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The Wells Street "L," Chicago

1931
(American, 1906–1988)
America, 20th century
gelatin silver print
Image: 23.7 x 33.7 cm (9 5/16 x 13 1/4 in.); Matted: 40.6 x 50.8 cm (16 x 20 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1994.92
Location: not on view
This artwork is known to be under copyright.

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Description

Although the skyscraper originated in the 1880s, it was not until the 1910s and 1920s that a vertical building boom turned Chicago’s downtown and several areas in New York into steep-walled canyons. The construction of massive office buildings was spurred by the need to accommodate a burgeoning white-collar workforce spawned by rapid economic growth. Electrified railroads, some of them elevated like Chicago’s “L,” provided transportation for the throngs of workers. Gordon Coster, a Chicago photographer, began as a Pictorialist, creating soft-focus, artfully manipulated images, but later embraced modernism’s sharp focus and radical compositional strategies. This dizzying view is emblematic of modernist experimentation with unusual camera angles.
The Wells Street "L," Chicago

The Wells Street "L," Chicago

1931

Gordon Coster

(American, 1906–1988)
America, 20th century

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