Good to know, thanks. Is that old ROW part of the bike path now?
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Noticed something today I'd never seen before... On southbound I-57 approaching 107th, there's a green-painted railroad overpass. In the middle of the span, there are two telegraph poles that are held onto the side of the structure by steel cylinders. The wires are long-gone. It's as though the lines couldn't be rerouted or otherwise strung across in a better way when the bridge was cons
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Just speculation, but I would think the Puerto Rican community in Woodlawn would have been centered in its eastern section. For example, the Kimbark Theater, Kimbark & 63rd, was showing Spanish-language movies in the '50s, but I found no evidence that any other of the theaters were.
Forum: General Discussion

PKDickman Wrote: > > This isn't a problem as far as the building is > concerned, just the porches. Yeah, I didn't think the porches were truly connected to the foundation. The building I'm in now has a similar design and the space under the porch is just dirt fill.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Great analysis, PKD. Two questions for you: You mention that the Sanborn doesn't show brick basements. Are these then concrete or were they possibly still fieldstone? What would be considered a shallow basement?
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Photo U527935.jpg is of St. John Church at 18th & Clark, which closed in 1962. The doors of the church faced 18th.
Forum: General Discussion

Some more... I'm somewhat surprised that these were unidentified, but Photo U527953.jpg and Photo U527952.jpg are both of the building at 5040 N. Marine Drive (between Winona and Carmen). The building wasn't that old when the photos were taken, maybe two or three years at that point. The building on the far right is the former Admiral Hotel, which has been demolished and replaced by the Admir
Forum: General Discussion

More... Photo U527946.jpg appears to be taken from the area of Congress looking northeast, maybe near Desplaines. Some of the buildings in the background show up in other photos taken during the expressway construction including what looks to be the CB&QRR building over on Jackson (slightly left of center, far background). Photo U527887.jpg might be South Park Way (King Drive). There
Forum: General Discussion

In response to the new Announcement post re: unidentified photos: I'll kick this off... The photo of the Philips 66 station was taken looking east on South Shore Drive roughly from Exchange. The South Shore View hotel is on the right. The photo numbered U527859.jpg is also in South Shore, taken looking north on South Shore Drive from about 74th. The South Shore View hotel is on the left
Forum: General Discussion

So, who among us went, and what did you see?
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Hi and welcome. There was a thread on his 'Red Hot and Blues' show on WOPA on this forum a couple of years back. I think there was a link posted to a website that had a segment of one of his shows, as well.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Clutterqueen - was it called Canary Den by chance? There's a photo of a building on 63rd & Drexel that has an ad for it on the rear wall. Phoenix Hotel, 63rd & Drexel, 1959 by WayOutWardell, on Flickr
Forum: General Discussion

Chistorian51 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Check that last post, I was wrong! This is Great. > http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dcd/pro > vdrs/afford_hous/news/2014/jul/historic-strand-hot > el-proposed-for-conversion-i-nto-affordable-a.html Yep, the Strand Hotel (designed by the same architect as Wrigley Field) was originally part
Forum: General Discussion

If you Google performers like Ann Perri, Lupita Peruyero or Denise Darnell a number of the Garbo photos come up. Caution, some might be considered NSFW. I just assumed given the subject matter that they'd be located maybe near the State Street burlesque theater area, but, like PK said, they seem to have been a big player - maybe second only to Bruno Of Hollywood. There's a recently-uncovere
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Not sure. There isn't an address on the photos I've seen, only 'Garbo Chicago'.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Does anyone have an address or any info about the Garbo Studio in Chicago? I've come across a number of photographs of burlesque performers with the 'Garbo Chicago' stamp on the corner so I assume that was their stock-in-trade.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

At one point during the '50s, one of the storefronts in this building housed the Archway Lounge, a supper club and show lounge on the northern edge of the 63rd/Cottage Grove entertainment district.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I've had great luck with both of those. Also, don't forget the Tribune archives, and, depending on what neighborhood you live in, the Defender archives. I discovered some fascinating things about the previous occupants of my house in both of those.
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Thanks Wallergirl! I came across a blog run by her son - here's Arlyne in 1963... Arlyne Rothberg, 1963
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

A few years back there was another thread about these same buildings. I don't remember what the title was, unfortunately. I believe the subject was something along the lines of the Grand Avenue Italian community or some such.
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

@Chistorian51 - there's a newly-opened coffee shop in a white-and-green glazed brick building on 61st and Eberhart, so it looks like at least a small bit of good news is happening in a neighborhood that really needs it...
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I checked in the Polks Directory and it didn't seem like there was anything of any note occupying the building even then - grocery store, cigar shop, clothing, etc. Certainly nothing as interesting as the terra cotta would suggest.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

More: This platform was actually patented by Western Electric. Within the text of the patent is more info about the structure. Its height is necessary to minimize interference from ground echoes, and the angled rails mounted on the side of the platform (see photos posted above) are radiation guards to screen ground echoes or interference. It had lamp posts for night-time calibration wor
Forum: General Discussion

Dunning1 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My father told me a story that might be related to > this. When he had taken us tobogganing in Riis > Park, me mentioned that just before WWII started, > an experimental aircraft crashed into a lagoon > that existed at Riis Park. He told me that whole > park was evacuated, and the whole affair was
Forum: General Discussion

Great photos Dave! IIRC, the time/temperature billboard was once a full-size neon sign for Arrow Sign Company.
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Can anyone confirm that this thing actually belonged to Western Electric? I can't find any mention of a WE facility there, but this is assuming that the adjacent factory (which later was owned by the printing company of WF Hall) was actually where the radar units were built. Interesting to note that in the 1951 aerial photograph, this ramp appears to be under construction - it looks only half-
Forum: General Discussion

There are recordings of the old WVON for sale at various websites. eBay has a few every so often - it's cool to hear how radio was programmed then.
Forum: General Discussion

For houses that had both electric and gas for lighting, there were fixtures which would accommodate both, like this: Gas/Electric 2+2 Combo Fixture The upward fixtures were the gas ones, the downward fixtures were electric. Keep in mind that electric lights of that era were still very dim due to the limitations of the carbon-filament bulb (the tungsten-filament bulb, which was brighter, w
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

The '28 Polks Directory has it listed as an apartment building, the Ogden Lane.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Just to update: The Zook-designed service station was at 2380 River Road in Des Plaines (NW corner of Touhy and River). It apparently survived into the '70s and was known as Zook's Mobil.
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings