Forgotten Chicago: Examining Vintage Postcards

The back of this postcard reads "Chicago's most famous hot dog." Postcard published by Sunburst Souvenirs, Evanston, IL.  The Chicago-style hot dog is a perfect example of how many different ethnic and historical influences can come together to create something uniquely Chicago.   The Chicago-style hot dog consists of an all-beef wiener on a steamed poppy-seed bun topped with what is known as the “Magnificent Seven”: mustard, relish, chopped onions, two tomato wedges, a pickle spear, two sport peppers, and a sprinkling of celery salt. The frankfurter aficionados behind the Hot Dog Chicago Style website ( www.hotdogchicagostyle.com ) state that adding these toppings in the order listed here is crucial to ensuring that you can taste all the ingredients in every bite. The Chicago dog was not invented by a single person but rather evolved during the 1920s through the 1950s, according to Bruce Kraig, author of Hot Dog: A Global History (as told to WBEZ in 2017)....

A 3-D image of the Marina City towers on State Street and the Chicago River at night. The back of the postcard indicates that the towers are 60 stories tall and boast 896 apartments. The buildings also have 20 floors of auto parking and a 600-boat parking area. At the time of the printing of this postcard in the 1960s, Marina City also had a movie theater, shops, restaurants, a swimming pool, a skating rink, and a 3-acre park. The total cost of construction was $36 million.  Postcard published by Aero Distributing Co., Inc., of Chicago. Photo by Bill Engdahl with Hedrich Blessing Photographers.  The postcard is a Curteichcolor 3-D natural color reproduction.

 The grounds of the Edgewater Beach Hotel. Postcard published by Curt Teich Co., Chicago.  Seeing the pink high-rise Edgewater Beach Apartments on Sheridan Road near Bryn Mawr Avenue makes one think of the famed Edgewater Beach Hotel structures that once stood nearby. In its heyday in the 1920s through the 1940s, the hotel was a popular spot with honeymooners and visiting celebrities alike. You could also eat one heck of a salad or sandwich there. Arnold Shircliffe, who worked as the catering manager at the hotel, wrote A Book of Salads in 1926 and The Edgewater Sandwich Book in 1930. A sampling of recipes from these cookbooks shows that Shircliffe knew how to elevate these everyday convenience foods into works of art. He also had very different ideas about salads and sandwiches than what we typically eat today. The Colonnade Room at the Edgewater Beach Hotel. Postcard published by Max Rigot Selling Agency of Chicago.  A Book of Salads was referred...