"The Chicago River"
by Paul Roark

I am always curious why major cities are where they are. Most in the US know that Chicago is on Lake Michigan (in the state of Illinois). More specifically, however, Chicago was the portage that connected the Mississippi River with the Great Lakes. In terms of watersheds, which historically were critical in commerce, Chicago sits on one of the most strategic points in the North American continent. The Chicago river, as part of this portage, has historical importance beyond what most would think today. One rather unusual aspect of the river's history is that its flow was actually reversed in the late 19th century.

Chicago is, in my view, under-appreciated as a great city with substantial artistic resources.

This multi-frame Leica M9 photograph has the high image detail and perspective of a the large format style photography I used for so many years in my landscape work.


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To go to the September 2013 Catalog, please click here.