Archer Avenue Streetcar by Buffalo1

Photography • Transportation • posted on Jun 20, 2009

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Description

In event that anyone is wondering why I haven't been keeping up with Bill (bmac62) and Rob (debbielove) on our travel shots, the reason is threefold. First, I am a film photographer, so everything has to be developed. Second, I screwed up on almost all the Museum of Science and Industry pics by using the wrong light setting. Hence my comment on debbielove's "Drive By Guys" photo. Third, I had surgery on my right wrist last Monday. It's still in a cast, but I can type more than a word or two now without pain. This is one of my favorite displays at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry that I did not screw up. It is a late 19th Century streetcar that ran on Archer Avenue. Archer is one of those interesting diagonal streets that cuts across Chicago's neat rectangular grid northeast to southwest beginning near Chinatown at 19th and State Street and ending in Lockport, Illinois. (Today, Archer Ave. basically runs parallel to and just south of Interstate 55 if you care to look it up on a map.) The Chicago City Railway Co. was one of the many "franchises" granted by the city council to provide streetcar transportation in the late 19th and early 20th century. The street car franchises also provided endless graft opportunities for the city council's "grey wolves" as they collected "boodle" from the leasing of these lucrative services to businessmen willing to pay the price. Eventually the city government, in one of it's rare reformist moods, created the city run Chicago Transit Authority and eliminated the franchises of the old streetcar companies.

Comments (14)

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busi2ness

2:22PM | Sat, 20 June 2009

Very well portrayed and interesting facts about the days now only in museums. It seems you guys had a ball. I am sorry to hear about your wrist, I hope it mends soon. Good luck my friend!

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bmac62

2:43PM | Sat, 20 June 2009

This came out very well. We loved all your stories about Chicago politics and the absolute characters behind it all. What's changed? Blogo is doing his part to keep the city and the state in the news. Good to see you posting but fully understand about the cast...clunk, clunk.

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Meisiekind

2:57PM | Sat, 20 June 2009

I was indeed wondering why you were so quiet Rog! Wonderful image of this streetcar and a great narrative! Sorry to hear about your surgery - hope you will be well again soon! :)

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erlandpil

3:57AM | Sun, 21 June 2009

Another good picture erland

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sandra46

6:31AM | Sun, 21 June 2009

wonderful!

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flavia49

7:04AM | Sun, 21 June 2009

excellent!

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RodolfoCiminelli

8:46AM | Sun, 21 June 2009

Wonderful work my friend....!!!

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jocko500

7:08PM | Sun, 21 June 2009

hope you get better soon. this is a cool shot

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giovanino

11:55AM | Mon, 22 June 2009

NICE WORK LOVE IT

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debbielove

8:26AM | Thu, 25 June 2009

Getting through comments slowly!! And THIS is actually one I DIDN'T get a picture of! Way to go, Rog! And a damned fine shot it turn out too! Great info..... Hope your wrist is getting better now, my friend! Say Hi to to your friends who 'know' people, who 'know' people! Lol. Great stories, mate! Rob.

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