Forgotten Chicago: Examining Vintage Postcards

This unique postcard shows an image of the Sears Tower before it was built. The image of the Sears Tower appears to be computer and/or artistically generated, and the building does not have its iconic flashing twin antennas. The Sears tower was built in 1973 and was the world’s tallest building for over a decade. The official name of the tower today is Willis Tower. This happens to be one of my favorite postcards.   The back of this postcard indicates that it was released by Aero Distributing Co., Evanston, and was published by Curteichcolor 3 -D Natural Color Reproduction. The postcard also reads that the tower will be 110 stories tall and house 8,000 tenants with 7,000 Sears employees. 

The Stock Yard Inn, located near the Union Stock Yards. Postcard published by Max Rigot Selling Co., Chicago.  In the Sirloin Room at the Stock Yard Inn, customers could pick their own steaks and brand their initials onto the meat with a hot iron. The restaurant offered this option so that diners could verify that the cooked steak on their plate was the piece of meat they had selected. The sprawling, Tudor-style hotel and restaurant was located at 42nd Street and Halsted Street, next to the International Amphitheatre and the Union Stock Yards. Cattlemen would stay at the hotel to conduct business, often after dropping off livestock at the yards. The Sirloin Room at the Stock Yard Inn. Postcard from the Chicago in History Postcards website.  The Stock Yard Inn was also popular among tourists. Several U.S. presidents stayed at the inn and held events at the adjacent amphitheater. A 1955 advertisement that appeared in the Chicago Tribune indicates that the banquet