Wednesday, September 11, 2019

ABOUT JOHN CHUCKMAN

John Chuckman is former chief economist for a large Canadian oil company. He has many interests and is a lifelong student of history. He writes with a passionate desire for honesty, the rule of reason, and concern for human decency. John regards it as a badge of honor to have left the United States as a poor young man from the South Side of Chicago when the country embarked on the pointless murder of something like 3 million Vietnamese in their own land because they embraced the wrong economic loyalties. He lives in Canada, which he is fond of calling “the peaceable kingdom.”

John’s writing appears regularly on many Internet sites. He has been translated into at least ten languages and has been regularly translated into Italian and Spanish. Several of his essays have been published in book collections, including two college texts. He has published a book, The Decline of the American Empire and the Rise of China as a Global Power, published by Constable and Robinson, London. John also writes book reviews.

Apart from his writing since retiring from the oil industry, John has taught university courses in economics, done a good deal of private tutoring, served as a professional newspaper restaurant reviewer (he likes cooking), followed his favorite hobby of photography, and created a popular family of image blogs on the Internet.

John may be reached directly at:  formersouthsideboy@gmail.com

SOME INTERNET SITES FROM JOHN CHUCKMAN:


CHUCKMAN'S PLACES ON WORDPRESS: FEATURING THE BELOVED URBAN VILLAGE OF SOUTH SHORE CHICAGO

CHUCKMAN'S PHOTOS ON WORDPRESS: CHICAGO NOSTALGIA AND MEMORABILIA

CHUCKMAN'S PHOTOS ON WORDPRESS: TORONTO NOSTALGIA

CHUCKMAN’S MONTREAL

CHUCKMAN'S PHOTOS ON WORD PRESS

CHUCKMAN'S KODACHROMES ON WORDPRESS: JOHN AND BOBBY LONG AGO

CHUCKMAN'S PORT STANLEY

CHUCKMAN'S BAYFIELD

CHUCKMAN'S GODERICH

CHUCKMAN'S ILES DE LA MADELEINE (MAGDALEN ISLANDS)

CHUCKMAN'S ART

CHUCKMAN'S ROBOTS

CHUCKMAN'S GALLERY OF GROTESQUES

CHUCKMAN'S CARTOON COMMENTS

CHUCKMAN'S PHOTOS ON WORDPRESS: 1920s ARCADE CARD BEAUTIES – THEIR CHARM AND GRACE AND WHIMSY

CHUCKMAN'S WORDS ON WORDPRESS: POLITICAL ESSAYS

CHUCKMAN'S WORDS ON WORDPRESS: COMMENTS FROM THE WORLD'S PRESS

CHUCKMAN'S MISCELLANEA OF WORDS

CHUCKMAN'S NON-SPORTS TRADING CARDS OF THE 1950S VOLUME 01 (OF 4 VOLUMES)





ME, ROUGHLY: THE DECLINE IS RAPID NOW

PHOTO - CHICAGO - GRANT PARK - BUCKINGHAM FOUNTAIN - EVENING WITH COLORED LIGHTS - 1953 - EDITED FROM AN UNKNOWN PHOTOGRAPHER


PHOTO - CHICAGO - APARTMENT BUILDING - BACKYARD FIRE ESCAPES - NOTE CLOTHES LINES - LOCATION UNKNOWN - WE CERTAINLY DIDN'T HAVE THAT KIND OF SET-UP IN ANY OF THE APARTMENTS WHERE I LIVED - 1956 - EDITED FROM AN UNKNOWN PHOTOGRAPHER


PHOTO - CHICAGO - PRINCESS MARY HARTLINE - IN A COSTUME ON A SET FOR ONE OF HER TELEVISION SHOWS FOR CHILDREN - SHE BECAME A BIG EARLY TELEVISION STAR - WE THOUGHT HER DELIGHTFUL - EARLY 1950s


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - GRANT PARK - CRAB APPLE TREES NEAR MICHIGAN AVE IN BLOSSOM - LOOKING N GROUND LEVEL - NOTE PRUDENTIAL BUILDING UNFINISHED - IT OPENED AT THE END OF 1955


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - GRANT PARK - BUCKINGHAM FOUNTAIN - LOOKING N GROUND LEVEL TOWARDS PRUDENTIAL BUILDING - PART OF "CITY BEAUTIFUL" SERIES - c1964


