Monday

Look

S * H O

Monumental Beast

"Monument with Standing Beast" by French artist Jean Debuffet in front of the James R Thompson Center. On Clark and Randolph.

North Franklin Street

Night

On the Sidewalk

120 S. Lasalle Street.

Color Politics

"All colors are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites."--Marc Chagall. Ceramic mural "The Four Seasons" by Marc Chagall at the Chase Plaza. 21 South Clark Street.

Why Is James So Happy?

Me: "Hi, why you so happy?" James: "Cause it's spring time!" Me: "What you got on your head?" James: "My winter hat!" Yep folks. Spring has officially sprung. The forecast for tonight? Wet snow. But we're still happy. James valets at the House of Blues.

Oriental Theater

25 W. Randolph. Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theater. The Oriental Theater first opened in 1926 to much heraldry. Inspired by the architecture of India, patrons were led by turbaned ushers through the ornate lobby and onto the auditorium's hasheesh-dream decor. It fell into disrepair during the general economic decline of the 1970s and had to be closed in 1981, reopening in 1998 after a two-year restoration project.

Chicago Remembers

The Chicago Vietnam Memorial between State and Wabash along the river. Dedicated November 2005. There are nearly 3000 names listed on the wall.

Georg Solti

The bust of Georg Solti, often called the last superconductor, in Grant Park across from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hall.

Flamingo In the Federal Plaza

By Alexander Calder (1898-1976). Unveiled 1974 as part of Chicago's permanent outdoor art gallery and a contrast against the dark steel, stone and glass of the Mies Van Der Rohe designed Kluzcynski Federal, the US Post Office and Dirksen Federal on Dearborn Street.

The Sears Tower

The Sears Tower. 233 South Wacker Drive. Here is the big daddy of all big daddies. So big it has its own zip code. So tall you can see as many as four states from the Skydeck on a clear day. So high sensitive people experience motion sickness from the building's sway. Hail to the chief!

Going Green

We're all Irish this time of the year.

Lunch Time

My favorite part of the day...

General Thaddeus Kosciuszko

The statue of General Kosciuszko (1746-1817) native son of Poland and a general in Washington's army. On the lakefront, along the musuem campus drive. Read a recent article from the Chicago Sun-Times on the late great general.

Losing Sleep

Daylight Saving Time (DST) began today which means a bunch of groggy people woke up an hour earlier than usual while the rest of us (okay maybe just me) got lazy and stayed in bed. The photo is from the group exhibit "Soft Life" at the Hyde Park Art Center which runs until March 30.

Laundry Day

In the Pedway

Millennium Station at Randolph Street.

The Rookery

209 South Lasalle Street. Built 1885-1888. The Rookery is another Chicago Landmark building, so called because the structure prior to this building, a temporary City Hall and water tank after the fire of 1871, was a favorite roost for pigeons. Frank Llyod Wright remodeled the lobby in 1905. This gorgeous photo of the staircase courtesy of Bob Horsch Gallery. See more classic Chicago photography, featuring over 300 professional Chicago photos in color and black and white at their website. (Thank you, Bob and Jeff!)

The Chicago Picasso

At the Daley Plaza in the Chicago Loop. This untitled sculpture by Pablo Picasso was installed in 1967.

Vintage Chicago Fire Department

Fire engines have come a long way since their horse-drawn precursors. This vintage Chicago Fire Department truck is on display at the Museum of Science and Industry. The horizontal pole on the top is what firefighters held on to as they ran alongside the engine. These were the engines that helped fight the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Weekend Train

Mural Disorder

This is part of a fast fading, once beautiful (and very large) mural span entitled "The Spirit of Hyde Park" that is under the viaduct on 57th street. It was designed by Astrid Fuller and put up by the Chicago Mural Group in 1973. Now have a look at other murals from all over the world and enjoy!