Showcasing Chicago One Image at a Time

Day 4: Reflections

Posted on January 5, 2011 by eaj81

One of my favorite touristy destinations of the city is the Shedd Aquarium. I tend to be easily amused by little creatures swimming around and doing their thing. One of my favorite and most amusing creatures to watch is THIS Alligator Snapping Turtle. I caught him in a rare moment as he slowly surfaced for a breath reflecting on the water above.

An Alligator Snapping Turtle can live to 25 years old and 171 lbs in the wild, sadly as these animals are being hunted for their meat they have now become protected animals in many states. However, in captivity (zoos or aquariums) these animals can live to over 70 years old and over 250 lbs.

Posted in Animals, Life, Museums | Leave a comment

Day 3: The Carousel

Posted on January 4, 2011 by eaj81

A new take on a childhood classic. The carousel at Brookfield Zoo features 72 figurines handcarved from sustainable basswood and took approximately 15 months to create. Installed in 2006 in the main entrance of the zoo, it is one of the largest non-restored wooden carousel in the country.

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Day 2: Union Stockyard Entry Gate

Posted on January 3, 2011 by eaj81

This is one of the last remaining landmarks from a big part of Chicago’s history. The entrance gate to the Union Stockyard stands as a reminder to the dominant place that Chicago held in the meat packing industry. Erected in 2004 directly behind the gate is a memorial statue dedicated to all the fallen Chicago firefighters. The statue is located in the near the location of the Chicago Union Stock Yards Fire that took place from December 22-23, 1910. Around the base of the statue are engraved the names of all Chicago firefighters ever killed in the line of duty.

The gate is part of the National Register of Historic Places (1972), a National Historic Landmark (1981) and a Chicago Landmark (1972). Made of all limestone, the gate features the bust of “Sherman” the favorite prize-winning bull of John B. Sherman (superintendent of the stockyards at the time) above the arch.

Posted in Historic Landmarks | Leave a comment

Day 1: Honoring a Fallen Hero

Posted on January 2, 2011 by eaj81

Photography is a hobby of mine. I initially started taking photos to capture all of the amazing things I have seen living in Chicago. There is so much cool shit in this city and I just enjoy capturing it and being able to look back later to relive the moments. I’m not doing this because I want to be a photographer; I’m doing this because every day I am reminded of how amazing this city is and how visually stunning it can be. I just love everything that this city has to offer and figured I might as well share the way that I see this city with others or at least have fun documenting it.

I thought about doing something similar to project365 but didn’t know if I would have the time to take a new photo everyday. So instead I decided to start a blog to share an image a day of the photos that I have taken since I started this hobby.

Throughout this blog, I can promise you only this… I will post pictures that only I have taken and I will continue to take photos and post them as the year goes by. NOTE: Photos that are posted are not necessarily taken that day.

To kick this blog off, here are a few photos that show what makes Chicago great. A reminder of the heroes that keep this city safe and put their lives on the line every day to answer the call when you are in need and make sure that you are safe. These photos symbolize the gratitude the city has towards men like Corey Ankum, Edward Stringer, Chris Wheatley and the countless men who came before them and sacrificed everything to help keep Chicago safe.

The firefighter’s Prayer