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - GRANT PARK - FLOWER BEDS - GROUND LEVEL LOOKING NW - PART OF "CITY BEAUTIFUL" SERIES - c1964


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - LA SALLE THEATRE - 137 W MADISON - STAGE SCENE OF PLAY "THE FLIRTING PRINCESS" WITH ADELE ROWLAND AND HARRY PILCER AND THE THEATRE'S "PERFECT SHOW GIRLS" - 1909


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - JACQUES FRENCH RESTAURANT- 900 N MICHIGAN - THE CHATEAU ROOM - INTERIOR FILLED WITH PEOPLE - UNDOUBTEDLY A POSED PHOTO WITH MODELS - JUST LOOK AT SOME OF THE WOMEN'S HAIRSTYLES - "A FAVORITE FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS"


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - YE BALTIMORE INN - RESTAURANT DINING ROOM INTERIOR - QUINCY STREET BETWEEN STATE AND DEARBORN - TINTED - 1914


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - KITTY BUCKLEY RESTAURANT - 2415 CARMEN AVE - "CONNOISSEUR OF GOOD FOODS" - EXTERIOR STREET LEVEL - ORIGINALLY THIS WAS A COTTAGE ON FARMLAND - SHE WAS STILL IN BUSINESS IN 1961 WHEN THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE DID A REVIEW - OPENED IN 1924 - 1920s


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - ZUM DEUTSCHEN ECK RESTAURANT - 2914-2924 N SOUTHPORT AVE - "IMPORTED BEERS ON TAP" - "SING-ALONG ON FRIDAY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHTS" - 1969


CUP - CHICAGO - HENRICI CAFETERIA - BEFORE HE HAD A RESTAURANT ON RANDOLPH, PHILIP HENRICI STARTED A COFFEE SHOP ON STATE STREET ACROSS FROM MARSHALL FIELD'S - I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE CUP IS FROM THERE - BUT THE RESTAURANT WAS CALLED A CAFE AND NOT A CAFETERIA AS WE SEE ON THIS CUP'S LOGO - WHATEVER THE CASE, HENRICI'S WAS ONE OF THE CITY'S MOST BELOVED SPOTS FOR DECADES - I BELIEVE MAYOR RICHARD J DALEY USED TO HOLD BREAKFAST MEETINGS THERE


TOKEN - CHICAGO - EDELWEISS RESTAURANT - 104-106 MADISON - FIVE CENTS - YOU CAN SEE A SIGN FOR EDELWEISS ON A NUMBER OF OLD POSTCARDS


Thursday, August 22, 2019

PHOTO - CHICAGO - (REPOSTED) - STATE STREET - CHRISTMAS SEASON - CHICAGO THEATER AND SURROUNDINGS - BOB ELFMAN SANDWICH SHOP - THE DOG HOUSE - PULLMAN STREETCAR IN FRONT - ELEVATED VIEW LOOKING SE - NOTE THAT THEY STILL HAD STAGE SHOWS WITH A MOVIE AT THIS TIME - HERE IT'S DUKE ELLINGTON AND SARAH VAUGHN (WOW!) - NOTE TELENEWS THEATER (ONLY NEWSREELS) ON RIGHT EDGE - THIS BECAME THE LOOP MOVIE THEATER - 1951 - EDITED FROM A HAROLD BEACH IMAGE


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - ILLINOIS CENTRAL DEPOT - MICHIGAN AVE AND 12TH STREET FACING GRANT PARK - AND SURROUNDING BUILDINGS - RAILROAD ON LOWER LEFT - NOTE AWNINGS - AERIAL LOOKING SE - TINTED - NICE VERSION - 1910s


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - LAKE SHORE DRIVE - GROUND LEVEL - MANSIONS - TWO CARS - NOTE STREET LIGHTS - TINTED - NICE VERSION - 1910s


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - F W WOOLWORTH 5 AND 10 STORE - 12 N MICHIGAN AVE - "ONE OF LARGEST IN THE WORLD" - "CAFETERIA AND SODA FOUNTAIN ACCOMODATE 300" - NICE VERSION - TINTED - 1929


