To explore Chicago in 1930 is to look at a city defined by economic shockwaves, the twilight of Prohibition, and an unyielding drive toward structural modernization.
In 1930, Chicago’s skyline was still screaming skyward. Despite the stock market crash of October 1929, massive capital projects funded during the boom years of the late 1920s were reaching completion. This created a strange visual dichotomy: gleaming monuments to capitalism rising above breadlines and shantytowns. Chicago Board of Trade Building Historical landmark Chicago, IL chicago-1930
Also completed in 1930, it was the largest building in the world by floor space at the time. Developed by Marshall Field & Co., it was a massive "city within a city" that signaled Chicago's role as the premier wholesale trading hub of the American Midwest. Shedd Aquarium ClosedChicago, IL To explore Chicago in 1930 is to look