An Endless Chain of Cars

 I love this card from the 1933 World's Fair, A Century of Progress, in Chicago.  

For those of us who are too young to remember Nash's and aren't car guys and gals here's a brief history of the company:

"The Nash Motor Company, founded in 1916, was an American automobile manufacturer known for its innovative designs and features. The company introduced numerous industry-firsts, including heating and ventilation systems and seat belts. Nash cars were renowned for their durability and comfort. In 1954, Nash merged with Hudson to form American Motors Corporation (AMC), which eventually became a part of the Chrysler Corporation in 1987."

Does the Nash Tower look familiar?  Carvana claims to have invented the automobile vending machine.  That may be technically true but the world saw the glass tower of moving colorful cars a full 80 years earlier!

And We're Giving You a Tie!

 I'm not a father myself but today is one of those days when I think of my own dear old dad.  This is an oft posted picture of my baseball loving father outside his school in Chicago in the 1930's.

Cubs legend Stan Hack was my dad's favorite player in his youth.  Coincidentally my favorite Cub is also a legendary Cubs 3rd baseman, Ron Santo.

Here are a few never before published photographs of my Dad Marv as a young man about town in Chicago.

Happy Father's Day.

A Century of Progress

 The 1933 Chicago World's Fair, A Century of Progress, opened 90 years ago.  This is a first day postcard, rather than a cover.  There were lots of picture postcards issued commemorating the two year fair.  I have around 80 of them from at least eight sets.  Lord knows how many sets there were.  

This card appropriately has the one cent Fort Dearborn stamp.  Also issued on May 25, 1933 was a violet three cent letter rate stamp depicting the modern Federal Building.

Fountains -- Paris to Chicago

"Parc of Versailles -- The  Basin of Latone, a grand waterworks' day"

I haven't figured out how to date these old French postcards but I assume it's from the early 20th century.

Buckingham Fountain in Chicago's Grant Park was inspired by the French Fountain at Versailles.

Here's an RPPC (Real Photo Post Card) of Buckingham Fountain with the Chicago skyline to the west. It had to be taken previous to 1931 when this card was sent. I'll go into more detail about this Chicago landmark in a future post. I probably have at least another dozen different cards.

Greetings From Humboldt Park

As a reaction to the Industrial Revoultion in the 19th century many big cities built parks as green getaways from the noise and pollution.  Chicago's great parks were mostly conceived and contructed between the end of the Civil War and the early 20th century.  Humboldt Park, on the West Side, is one.    

Here are seven postcards dating from around 1906 to 1930.

Water on the Driver's Side

The idea for this post came last fall when I heard  the news of the death of Skip Haynes, the last surviving member of the band Aliotta Haynes and Jeremiah.

The band is famous for their song, "Lake Shore Drive":

Being a lifelong Chicagoan and a North Sider specifically, this song never fails to evoke my own memories and at this point homesickness.  The funny thing is that I can't think of another "Chicago" song that does the same thing.

"Chicago That Toddlin' Town" mentions State Street "that great street" but that's about it:

"My Kind of Town" mentions the Wrigley Building and the Union Stockyards and "all that jazz".

Lastly the Robert Johnson song , "Sweet Home Chicago" , may be a blues standard (and I do like it) but it's not even really about Chicago.

Do you have a favorite song about your hometown or the place you call home?  Favorite place song in general?

I really couldn't think of many off the top of my head.  Here are some that came to mind:

I'm sure there are many more and I'm sure I forgot some obvious ones.  What did I miss?

A Giant Eyeball

Last week I visited Chicago's newest outdoor sculpture.  It's a 30 foot tall fiberglass eyeball by artist Tony Tasset that sits in a park just to the south of the Harold Washington Library on State Street.  Not everyone's cup of tea but it is mine.


I took these first two shots through the window blinds inside the library.

Here are two more taken at ground level.  I only have about four or five more because it was so hot and sunny (like just about every day this summer).

For Dayf

Tomorrow is Santo Saturdays.