@chigeek.bsky.social

@chigeek.bsky.social

1790 Followers 204 Following

Architecture geek https://chicagolandarchitecture.substack.com/

My photo of a yellow flower flowing in the breeze near the lake at Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve.
Screenshot - “I was born in 2007” sounds so fake bro no cap he is born that late
Historic color photo looking east from the roof of the Equitable Building toward Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood, full of parking lots and not much else, ca. 1967. Lake Point Tower, under construction, looks so lonely. (Hedrich-Blessing Collection)
Historic black and white image taken in 1956 showing the NE corner of Fullerton & Halsted in Chicago's Lincoln Park. At the corner is a small building that houses such businesses as Thomas J. Webb Coffee and W. Lange Florist. A larger 19th century structure with a turret stands next door.
My photo, taken in July 2026, of the Arthur J. Schmitt Academic Center at DePaul University in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. The 1968 brutalist design was done by C.F. Murphy & Associates. Staircase railing going up to a concrete giant.
Black and white photo, circa 1926-28, showing the future site of Chicago's Merchandise Mart, which would become the world's largest commercial building at 4 million square feet when it officially opened in May of 1930. The site once held Chicago and North Western Railway's former Wells Street Station, abandoned in 1911. Removing the train yard supported the Chicago Plan Commission's desire to develop and beautify the riverfront.
Charles Turzak’s woodcut of the Michigan Ave Bridge (1931) - “The image shows an urban scene with towering skyscrapers. The perspective is from below, highlighting the height of the buildings. The buildings dominate the view, with bold brushstrokes creating textures in a black and white color palette. A tall building is on the left, and a dome-like structure is on the right. A bridge spans the lower section, leading into a bustling urban environment with intricate architectural details. Horizontal lines suggest a waterway in front of the bridge.”
A screenshot of Magda Goebbels wannabe fascist podcaster Katie Miller. That’s just her face.
A photo of my black and tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in front of an uprooted tree in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
My photo of the Frank Hibbard Estate in Lake Forest, IL. Originally located on 21 acres, the home, a Mediterranean Revival style design by George Harvey, was built for the founder of what later became True Value Hardware. It’s stucco with a terra cotta tiled roof.
My photo of an American Foursquare home with lots of greenery and a Little Free Library opened to display the books “Paved Paradise” by Henry Grabar and “The Death and Life of Great American Cities” by Jane Jacobs.
Bruce Goff painted an elaborate abstract composition, balancing geometric patterns with large shapes, on gold-tone paper for a two-panel Japanese screen. (Art Institute of Chicago)
AI slop called “Revealed” depicting an architect they claim is Louis Sullivan holding a rolled up plan and who’s probably wondering “This is not my beautiful city. This is not my beautiful building. How did I get here?” AI caption: Louis Sullivan was an architect who helped rebuild Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871. While others used heavy brick, he championed hidden steel frames to make buildings taller and stronger. He believed a building's outside should honestly show its purpose, famously stating 'form follows function.’ His simple, powerful ideas created the modern skyscraper and reshaped city skylines forever.
Portrait of Mies van der Rohe, oil on canvas by artist Hugo Weber, 1961. Held in private collection in Switzerland. (From the book Mies van der Rohe by Dietrich Neumann)
Black and white photo of General Mills plant and grain elevator located at 103rd and Calumet River in Chicago, taken by architect Walter Gropius in 1928. (Bauhaus Archive)
Historic image of architect Walter Gropius posing with his entry for the 1922 Chicago Tribune international design competition: a modern glass & metal tower.
Walter Gropius’ photo of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House in Chicago’s Hyde Park, taken in 1928. (Bauhaus Archive)
A advertising product image showing a bottle of Leinenkugel’s Berry Weiss Fruit Craft Beer. Remember celebrate responsibility!
My photo of the entrance to the Blumberg House, 1962 design by Keck & Keck. It shows the east and part of the north of the home with carport, front door, storage closet, and a bicycle.
