Vintage Chicago Convention Bureau Photo Archive 1940s–50s City Landmarks
$ 132.0
Description
🏛️ DESCRIPTION This listing is for ONE COMPLETE ARCHIVAL LOT of original mid-20th-century Chicago photographs, caption cards, and original mailing envelope, produced and credited to the Chicago Park District and circulated via the Chicago Convention Bureau. This is not a random photo group. It is a curated institutional photo set, likely created for museum exhibition, civic promotion, or educational display during the late 1940s–early 1950s. All items shown in the photos are included in this single sale. ⸻ 📷 CONTENTS OF THE LOT (ITEMIZED) A. ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS (Silver Gelatin Prints) All photographs are black-and-white, glossy, professionally printed, consistent with original silver gelatin photographic processes of the era. Subjects include: 1. State Street, Chicago – street scene with theaters, buses, automobiles 2. Soldier Field – large crowd scene / aerial or elevated view 3. Chicago Lakefront & Beaches – “Miles of Playground at Chicago’s Front Door” 4. Chicago Skyline by Night – Lake Michigan reflections 5. Grant Park & Lake Michigan – panoramic skyline views 6. Museum of Science and Industry – Jackson Park 7. Chicago Natural History Museum (Field Museum) 8. Shedd Aquarium – exterior architectural view 9. Adler Planetarium – domed exterior view 10. Chicago skyline / park system panoramic views 11. Historic civic architecture & public buildings 12. Additional Chicago landmark and cityscape views (Some photos include visible in-image credit text such as “Chicago Park District photo.”) ⸻ B. ORIGINAL TYPED CAPTION / DISPLAY CARDS Approximately 10 original typed caption cards, each corresponding to specific photographs. These captions: • Are typed on period paper • Describe the photograph in exhibition-style language • Include civic, architectural, and cultural explanations • Match museum / public display standards of the era Several captions explicitly credit Chicago Park District photos and reference the images as display or educational material. ⸻ C. ORIGINAL MAILING ENVELOPE Included is the original Chicago Convention Bureau envelope, addressed and postmarked early 1950s, which originally housed this photo set. Envelope details: • Printed: The Chicago Convention Bureau • Chicago, Illinois address • Period postal markings and postage • Heavy wear consistent with archival handling The envelope is a key piece of provenance and is included intact. ⸻ D. ADDITIONAL EPHEMERA Included is one small vintage photograph and one typed religious text card (“You Must Be Born Again”). These are included as found and are not represented as Chicago Park District material, but are part of the same original grouping. ⸻ 🧾 AUTHENTICITY & AGE • Photographs date from circa 1940s, with circulation into the early 1950s • Paper aging, oxidation, curling, and staining are consistent with original mid-century materials • This is not a modern reproduction, scan, or later reprint ⸻ 📏 SIZE • Photographs are medium-format prints (approx. 8x10 to 11x14 range; see photos for scale) • Caption cards are smaller, typed strips • Envelope is standard mailing size for the period ⸻ ⚠️ CONDITION NOTES (HONEST & IMPORTANT) • Photographs: generally very good vintage condition with minor edge wear, light curling, and occasional spotting or stains • Caption cards: visible staining and age discoloration (normal for display ephemera) • Envelope: creases, edge wear, postal marks Nothing has been cleaned, altered, trimmed, or restored. ⸻ 🎯 IDEAL FOR: • Chicago history collectors • Architectural & urban history collectors • Museums / archives • Interior designers • Educational institutions • Serious photography collectors
I saw a great deal that I couldn't pass up! There were several books that i wanted at the price of ONE book! The shipping was really fast and everything was well packed and exactly as pictured and described. They even included a kind note and bonus book! Great seller would definitely purchase from them again and recommend 100%. Thank you!
The seller was so sweet and caring! They used ample packaging, gave me extra peripherals that weren’t strictly necessary, and even a signed receipt! The shipping was fast and they gave me exactly what I wanted. Thank you!
Excellent. My order arrived exactly as described, and the seller was responsive and easy to work with. Thank you for a great eBay experience!
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