I work around here and, like a lot of the suit wearing peons, never really pay attention to my surroundings.
But sometimes necessity breeds scrutiny and, in my case, it led me to discover the rather interesting story of the Western Blue Line.
(Note: these pictures do not include a “smell-a-vision” or a “scratch & sniff” component. And you should be grateful)
Western Blue Line
One Station: Two Eras
This view of the Western Blue Line shows the original decorative brick, from when the station was built in 1895.
The front is an attractive Art Deco addition, added around 1930.
The widening of Western Avenue in the 1930s, meant that parts of the 1895 structure were demolished. Progress often means the past has to go.
The facade of the building was built in green and tan terracotta and reads, with typical Art Deco simplicity, “L Rapid Transit L.”
The final picture is a perspective corrected and close up of the north facing green terracotta L.
L Rapid Transit L
Reaching this project, I discovered that there is a wealth of information and an interesting history about many of Chicago’s L stations.
MPBaileyMp's ting 