My photo of two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels sleeping side by side on a reclining chair. One of black and tan, the other is tri-color: black, white, and tan.
Perspective sketch of the Franklin MacVeagh House, which stood at the corner of Schiller & Lake Shore Drive from 1887-1922. Most likely done of H.H. Richardson’s assistant Charles A. Coolidge.
Historic photo of architect H.H. Richard sitting center above a group of men aka the Hengsternberg Lunch Table Club in Cincinnati in 1885. (Cincinnati Museum Center)
My photo of the neighboring Goodman House, which replants their palm trees in their “front yard” every spring.
My photo, taken in March 2026, of the Robert Silhan house’s basement bar in a semi-circular room. The Art Deco-inspired bar is made of glass blocks with chrome banding around its countertop. The colorful VCT tiled flooring depicts a Martini glass, complete with pimento olive and toothpick.
Old family photo, taken April 12th 1963, of men working on a new patio in the backyard of their two-flat. A brick garage with three windows and two doors is in the background.
Old black and white family photo taken in 1930 of my paternal grandmother, the girl standing above the dog, along with her brother, mother, aunts, and cousins.
My photo, taken in May 2026, across the train tracks of the four-story Jackson Square Antique Mall, originally built in 1903 as a storage and van warehouse in La Grange, IL. It was later altered by architects George Kingsley and Barry Byrne in 1923 who created an Egyptian inspired Art Deco design.
My photo, taken in February 2026, of the Jackson Square Antique Mall in La Grange, IL. Originally built in 1903 as a storage and van company warehouse, it was altered in 1923 by architect George Kingsley into an Egyptian Art Deco design that included a polychromed terra cotta facade most likely done by Barry Byrne, according to historian Tim Samuelson. Majority of residents are against the demolition of the building, which will supposedly take place this month in May 2026. It will be replaced with a 39-unit luxury condo complex. It was revealed the developer was working in secret for 7 months with government officials, who voted unanimously in support of its demolition.
A photo of me holding the book “Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves From The Tyranny Of The Automobile” by Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon with a tiled fireplace with light fixture and rendering in the background.
Old photo circa 1991 of old Comiskey Park being demolished with a lone figure in the foreground. Rest in pieces to one of the oldest and most historic ballparks, 1910-1991. Pope Leo misses you!
My mom’s art work in progress, a watercolor of a raven with multiple colors instead of black. She’s going to grey wash it near the end.
My photo, taken in November 2014, of the Harriet Rees House (1888), formerly 2110 S. Prairie Avenue in Chicago, IL. Designed by architects Cobb & Frost, the elegant stone row house was the only residence left standing on the west side of its block. At a cost of $6 million, plus &1.9 million for the new lot, it was moved down the block to its new location. It was one of the heaviest buildings ever moved. Why, you ask? Well, because of Mayor Emanuel's "Elevate Chicago" initiative, a $600 million plan to build a new entertainment district around McCormick Place, the poor ol' house was in the way.
“Lake Street Goes Upstairs from End to End” - Pictures taken by Mart Studios of the official opening of the Lake Street “L” in October 1962.
Historic black & white image looking east from Lake and Lombard in Oak Park, IL. (OPRF HISTORICAL MUSEUM)
Reposting because it was deleted, new meme of Tina Fey, Timothee Chalamet, and Kylie Jenner sitting courtesies at a New York Knick’s basketball game. Pic by Getty Images
My photo, taken in February of 2026, of three people looking at Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks (1942) at the Art Institute of Chicago.
AI slop of Second City created by digital “artist” Vanished Chicago. I love how most of the comments on the post were like “Is this real? I’m not quite sure.” Love the three guys in matching black turtlenecks and berets though. Nice touch.
My photo a historic home with a rear coach house from 1877, a giant condo tower stands behind it, and a community garden is the foreground. There are four vehicles in the driveway. Taken April 2022 in Palatine, IL.