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - RAINBOW BEACH (THEN CALLED MANHATTAN BEACH) - PIER AND BUILDINGS IN DISTANCE ARE AT 75TH STREET - LOOKING NW FROM WATER NEAR NICHOLS BEACH (PRIVATE) AT 77TH STREET - 1908


PHOTO - CHICAGO - AERIAL PANORAMA OF PART OF WICKER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD WITH RAPID TRANSIT TRAIN ON ELEVATED STRUCTURE OVER UNKNOWN SHOPPING STREET - DOWNTOWN SKYLINE IN DISTANCE - EARLY EVENING - I DO NOT KNOW WICKER PARK FOR EXACT LOCATION - JUST A WONDERFUL URBAN IMAGE - 2012 - EDITED FROM AN UNKNOWN PHOTOGRAPHER - HELPFUL READER COMMENT SAYS THIS IS NORTH AVE LOOKING TOWARDS MILWAUKEE


PHOTO - FLAT IRON ARTS BUILDING - 1579 N MILWAUKEE AVE - MILWAUKEE AND NORTH AND DAMEN - WICKER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD - AERIAL PANORAMA WITH DOWNTOWN SKYLINE IN DISTANCE - EVENING - A GORGEOUS IMAGE - 2010 - EDITED FROM DAVID HOROWITZ


PHOTO - CHICAGO - RANDOLPH STREET - LOOKING W GROUND LEVEL FROM STATE STREET - NOTE STREETCAR TRACKS ON STATE - A WONDERFUL IMAGE WITH SIGNS AND A VINTAGE CHECKER TAXI - I ONLY WISH IT WERE A LITTLE LARGER - 1955 - EDITED FROM WILLIAM HORBERG


PHOTO - CHICAGO - RANDOLPH STREET - LOOKING W GROUND LEVEL FROM ABOUT A BLOCK AND A HALF E OF STATE STREET - YELLOW CAB PULLED UP ON LEFT - TRAILWAYS BUS STATION - 20 E RANDOLPH - TWA SIGN AT STATE - ANDES CANDIES - WALGREENS - c1960 - EDITED FROM AN UNKNOWN PHOTOGRAPHER


PHOTO - CHICAGO - STATE STREET AT WASHINGTON - SLIGHTLY ELEVATED VIEW - VERY BIG CROWD - LOOKS LIKE CHRISTMAS SEASON BUT THE DECORATIONS ON THE TOP OF POLE LEFT OF CENTER ARE RATHER SUBDUED - MARSHALL FIELD'S ON LEFT - DOUBLE-DECKER BUS CHICAGO MOTOR COACH COMPANY ON RIGHT - WALGREENS DRUGSTORE IN DISTANCE - 1940s - EDITED FROM AN UNKNOWN PHOTOGRAPHER


PHOTO - CHICAGO - VAN BUREN AND WABASH - CROWD CROSSING THE STREET UNDER THE ELEVATED STRUCTURE - NOTE FRED POTTHAST RESTAURANT - UNITED CIGARS STORE - STREETCAR TRACKS - STOPLIGHT ON LEFT - 1940 - EDITED FROM A JOHN VACHON IMAGE


CHICAGO - PHOTO - CHICAGO - COMMERCIAL BUILDING ON SE CORNER OF 71ST STREET AND BENNETT AVE SOUTH SHORE NEIGHBORHOOD - AN ELABORATE PEDIMENT STRUCTURE WITH THE BUILDING'S DATE FROM THE HEYDAY OF CHICAGO'S BRICK AND TERRA COTTA TRIM BUILDINGS - NOTE: BRICK AND TERRACOTTA CONSTRUCTION FEATURED IN A GREAT MANY OF THE CITY'S NEIGHBORHOOD APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND SHOPPING STREET STORES AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND MOVIE THEATERS OF THE 1920s - THERE IS ALSO A SMALLER BLACK-AND-WHITE PHOTO YOU CAN FIND ON THE SITE SHOWING THE ENTIRE BUILDING - EDITED FROM AN IMAGE BY DEBBIE MERCER - IMAGE DATE UNKNOWN


