Charles William (Bill) Brubaker (1926-2002) was a member of the Chicago-based architecture firm Perkins & Will from 1950 until 1998. First joining the firm as an intern, he rose to become its President and Chairman (1968-1974).

Chicago in the 1970s

Best known for his work designing schools, Brubaker also authored articles and books on school design and urban planning, served on Chicago’s Metropolitan Planning Council, and lectured on design of the urban environment.

These amazing photos from UIC Library Digital Collections are part of Brubaker’s personal slide collection. They show aspects of the built environment of Chicago and the surrounding metropolitan area during the 1970s.

View looking north along North Michigan Avenue from just south of the intersection with East Superior Street, 1970View of pedestrians walking in Grant Park with the Loop skyline in the distance, 1970

View of two- and three-story buildings along the north side of West Chicago Avenue, with businesses on the ground floor and apartments above, 1970

North Sedgwick Street from south of the CTA elevated train tracks, 1971

Touhy Avenue and elevated train tracks, 1971

View looking east along Grand Avenue from Michigan Avenue toward the high-rise Time-Life Building (541 North Fairbanks Court), 1971

View looking east along Ohio Street towards the Time-Life Building (541 North Fairbanks Court), 1971

View of boats in the Diversey Harbor, located within Lincoln Park, 1971

South Commercial Avenue and Immaculate Conception Church, 1972

View looking north along a thriving commercial strip on South Michigan Avenue, 1972

View looking northeast at the front of the Greenstone Church, 1972

View looking northwest from Calumet Marina, located along the east bank of the Calumet River at East 136th Street and South Torrence Avenue, 1972

View looking south along Michigan Avenue from the northern end of the North Michigan Avenue bridge, 1972

View of the Auditorium building and Congress Hotel along Michigan Avenue, 1972

View of the Chicago skyline in winter, looking northwest from near the Adler Planetarium, 1972

View of the Newberry Plaza condominium tower during construction, looking west along Bellevue Place, 1972

View to north from West Kedzie Street, 1972

Calder sculpture, Chicago Federal Center, 1973

View of the Standard Oil Building (now Aon Center) under construction, 1973

Warehouse demolition, North Pier Terminal, and McClurg Court Center apartments, 1973

View looking east along West 95th Street, 1974

View looking northeast along South Champlain Avenue, a residential street in Pullman lined with brick duplex row houses, 1974

View of the Germano-Millgate Apartments, a public housing complex located at 8808 South Burley Avenue, 1974

Argyle Street and Winthrop Avenue, 1975

North Paulina Street just north of Howard Street, 1975

Apparel Center under construction, 1976

Chicago Avenue from North Michigan Avenue, 1976

East Erie Street at Rush Street, 1976

East Ohio Street between Rush Street and Michigan Avenue, 1976

Gino’s East pizzeria sign and parking lot, 1976

Hanley Dawson Cadillac and Lawry’s restaurant, 1976

North Michigan Avenue at Chicago Avenue, 1976

Pedestrians crossing North Michigan Avenue at the intersection with East Chicago Avenue, in front of the Chicago Water Tower, 1976

Residential neighborhood at North Halsted and Blackhawk Streets, 1976

Restaurants on Rush Street, 1976

State Street at Madison Street, 1976

View across East Walton Street towards the entrance to The Drake Hotel, 1976

View along the west side of North State Street, looking north from West Ontario Street, 1976

View looking across North Michigan Avenue towards the high-rise buildings located on the west side of the street south of the intersection with East Superior Street, 1976

View looking east along the sidewalk on the north side of East Chicago Avenue towards North Rush Street, 1976

View looking east along the sidewalk on the north side of East Huron Street from east of Rush Street, 1976

View looking northwest along North Kingsbury Street, from south of the intersection with West Eastman Street, 1976

View looking southeast from the Kennedy Expressway on-ramp towards industrial buildings along North Orleans Street, 1976

View looking west along East Huron Street, 1976

View looking west along East Illinois Street, from east of the intersection with North Rush Street, 1976

View looking west along East Oak Street from North Michigan Avenue, 1976

View looking west along East Ontario Street, 1976

View looking west along the north side of East Ohio Street, at the intersection with North Rush Street, 1976

View northeast from the intersection of North Wabash Avenue and East Huron Streets, 1976

View of the west side of a nineteenth-century house located at 42 East Superior Street, 1976

View of the William Green Homes, high-rise apartment buildings in the Cabrini-Green public housing development, looking northeast along the north side of West Division Street, just east of the intersection with North Crosby Street, 1976

View to east along East Chicago Avenue, with the Hotel St. Benedict Flats (42-50 East Chicago Avenue) on the left, 1976

View west from North State Street to the block of North Dearborn Street between West Ohio and West Ontario Streets, with a large parking lot in the foreground, 1976

West Chicago Avenue at Hudson Street, 1976

View looking north along the east side of South Kedzie Avenue, 1977

View looking northwest at the Jackson Park station, at the end of the CTA Jackson Park line, 1977

View of the Reliance building, 1977

Brunswick-Balke-Collender Building, 1978

Chicago Fire Department station, West Illinois Street, 1978

Shopping mall, East 55th Street, 1978

South State Street and Follies Theater, 1978

South State Street at West Harrison Street, 1978

View looking east at the Adlake Building (320 West Ohio Street) located at the northeast corner of the intersection of North Orleans and West Ohio Streets, 1978

View looking north across West North Avenue at a Dominick’s grocery store, part of the Pipers Alley Mall complex, 1978

View looking northeast along North Franklin Street, from the intersection with West Erie Street, 1978

View looking northwest from the intersection of South State Street and Congress Parkway, 1978

View looking south along North Franklin Street towards the intersection with West Kinzie Street and the Merchandise Mart, 1978

View looking southwest along South Archer Avenue, 1978

View of Harper Court, a development project that included clusters of small businesses and artisan shops, located on South Harper Avenue between 53rd and 52nd Streets, 1978

View of the Standard Oil Building (now Aon Center) under construction, 1978