The Blog: News, Works in Progress, Reflections

I couldn't resist making an illustrated "sampler" of some of the worst of suburban architecture (w/ inspiration from @mcmansionhell). pic.twitter.com/XQaoI9PqUt

— Cape_Horn_Illustration (@Cape_Horn_CHI) February 6, 2020

I thought it would be fun to do a self-referential "home styles" guide of the American suburbs--or at least, the worst of the American suburbs. I've always enjoyed the writing of Kate Wagner of McMansion Hell, who hilariously breaks down exactly why some of the suburban home designs (McMansions!) just don't sit well, on many levels. So, taking inspiration from her writing, I made this little grid of homes from a fictional development called "Crest Ridge Country Land Reserve," and here it is.

Here are the shows I did in 2019. If you stopped by, thank you. See you in 2020.

Renegade Craft Fair (Holiday!) - Dec 7-8 at Bridgeport Art Center
Details.

One of a Kind Holiday Show - Dec 5-8 at Merchandise Mart 
Details.

Printers Row Lit Fest (Booth M-West) - June 8-9 on Printers Row
Details.

One of a Kind Spring Show (Booth 1081) - April 27-29 at Merchandise Mart
Details.

Renegade Craft Fair (Booth 114) - May 10-11 in Pilsen 
Details.

Because the neighborhood-focused "Home Styles of Chicago" needed a companion piece: This new print celebrate the variety of classic Chicago architectural styles that you can see in and around the loop. These buildings are representative of certain styles, some of which first flourished in Chicago itself. The first skyscrapers of the "Chicago School," the soaring and organic Sullivan-designed (or mimicked) buildings, the Mies-made modernist highrises.

Click the image below to purchase!

Chicago

New Orleans 

• 1850 House Museum store - 523 Saint Ann St (Carrying the New Orleans Home Styles print) | (504) 524-9118

This is my latest series: the stadiums of Chicago. This project was right at the intersection of my love for architecture, history, and Chicago tradition. These hometown teams go back a long way, more than a hundred years in some cases, and there is a continuity in the human experience that comes through in their built environment. We see echoes of the Roman Coliseum arches in Comiskey Park, and echoes of Comiskey Park in Guaranteed Rate Field. The baseball diamonds carry through as a recurring motif, through the many years; the walls are built tough and tall around the shells; flags reinforce that these are fortresses where battles are fought.

Here is the link to the full collection.

Here's a collection of some of my favorite maps of Chicago, from the historical to contemporary takes.

I love the way the city formed. The city in its current form has a beautiful, orderly pattern of streets that radiates out from a core. I wanted to present some of the early maps of the city, where the first seeds of settlement happened, and present a chronology of illustrated maps. 

Early cartographers showed the growth of the city from its origins at the Chicago River and its fork. Later cartographers and artists took liberties in showing the cityscape in different ways, highlighting certain elements like new transit lines, parks and boulevards, and modern aerial views.

Hope you enjoy getting these bird's eye views of the city's history and growth.

NOTE: If you want a closer view of these maps, right-click on the image and select "Open image in new tab." That will allow you to get an expandable view of the image and a better look at the details.

Chicago Maps: Early Settlement. pre-1800-1833

Imaginary view of Chicago in 1779. A. T. Andreas, History of Chicago from the Earliest Period to the Present Time, vol. 1 (Chicago: A. T. Andreas, 1884), frontispiece. Source

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Chicago in 1820. Chicago Lithographing Company, 1867. Chromolithograph on paper. Library of Congress. Source

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Map of Chicago in 1812. Source. 

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 The original 1830 subdivision by the Illinois and Michigan Canal Commissioners.  Source.

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"Map of Chicago, Incorporated as a Town August 5, 1833." Walter Conley & O.E. Stelzer, 1933.  Source. 

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Chicago Maps: Growth and Industrialization until the Fire. 1857-1871

Chicago In Early Days. 1779-1857. Kurz & Allison, 1893. Source.

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Lithograph by Christian Inger, based on a drawing by J.T. Palmatary. Published by Braunhold & Sonne. 1857. Source. 

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Chicago, Chicago Lithographing Co., 1868.  Source.

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Currier & Ives.; published in Harper's Weekly (1 August 1874)  Source. 

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Richard’s Illustrated and Statistical Map of the Great Conflagration in Chicago. 1871.  Source.

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Chicago Maps: Post-Fire. 1874-1893

The City of Chicago / sketched & drawn on stone by Parsons & Atwater. Currier & Ives, publisher. 1874.  Source. 

