Chicago Skyscrapers in Vintage Postcards

by Leslie A. Hudson

The skyscraper has changed the face of urban architecture�and it all started in Chicago. Born out of the ashes of Chicago�s Great Fire of 1871, the first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building located at the northeast corner of LaSalle and Adams Streets, was completed in 1885. Designed by William Le Baron Jenney, the nine-story building had a metal load-carrying structural frame, the development of which led to steel-frame skeletal construction and the taller skyscrapers that would follow. Much has changed in skyscraper construction since 1885. But Chicago�s impressive urban landscape has maintained its important place in architectural history and today boasts the tallest skyscraper in North America, at 110 stories.

202 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2004

Reviews

[Richard Newbold · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 128 page book, divided into seven chapters by main thoroughfare, such as Michigan Avenue, Dearborn Street etc, which is a brief illustrative guide to the original skyscrapers built in Chicago, from about 1866 to 1935. The illustrations take the form of reproductions from postcards, the majority being halftone B&W photos. Some of the buildings are long gone, unfortunately, but much that is glorious survives. A few interiors are included, and a schematic map accompanies each of the chapters.

A really impressive and informative production, designed for a perambulation around the City and its awe inspiring skyscraper architecture.

[Joseph Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb book, particularly for anyone who has had the chance to admire some of these buildings up close. Information is basic, presumably with the intention that more can be learned 'on the ground' and the buildings are limited to those in Downtown and not the wider Chicago area. But still, great read. Would consider other books from the same or similar series.