Mayor Richard J. Daley, a Democrat, was elected in 1955, in the era of machine politics. In 1956, Chicago conducted its last major expansion when it annexed the land under O’Hare airport, including a small portion of DuPage County.
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| Chicago in the 1950s |
Between 1950 and 1960 Chicago’s population shrank for the first time in its history, as factory jobs leveled off and people moved to the suburbs. Poor neighborhoods were razed and replaced with massive public housing that solved few of the problems of poverty and violence.
These amazing color photos were found by Mark Susina that show what Chicago looked like in the 1950s.
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| Buckingham Fountain, Chicago, 1955 |
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| Chicago Federal Building seen through the alley from LaSalle Street. Rookery Building is on the left. The Federal Building was demolished in 1965, circa 1955 |
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| Eli Bates Memorial Fountain, Lincoln Park, Chicago, circa 1955 |
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| Lake Shore Drive "S" Curve, Chicago, circa 1955 |
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| LaSalle Street Bridge, Chicago River, Chicago, circa 1955 |
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| Michigan Avenue, Chicago, circa 1955 |
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| Our Savior Lutheran Church, Chicago. The church is at 6099 North Northcott Ave; it is now the St. Thomas Orthodox Church, circa 1955 |
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| Our Savior Lutheran Church, Chicago. The church is at 6099 North Northcott Ave; it is now the St. Thomas Orthodox Church, circa 1955 |
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| State Street, Chicago, circa 1955 |
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| Woman on Wacker Drive, Chicago, circa 1955 |
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| Mom and daughter on a Chicago street, circa 1957 |
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| Motorola Sign at Chicago Lakefront, circa 1957 |
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| Navy Pier and Chicago skyline, circa 1957 |
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| Wells Street Bridge, Chicago, circa 1957 |
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| Wells Street Bridge, Chicago, circa 1957 |
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| Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower, Chicago, circa 1957 |
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| Auditorium Building, Chicago, circa 1958 |
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| Buckingham Fountain, Chicago, circa 1958 |
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| Cars on a Chicago street, circa 1958 |
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| Chicago Loop at night, circa 1958 |
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| Commonwealth Promenade Apartments, Chicago, circa 1958 |
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| Looking north from the Prudential Building towards Streeterville, Chicago, circa 1958 |
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| Man and daughter on a Chicago street, circa 1958 |
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| Michigan Avenue at night, Chicago, circa 1958 |
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| Randolph Market, Chicago, circa 1958 |
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| Chicago Chinatown field trip, 1959 |
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| Chicago Chinatown field trip, 1959 |
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| Chicago Chinatown field trip, 1959 |
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| Chicago skyline, circa 1959 |
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| Chicago Yacht Club, June 1959 |
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| Chicago, August 1959 |
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| Chinatown, Chicago, 1959 |
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| CTA Station, Chicago Loop, circa 1959 |
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| Michigan Avenue, Chicago, circa 1959 |
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| School Buses at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, circa 1959 |
