Customer Reviews

Chicago's Maxwell Street (IL) (Images of America)

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"Chicago's Maxwell Street" is a crucial document offering a window into the vibrant and colorful world of Chicago's legendary Maxwell Street Market. For more than a century Maxwell Street introduced ethnic groups to urban America and to each other. Thousands crammed its cluttered streets to stroll amid pushcarts, tables, stages, and stalls piled high with life's necessities. Prices were negotiable and atmosphere dear. It survived over a century's worth of predictions of its imminent demise only to be razed in the 1990s by the city and the University of Illinois-Chicago to make room for athletic fields and condos. But it lives on in these images which capture its essence in beautiful detail.

The authors present a rich and varied collection of images, the culmination of intensive research. The book is obviously a necessity for Chicago history buffs, but will also be of great interest to those with an interest in immigrant and ethnic history, in urban life and the look and feel of cities, in urban policy and Chicago-style politics, blues fans, and fans of grassroots American culture. Friends of Maxwell Street will find much to jog their memories (my favorite images are of blues greats Frank Scott, Johnnie Mae Dunson, and the late, great Jimmie Lee Robinson), but will also make new discoveries. Those of us who were not lucky enough to experience Maxwell Street in all of it's vibrant, grungy glory will get a taste of a world now wiped off the face of the map. And those who have never heard of Maxwell Street will get a vivid introduction to a place of crucial importance in American history. This is a tremendously important, thoroughly researched, and wonderful book.

I grew up in the Maxwell street area during the 50's and worked there on Sundays for some of the street vendors. Some of the best memories of my life are from the area, the sounds, sights, and energy of the many diverse cultures of the area. This book is a photographic document of the area taken from the 1800's to today. Many of these photographs are probably rare and are presented in good reproduction quality. If you are familiar with the area they will transport you back and allow you to re-experience this wonderful place. This book is a bargain...

My husband wanted this book. He really wanted colored pics and larger print; we are old. I think maybe a 'coffee table' book would be a good seller. Thank you.

Spectacular real photographs depicting historical times in Chicago. Authors quite sensative and dedicated to preservation as revealed in their writings.

A wonderful reflection of days gone by and fond memories prevail in those that remember life during those days in Chicago.

This book is full of interesting historical pictures and leads the reader to think about things in America's past that don't normally reach the textbooks. It made me think twice about how large corporations often displace simpler folks and small businesses and their livelihoods in the name of progress. I would recommend it to all age groups.

The book contains a large number of photos, many of which are rare. Particularly impressive are the architectural photos, which really focus on what a visitor to Maxwell Street could have seen, but probably didn't because of the distracting social scene. A must for Chicago history buffs.

For anyone interested in a piece of lost Chicago history, this book is highly recommended.

This is the wrong book...I ordered the hard capy of Maxwell Street by Ira Berkow...and instead received a pictorial book of Maxwell Street....would appreciate some guidance as to rectifying this so that I can receive the proper ly designated book...Thank you Paul A Keeshin