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July 1941. "Five o'clock crowds, Chicago." Noir in the afternoon. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.
This photo is somewhat reminiscent of a 1930 print by Australian-American artist, Martin Lewis (1881-1962), called "Shadow Dance". The photo and the print are both beautiful.
The site is the entrance to the La Salle Street station on Van Buren Street. There's still a commuter train station there, but no grand edifice, it was demolished in 1981.
Beautifully photographed, and what a treasure for historians: extreme detail of people, no one fat, most wearing hats, an era of lovely dresses, and people on the move. And in a few months, everything will change. Many of the men will either have disappeared, or will reappear in uniform. We know all this; they don't. I hope it was a good afternoon for them.
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