Chicago

Veronika Kalugina

ARC 3033-01: History of Architecture in US

Project 3

April 5, 2023

1. Chicago, Nickel, Richard, Archive, 1850-2011 (bulk 1945-1972), 1972,

https://artic.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/mqc/id/14676/rec/1
 By first glance at Richard Nickel's photograph, we see an area of outer Chicago,

located right near the water harbor. The image suggests the industrial zone with the

factory and heavy equipment by the water. A large marketing billboard made out of steel

in the foreground suggests a location near high-traffic areas or the interstate.

Factory-looking building on the left with multiple smokestacks, mountains of sand

next to the structure, and some machinery and tents in the center of the image makes

the area look industrial. A bridge spans from the factory and goes across the harbor.

We can see a great number of sailboats in the harbor along with some large-scale

structures appearing on the horizon line. The ground in the image looks heavy, naked,

and overused by industrialization. Specifically, we can see the endless tire tracks on the

ground, where the spots of greenery break only in the area cars cannot drive on. These

few green spots are filled with trash items. Besides the progress of the machine-age era

and its contribution to economic development, it also brought some distractions on the

way - alteration of the landscape, destruction of the existing environment, and set up of

a capitalistic-oriented system.

Originally a Native Indian territory, the city of Chicago went through a

transformation and extensive growth period during the machine-age era that would not

be possible without a consistent food supply from the country. With the railroad and

water route accessibility and later car infrastructure, farmers produced and transported

more and more grains to keep up with growing demand. "The cities have not made the

country," reflected one long 1893; Time resident of Chicago in "on the contrary, the

country has compelled the cities ...” 2. Particularly in the city of Chicago, farmers raised

corn and other grain with a mentality to make a profit and specifically for sale. Besides

2. Cronon, William. Nature’s Metropolis : Chicago and the Great West. New York: W.W. Norton, 1992.
97-100.
the trade of grain for profit, farmers produced and distributed whiskey and other grain-

made products, and vegetables, helping the expansion of the market 2.

The image foreground shows the billboard with the message: “There is nothing

better in the market..” along with a distillery logo of Brown-Forman distillery corp from

Louisville, Kentucky. A product that farmers and now factories make for profit to fulfill

the market demand. Because of the connection network of railways and later car

infrastructure provided for the entire country, products started and continued flourishing

in the market, coming from all over the United States. Without a doubt, it made

commerce possible on a vast scale. A clock on the billboard is possibly a clever way of

making people look at the advertisement.

During the machine age, the evolution of railroads and later cars played a great

part in the economic development and growth of the new country, which would not be

possible without a consistent food supply from the countryside. In addition to the

progress that the machine age brought, it caused the destruction of the ecological

system and the alteration of existed landscape as we see in one of Richard Nickels's

images of Chicago.

2. Cronon, William. Nature’s Metropolis : Chicago and the Great West. New York: W.W. Norton, 1992.
97-100.