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Guide map of new Chicago and suburbs. Author Stine & Clark,1889. Source.

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"Bird's eye view of Chicago, 1892." Roy, Peter. Source.

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"1893 Grand View of Chicago." Treutlein, Th. Eagle Lithographing Co. Reynertson & Beckerman, 1893, c1892. Source.  

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"Bird's eye view of the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893." Rand McNally and Company. Source.

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Library of Congress illustration of the official birdseye view of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois in 1892. Source.

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Chicago Maps: Into the 20th Century. 1898-1916

Bird's-eye-view of the business district of Chicago. Poole Brothers, c1898. Source.

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Birds-eye view of the elevated railroads and the parks and boulevards of Chicago. Willis J. Champion, 1908. Source. 

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"Chicago. View Looking West over the City, Showing the Proposed Civic Center, the Grand Axis, Grant Park, and the Harbor," (Jules Guerin). Plan of Chicago, published by Chicago architects Daniel H. Burnham, Jr. and Edward H. Bennett, 1909. Source.

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Chicago, central business section. Reincke, Arno B. 1916. Source. 

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Chicago Maps: Post-Depression into mid-Century. 1930-1958

Map Showing the Territorial Growth of Chicago. Chicago Department of Public Works, Bureau of Maps and Plats, 1930. Source. 

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An Illustrated Map of Chicago, Youthful City of the Big Shoulders, Restless, Ingenious, Wilful, Violent, Proud to be Alive! Charles Turzak, Boston, 1931. Source. 

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A Map of Chicago's gangland from authentic sources: designed to inculcate the most important principles of piety and virtue in young persons, and graphically portray the evils and sin of large cities. Bruce-Roberts, Inc., 1931. Source.

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A Century of Progress, 1833-1933 : Chicago World's Fair Exposition. Reuben H. Donnelley Corp. 1933. Source. 

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Chicago. The Greatest Inland City in the World. Colortext Publications, Inc. 1938. Source. 

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Map illustrating the dominant ethnicities of different areas of Chicago in 1950. City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development. Source. 

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"Elevate Map of Chicago Rapid Transit Lines." ca. 1950. Source: unknown

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Chicagoland Panorama. Homer Goodman. Published by: Chicago Association of Commerce and Industry. 1964. Source.

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Chicago Maps: Modern Interpretations

Map of Hyde Park and view north. Lauren Nassef. 2007 [circa?] Source. 

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 Robert Bacon. 2013. Source. 

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T.S. Shure Map of Chicago Magnetic Playboard and Puzzle [2010?]. Source.

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Map of Roscoe Village: A Neighborhood of Chicago. Joe Mills. [Contemporary] Source.

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Chicago Neighborhood Map. Ork Posters [Contemporary] Source. 

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A few shots of our booth set-up.

[we re-branded to Wonder City Studio in 2021]

These are the shows so far confirmed. Stop by! Say hello! Give me some constructive criticism!

Show of Hands.
MAY 4-6. Architectural Artifacts (Ravenswood)

Renegade Craft Fair (Spring).
MAY 12-13. Halsted St (Pilsen)

57th Street Art Fair.
JUNE 2-3. Kimbark & 57th (Hyde Park)

Printers Row Lit Fest.
JUNE 9-10. Dearborn & Harrison (Printer's Row)

Gold Coast Art Fair.
JUNE 16-17. Grant Park. Just North of Buckingham Fountain.

Southport Art Festival.
JULY 14-15. Southport & Waveland (Southport Corridor)

Bucktown Arts Fest.
AUG 25-26. Holstein Park area (Bucktown)

Renegade Craft Fair (Fall).
SEP 8-9. Division & Damen (Ukrainian Village)

Ravenswood Artwalk. 
SEPT 15-16. Venue: Beyond Design. (Ravenswood)

Show of Hands (Holiday).
NOV 16-18. Architectural Artifacts (Ravenswood)

Renegade Craft Fair (Holiday)
DEC 1-2. Bridgeport Art Center (Bridgeport)

The One of a Kind Show (Holiday).  
DEC 6-9. Merchandise Mart (River North)

I'm happy to announce a Kickstarter to create print editions of two new illustrated map editions.

These maps are two distinct, illustrated bird's eye views / panoramas that celebrate Chicago's beautiful lakefront. One is a view eastward, focusing on the details and sites along the lakeshore, and one is the view westward, a color edition of the (recently sold-out) "Lakefront Currents."

Just click here or the image preview below to visit the Kickstarter page and pledge your support. I greatly appreciate it!