My photo of the Patterson-McCormick Mansion, located at the NW corner of Burton & Astor in Chicago’s Gold Coast, with a blue sky and neighboring high-rises in the background. A woman walks in front of the four-story building. It is a Neoclassical design w/Roman brick & terra cotta trim created by Stanford White of the firm McKim, Mead & White in 1893. The structure was threatened with demolition in the 1970s, but it survived and is now subdivided into nine condos.
My photo of Astor Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast showing the James Charnley House (1891-92) with various high-rises and a beautiful blue sky in the background. It looks like an Eastern Redbud blooming.
1980s photo of a pedestrianized Lake Street in Oak Park, IL with beautiful spring flowers and park-like setting instead of car traffic. (Village of Oak Park Archives)
Screenshot from FB AI slop made by "digital creator" Vanished Chicago - "In 1882, industrialist Joseph Sears asked the young firm of..."
Historic black and white photo of Adler & Sullivan’s Chicago Stock Exchange (1894-1972) at the SW corner of Washington & LaSalle.
Ghostly image of Richard Nickel taken inside Adler & Sullivan’s Garrick Theater in Chicago before its demolition in 1961.
My photo, taken around 2000-2001, of historic corner commercial buildings in Chicago’s Lincoln Park that were demolished shortly after I took the picture. One of the buildings has a sign that says “First German Hungarian Bakery.” I believe they were located at Lakewood & Dickens or somewhere near there.
My photo of an obnoxious pink-hued McMansion with giant columns, fountain, and a lion statue in South Barrington, IL.
Screen shot of comedy writer Jim Downey doing his Jeffrey Epstein joke on Conan Needs A Friend podcast.
Real estate photo of a 1970s modernist design, a single-story light brick home, by architect Peter Roesch in South Barrington, IL.
A black and white photo of my grandfather points and crouches next to a “No Dogs” sign, taken in the 1940s.
Screenshot from an old family movie of my grandfather holding my mother in the backyard. A brick garage with an open door is in the background.
A photo collage of side by side black and white photos showing my grandmother’s cousin Florence and her brother Eddie as they pose near the family house at 2147 N. Latrobe in Chicago’s Belmont Cragin neighborhood around 1942. No sidewalks. Dirty alleys. Hardly any trees.
My photo of my great-grandfather’s two-flat, a frame building with covered front porch built around 1912, located at 2147 N. Latrobe near Chicago’s Hanson Park. My family lived here for a good fifty years.
Some photos of my two Cavalier King Charles Spaniel I’ve taken over the years with them posing as the Easter bunny. Pics include them in front of an Easter floral display, a chalk drawing of an Easter basket, and them in front of the beautiful art glass window at Pleasant Home in Oak Park. 🐰 🐶
An early 80s photo of me in a blue coat with fur trim hugging the Easter Bunny who is kneeling on the ground at Harlem Irving Plaza Mall in Norridge, IL.
Black and white photo of the residences on the 1400 block of North Lake Shore, including homes owned by Franklin MacVeagh, Mrs. F.E. Ogden, and Mrs. Barbara Armour. Taken by Charles R. Clark in 1905.
Blurry photo, taken in the 1920s, of architect Philip Maher's office at 157 East Erie right off Michigan Avenue in Chicago. It was probably taken after his father's death in 1926 when Philip Maher was on his own but he had purchased the building in 1920, according to Western Architect. The black and white photo shows a symmetrical room with everything in it designed by both Mahers. (Hedrich-Blessing photo)
My photo of a yellow brick Chicago Style bungalow in Berwyn, IL with an unfortunate addition at the upper level, it is called a "pop top."
No Kings March 28 2026 as seen on the pedestrian bridge that connects Austin Ave over the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago.
I made this piece for my friends' annual Bacon & Eggs Easter party where we make weird stuff to celebrate this weird holiday where Jesus died and was resurrected or something. There is a paper cut of the state of Illinois next to a bunny rabbit throwing up over Governor Bruce Rauner's stupid smiling face. "Easter's Been Furloughed. Love, Brucie"
Interior photo of Jesse Wheaton House (jessecwheatonhomerenovation blog)