as an unidentified photo.

That store is still there. new owners bought it last year. i used to go there all the time in high school

[b]Where do I find the directory online for the old buiness and names? I had the site but lost it. You could look up names and thier ocupations too. I think is was 1923.[/b]

Richard,

Try GeorgeKrejci.com for some directories (not phone books). Also google the 1929 Polk directory for street address information.

RM

[b]I know about the 1929 but there is one that lists chicago buisnes and names addresses and ocupations of individuals. I will try that address you gave me. Thanks again.[/b]