Michigan Avenue, aerial view, near Congress Street and future Grant Park, with holiday crowd
Michigan Avenue (Chicago, Ill.)
Grant Park (Chicago, Ill.)
The crowd on Michigan Avenue around Congress Street and in the future Grant Park is the focus of this view, taken on a bright afternoon, with shadows falling into the park from behind the buildings facing the future park.
This view dates from 1909 - 1912, prior to the beginning of work on the landfill south of the park to accommodate one of the proposed buildings, the Field Museum.
The crowd is a large one, and it is one of several such study views by Bennett. The 1909 Plan's co-author would be charged with developing the new plan for the park, after Burnham's vision for three great museums in the space would be thwarted through litigation by Montgomery Ward 1909-1910.
To take this photo Bennett stood looking over the edge of the building from its rooftop beyond the railing.
Bennett, Edward H. (Edward Herbert), 1874-1954
Box 1, white binder
1909 - 1912
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Marcia O. and Edward H. Bennett III Collection (Lake Forest College)
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lfspbennett00053.tif
1909? - 1912?
Grant Park, aerial view, Illinois Central Railroad Tracks (no.1)
Illinois Central Railroad Company
Grant Park (Chicago, Ill.)
This view taken by Bennett from the rooftop of the Railway Exchange Building, Michigan Avenue, shows the future Grant Park prior to its development and to the infill land to the south where the Field Museum later would stand, at this time still in the lake.
This is one of a series of study views by Bennett over a decade-long period, showing the way people move through the spaces, across bridges, etc. On the open fairground across the railroad tracks and freight yard is a military encampment.
Bennett, Edward H. (Edward Herbert), 1874-1954
Box 1, white binder
1909? - 1912?
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Marcia O. and Edward H. Bennett III Collection (Lake Forest College)
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lfspbennett00054.tif
Chicago, Ill.
1909 - 1912
Grant Park, aerial view, Illinois Central Railroad Tracks (no. 2)
Illinois Central Railroad Company
Grant Park (Chicago, Ill.)
This is one of two aerial views, which focuses on the land east-south-east of the photographer Edward Bennett's vantage point on the Railway Exchange Building, Michigan Avenue. The occasion is a military encampment, 1909-1912, with many small tents across the tracks east of them. The land is built up so that the tracks are below the land level.
Bennett's study views from his rooftop near his office reflected his systematic approach to analyzing the interaction of crowds with the not yet developed Grant Park site, at that time an open fairgrounds.
Bennett, Edward H. (Edward Herbert), 1874-1954
Box 1, white binder, first page, under other photos
1909? - 1912?
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Marcia O. and Edward H. Bennett III Collection (Lake Forest College)
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lfspbennett00055.tif
1909 - 1912
Knights of Pythias Review (no. 3)
Grant Park (Chicago, Ill.)
Knights of Pithias
Part of series with photograph labeled "Knights of Pythias Review" on verso. This photograph is identified as a Grant Park celebration of 1917 by William Hudson Harper in Chicago: A History and Forecast: 1921, p. 166. The Chicago Tribune in 1917 indicates a "celebration" in Lincoln Park, July 28, 1917. In addition, the Knights of Pythias are among the groups on parade for Memorial Day, May 30, that first spring of World War I. The vantage point is from the top the Railway Exchange Building, the location of Bennett's office, the former Plan of Chicago office, 1906-1909.
The photograph could also document an image of a military tournament on July 4, 1910 in Grant Park.
Grant Park, aerial view, including the Art Institute of Chicago and Illinois Central Railroad Tracks, from Burnham's studio terrace, 18th floor of the Railway Exchange Building, Michigan Avenue.
Bennett, Edward H. (Edward Herbert), 1874-1954
Box 1, white binder, page 4
1910? - 1917?
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Marcia O. and Edward H. Bennett III Collection (Lake Forest College)
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lfspbennett00056.tif
1910? - 1917?
Knights of Pythias review (no. 2)
Grant Park (Chicago, Ill.)
Knights of Pythias
<p>Part of series with photograph labeled "Knights of Pythias Review" on verso. This photograph is identified as a Grant Park celebration of 1917 by William Hudson Harper in <span style="text-decoration:underline;">Chicago: A History and Forecast</span>: 1921, p. 166. The <span style="text-decoration:underline;">Chicago Tribune </span>in 1917 indicates a "celebration" in Lincoln Park, July 28, 1917; but there could have been a parade on Michigan Avenue. In addition, the Knights of Pythias are among the groups on parade for Memorial Day, May 30, that first spring of World War I. The vantage point is from the top the Railway Exchange Building, the location of Bennett's office, the former Plan of Chicago office, 1906-1909.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Another possibility (see item 1897-Knights of Pithias" no. 3): Military Tournament on July 4, 1910 in Grant Park (Chicago).</p>
Aerial view of Grant Park, possibly the Art Institute of Chicago and Illinois Central Railroad Tracks (no. 2). This is a very dark image, and hard to read.
Bennett, Edward H. (Edward Herbert), 1874-1954
Box 1, white binder, page 4
1910? - 1917?
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Marcia O. and Edward H. Bennett III Collection (Lake Forest College)
image/tiff
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lfspbennett00057.tif
1910? - 1917?
Knights of Pythias review (no. 1)
Parades
Michigan Avenue (Chicago, Ill.)
