Product Details
Chicago Then and Now (Compact) (Then & Now Thunder Bay)

Chicago Then and Now (Compact) (Then & Now Thunder Bay)
By Elizabeth McNulty

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Product Description

Since it first grew up along the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago blossomed into a vibrant, progressive city with a landscape unlike any other. See how much the Midwest’s cultural center has changed — and how much it’s stayed the same — in Chicago Then & Now.
  • Unstoppably prosperous in the mid-1800’s, Chicago was laid to waste by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The remarkable period following the fire gave rise to some of the world’s greatest architects and engineers — in fact, Chicago was rebuilt within two years and was soon known as the “world capital of modern architecture.”
  • Birthplace of the Soaring Chicago School and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School of architecture, Chicago is a treasure trove of amazing buildings.
  • Explore some of Chicago’s best-loved landmarks like Wrigley Field, Washington Park, Sears Tower, John Hancock Building, and St. Patrick’s, the city’s oldest church and survivor of the Great Fire, with intriguing archival images paired alongside modern photos.
  • Whether you’re just blowing through the Windy City, or happen to be a lucky resident of the area, you’ll find lots of satisfying material in this convenient, take-along edition.


Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #52775 in Books
  • Published on: 2007-06-11
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 144 pages

Customer Reviews

flawed but fun Chicago historical pictorial3
I have several of these "then and now" books, and I would say this is the weakest of the bunch. I dearly love Chicago, and some of the old photographs were very interesting, but the book has a few problems. First, the photographic perspectives are rarely in synch, so it is difficult to compare the two pictures directly; either the angle is off to the side, or it's at a different distance. This seems rather to defeat the purpose of a "then and now" theme, which is to facilitate comparison. Secondly, a great many of the buildings and scenes are virtually identical to what they were, so one wonders why they were included. Finally, a map should have been included.

On the positive side, many of Chicago's key spots are targeted, such as the Water Tower, the stockyards and Hull House, and the paragraphs that accompany each picture do convey a lot of interesting information.

If you are interested in Chicago or urban history you will undoubtedly still enjoy this volume, but lower your expectations a bit before the book arrives so you won't be disappointed.

A look at old Chicago4
An interesting look at Chicago as it appeared in the past, compared to now. More than just a picture book, it also gives some historical perspective for each location. If you're a Chicagoan, this is a must have. There are two problems that keep this from getting a top ranking. First, the focus of a "then and now" book should be to compare and contrast, so we can see how much has changed. There's several locations shown here that haven't really changed, and you wonder why they were included. Also, the "then" and "now" pictures should be shot from roughly the same location, showing the same perspective. That's not always the case here, and you may have to spend some time figuring out how to get things lined up. Still, it's a good way to see how the city used to look, and a rare look at some of the now-missing architectural treasures.

Nice Review of Past and Present4
I enjoyed this book. Some of the pictures do not compare well because they were taken at different angles or from a different side of the street. Nevertheless, this is a great book. I found lots of stuff to compare. Native Chicagoans, who take an interest in the city, will like it. I purchased it for my brother for Christmas...liked it so much I purchased one for myself.