PHOTO - CHICAGO - JEFFERY THEATER - 1952 E 71 ST SOUTH SHORE NEIGHBORHOOD - AUDITORIUM INTERIOR - A WONDERFUL FIND - WE ALREADY HAVE A LOBBY PHOTO OF THE JEFFERY ON THE SITE - NOTE: THE AVALON WAS MY FAVORITE OF OUR LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD "MOVIE PALACES" BUT THE JEFFERY WAS A CLOSE SECOND - JUST A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE GOING TO ONE OF THESE PLACES FOR A DOUBLE FEATURE AND GETTING A BIG CONTAINER OF FRESHLY-POPPED BUTTERED POPCORN (THE BUTTER MELTED, THE REAL STUFF, DRIZZLED ON AND IF YOU WANTED MORE YOU ONLY HAD TO ASK) - THE THEATER LOBBIES ALWAYS HAD BIG POPPING MACHINES ATTENDED AT THE CANDY COUNTER AND YOU COULD HEAR IT AND SMELL IT AS NEW BATCHES WERE PERIODICALLY MADE - MAYBE YOU WOULD ALSO HAVE A CANDY BAR OF WHICH THERE WAS A HUGE CHOICE IN THOSE DAYS - THE ATMOSPHERE WITH HIGHLY THEATRICAL LIGHTING AND ROMANTIC ARCHITECTURE WAS SO EXCITING AND MYSTERIOUS MAKING "GOING TO THE MOVIES" A SPECIAL EVENT - THE CITY HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF SUCH THEATERS (PLUS MANY MORE MODEST ONES) BOTH DOWNTOWN AND IN NEIGHBORHOODS SO IT WAS POSSIBLE TO HAVE QUITE A CHOICE OF THE "SHOW" YOU WERE GOING TO SEE AT ANY TIME - TRULY LIKE NOTHING AROUND TODAY - THE MOVIE MULTIPLEXES TODAY ARE PRETTY STERILE-LOOKING BY COMPARISON WITH NO ROMANTIC ATMOSPHERE OR LIGHTING AND GENERALLY HAVE A SINGLE MOVIE PLUS TONS OF ADS (THERE WERE NONE TO SPEAK OF IN THE 1950s AND 1960s EXCEPT A PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK'S SHOW) - THE POPCORN ISN'T EVEN FRESHLY-POPPED NOW (GENERALLY PRE-POPPED IN BAGS, OFTEN RATHER DRY AND STALE) - ARCHITECTURAL PHOTO LIKELY DATES TO OPENING AS A VAUDEVILLE THEATER IN 1924


Monday, July 29, 2019

POSTCARD - CHICAGO - OAK STREET BEACH - "WITH NORTH SHORE SKYLINE" - GROUND LEVEL LOOKING W - BIG CROWD - NICE VERSION - 1961


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - LA SALLE HOTEL - LA SALLE AND MADISON - ENTRANCE AREA - GROUND LEVEL LOOKING S - NIGHT AND LIGHTS - CARS AND PEDESTRIANS - WATERCOLOR PAINTING - c1960


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - THE CHICAGO TEMPLE - FIRST METHODIST CHURCH - CLARK AND WASHINGTON - THE SKYSCRAPER CHURCH - ELEVATED THREE-QUARTER VIEW - FOR CENTURY OF PROGRESS WORLD'S FAIR - TINTED - 1934


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - GARFIELD PARK - CHINESE PAGODA AT MINERAL SPRING - TINTED - NICE VERSION - c1910


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - GARFIELD PARK - MONUMENT WITH LADY LIBERTY AND INDIANS AND A BUFFALO - A HANDSOME GROUP BUT I IMAGINE THE INDIANS MIGHT HAVE SOME OBJECTIONS - TINTED - REALLY NICE VERSION - 1908


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - WILSON AND COMPANY PACKERS - CHAMPION SIX-HORSE TEAM FROM THE UNION STOCK YARDS - TERRACE AND ROOF GARDEN RESTAURANT IN BACKGROUND FOR CENTURY OF PROGRESS WORLD'S FAIR - OVERLOOKED MIDWAY AND LAKE - 1933-4


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO - AERIAL PANORAMA LOOKING NE TOWARDS LAKE FROM OVER W END OF THE MIDWAY - TINTED - NICE VERSION - 1941


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - AETNA DISTRIBUTORS - 4600 W BELLE PLAINE - AETNA'S 1961 WHOLESALE CATALOG - 1960