Knights of Pythias
<p>Marked on the verso in pencil as "Knights of Pythias Review" by the photographer planner Edward H. Bennett, this photograph is identified as a Grant Park celebration in 1917 by William Hudson Harper, Chicago: A History and Forecast, 1921, p. 166. The Chicago Tribune in 1917 indicates a "celebration" in Lincoln Park, July 28, 1917; but there could have been a parade on Michigan Avenue. In addition, the Knights of Pythias are among the groups on parade for Memorial Day, May 30, that first spring of World War I. The vantage point is atop the Railway Exchange Building, the location of Bennett's office, the former Plan of Chicago office, 1906-09. This is one of series of similar photographs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Another possibility: Military Tournament on July 4, 1910 in Grant Park (Chicago). (from item 1897)</p>
Bennett, Edward H. (Edward Herbert), 1874-1954
Box 1, white binder, page 8
1917
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Marcia O. and Edward H. Bennett III Collection (Lake Forest College)
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lfspbennett00058-1.tif, lfspbennett00058-2.tif
Michigan Avenue and Grant Park, Chicago, south of the Railway Exchange Building on the east side of the street and facing the Art Institute of Chicago.
Grant Park, aerial view, including the Illinois Central Railroad tracks
Illinois Central Railroad Company
Grant Park (Chicago, Ill.)
This aerial view of Grant Park was possibly photographed from the Peoples' Gas Company building (completed in 1911) with Monroe Street going to Lake Michigan at the top. An alternative vantage point is from the top of the Railway Exchange Building, with Jackson Boulevard going toward Lake Michigan at the top.
At the bottom of the photograph are several pieces of railroad equipment on the Illinois Central tracks below grade: a steam engine, freight caboose, and a number of freight cars.
This is one of Bennett's study views capturing moments of the future Grant Park space, at that time an undeveloped fairgrounds.
Bennett, Edward H. (Edward Herbert), 1874-1954
Box 1, white binder, page 8
1910 - 1912
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Marcia O. and Edward H. Bennett III Collection (Lake Forest College)
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lfspbennett00060.tif
Grant Park with peristyle
Grant Park (Chicago, Ill.)
The 1917 Grant Park Peristyle appears in this photo looking north from the roof of the Railway Exchange Building during a 1918 parade on Michigan Avenue, perhaps for the November 11, 1918 Armistice. The park west of the Illinois Central Railroad tracks and east of Michigan Avenue has been developed as a French Renaissance garden.
Bennett, Edward H. (Edward Herbert), 1874-1954
Box 1, white binder, page 10
1918
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Marcia O. and Edward H. Bennett III Collection (Lake Forest College)
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lfspbennett00061.tif
Grant Park (Chicago, Ill.) in 1918
Grant Park, Chicago, north of Monroe Street
Grant Park (Chicago, Ill.)
The new Grant Park (Chicago), designed by Edward H. Bennett, is shown here looking from Monroe Street at the edge of the Illinois Central Railroad tracks (right, not shown) north to the 1917 Peristyle designed by Bennett. This has been replaced in the 2000's by Millennium Park. The summer image includes plantings on the classic balustrades.
This fascinating image shows the character of the structures north and northwest of the new park, with the 1917-built Peristyle on the upper right, at the north end of the new park, inserted between Michigan Avenue and Illinois Central Railroad tracks, not in view below on the right, and shielded from sight by the new balustrade. The new street lights, the limestone balustrades, the fountain, all reflect Paris models (see the images of similar features in the Tuileries and the Place de la Concorde from Bennett's study photo collection).
Bennett, Edward H. (Edward Herbert), 1874-1954
Box 1, white binder, page 10
1917? - 1920?
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Marcia O. and Edward H. Bennett III Collection (Lake Forest College)
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lfspbennett00062.tif
Michigan Avenue, aerial view, looking south to future Grant Park site
Illinois Central Railroad Company
Gilbert, Bradford L. (Bradford Lee), 1853-1911
This view by Edward Bennett leaning way out from the parapet of the Railway Exchange Building rooftop, shows Michigan Avenue looking south, and at the south end of the future Grant Park, at Twelfth Street (later Cermak Road), the Illinois Central Railroad Terminal (1893, designed by architect Bradford L. Gilbert; closed 1972 and demolished 1974).
The occasion is an event with a parade of marching men, 1909 - 1910 or before the landfill project for the future Field Museum south of Grant Park had begun.
This photo shows a Michigan Avenue, Chicago, parade, ca. 1909-12, from the vantage point of the planning office (1906-09, Plan of Chicago; after 1910 Bennett's office), 18th fl. suite of the Railway Exchange Building, and above the Burnham firm offices there. It is one of perhaps dozens from ca. 1909 to ca. 1920 showing the evolution of the Grant Park space. Soon after the plan was issued in 1909 by the Commercial Club, legal objections were raised to Burnham's desire to place three large museum structures in the park, supposed to be forever free of buildings. After Burnham's 1912 death, Bennett was left to craft a completely new plan for Grant Park, one where he went back to 17th C. French garden style precedents. A letter at Berkeley's library from Bennett, found by Joshua Anderson '10, makes this point.
One of the museums proposed, for anthropology and related exhibits from the 1893 World's Fair, was built but on landfill from the 1910s south of Grant Park. This view shows the park prior to the implementation of any of Bennett's plans. Later, this view would show the eastern terminus to Congress Street and leading east across the tracks to the future (1920s) Buckingham Fountain, a doubled in size version of the Fountain of Latona, as well as the landfill to the south and the new classic style Field Museum, opened in 1920.
A word about the vantage point for the photograph is worth adding. Bennett as a lad had sailed on his father's clipper ship Theseus around Cape Horn from Bristol, England to San Francisco on some occasions, later 1880s. Very likely he was used to climbing in the swaying rigging. Many of Bennett's photographs show a lack of fear of heights on his part, perhaps as a result.
Bennett, Edward H. (Edward Herbert), 1874-1954
Box 1, white binder, page 2
1909-1912
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Marcia O. and Edward H. Bennett III Collection (Lake Forest College)
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lfspbennett00047.tif