PHOTO - CHICAGO - 71ST STREET AND JEFFERY - SOUTH SHORE NEIGHBORHOOD - ILLINOIS CENTRAL ELECTRIC COMMUTER STATION AND TRAIN (THE "IC") - CROWD ON STATION STAIRS - NOTE TRAIN GATES DOWN FOR JEFFERY TRAFFIC - JEFFERY THEATER - 1955 - EDITED FROM UNKNOWN PHOTOGRAPHER


PHOTO - CHICAGO - 71ST STREET - SOUTH SHORE NEIGHBORHOOD - ILLINOIS CENTRAL COMMUTER TRAIN (THE "IC") - NOTE TRAIN GATES DOWN FOR SIDE STREET - SOME STORES - PEDESTRIANS - I DON'T RECOGNIZE EXACT LOCATION - THERE ARE NO LANDMARKS AND THE STREET SIGNS ARE NOT LEGIBLE BUT IT IS UNMISTAKABLY 71ST STREET - 1968 - EDITED FROM UNKNOWN PHOTOGRAPHER - A HELPFUL READER HAS IDENTIFIED THE CROSS STREET AS OGLESBY AVE


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - VINE RESTAURANT - 614 W NORTH - CORNER STREET LEVEL VIEW - DINE AND DANCE - NOTE: 100% AIR CONDITIONED SIGN - TINTED - REALLY NICE VERSION - 1939


Saturday, July 27, 2019

POSTCARD - CHICAGO - NAVY PIER - 600 E GRAND - AERIAL PANORAMA LOOKING E - NOTE: NOT UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO YET (1945-65) - GARDENS - PARKED CARS - 3300 FEET LONG - BUILT 1916 AS MUNICIPAL PLEASURE PIER - TINTED - EARLY 1940s


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - GRAY LINE BUS TOURS - BUSES LINED UP WITH SKYLINE BACKGROUND AND EDGE OF LAKE - "REALLY SEE CHICAGO" - TINTED - NICE VERSION - c1950


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - SKYLINE ON LAKE MICHIGAN - PANORAMA FROM WATER LOOKING NW (MAINLY W) - BOATS IN HARBOR - BUILDINGS ON MICHIGAN AVE AND RANDOLPH STREET IN DISTANCE - PART OF CITY BEAUTIFUL SERIES - 1964


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - MARSHALL FIELD AND COMPANY DEPARTMENT STORE - READING AND WRITING AND REST ROOMS - THIRD FLOOR - "SEND LETTERS TELEGRAMS CABLES - CHECK TIME TABLES - BUY THEATER TICKETS AND TRAVEL CHEQUES" - c1930 - NOTE: THE BIG DEPARTMENT STORES IN THOSE DAYS WERE LIKE CITIES WITHIN A CITY - ALMOST ANY SERVICE YOU CAN THINK OF WAS AVAILABLE AT MARSHALL FIELD'S STORE FROM WATCH AND SHOE REPAIR TO PICTURE FRAMING - FOOD SERVICES INCLUDED LUXURY BAKED GOODS AND CANDY AND SOME WINES TO A RANGE OF RESTAURANTS FROM MODEST TO LUXURIOUS - ALL THAT IN ADDITION TO THE MAIN LINES OF GOODS SUCH AS CLOTHES SEWING NOTIONS SHOES TOYS FURNITURE CARPETS DISHES BOOKS JEWELRY DECORATIVE ITEMS FANCY GIFTS - THEY WERE AMAZING PLACES UP THROUGH THE 1960s


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - MISS LINDQUIST CAFE - THE BROADVIEW HOTEL - 5540 S HYDE PARK BLVD (NOTE: E AND W HYDE PARK BLVD ARE 51ST STREET) - DINING ROOM INTERIOR - SMORGASBORD - REALLY NICE VERSION - c1940s


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - LINCOLN PARK - TOUR CAR-TRAIN LOADED WITH PEOPLE - BIG FARE SIGN - CARD CALLED "ALL ABOARD" - TINTED - 1910s


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - JACKSON PARK BEACH - PANORAMA OF BEACH AND WATER FROM UNDER TREES - PART OF CITY BEAUTIFUL SERIES - c1964


POSTCARD - CHICAGO - JIM FONG CHOP SUEY TAKE-OUT - 2931 W TOUHY - OWNER STANDING IN ENTRANCE AREA HOLDING TAKE-OUT MENU - "BEST IN THE MIDWEST" - 1975