Madison Street Bridge closed over the Chicago River, Chicago, Illinois, circa 1907
- Subjects
- Bridges & DamsStreet Scenes
- Card type
- Printed photo
About this postcard
The card shows the Madison Street bascule bridge in its raised, closed-to-river-traffic position, its steel truss span and railings crowded with pedestrians and vehicles, with a small vessel and lumber-laden barge in the water below and a large commercial block and smokestacks behind. Chicago's downtown crossings of the Chicago River were swing and bascule bridges that had to open constantly for lake and river shipping, and the Madison Street span was one of the busiest of these downtown crossings in the early 20th century. The printed caption names the scene directly, and the copyright line dates the view to 1907.
Postcard Details
No address detected
Postcard record
| Publisher | E. Phillips |
|---|---|
| Series | 5436 |
| Condition | Very good |
| Place depicted | Madison Street Bridge, IL |
| Place depicted | IL |
| Notes | White border; visible halftone dot screen; copyright line printed in red at lower left; light edge wear and a small stain at lower left corner. No postmark; unused divided-back card. Printed "Post Card" heading with correspondence/address divider and stamp box ("UNITED STATES AND CANADA ONE CENT. FOREIGN, TWO CENTS."). Front carries a 1907 copyright line and a white border; card stock is toned and lightly soiled with minor edge wear. |
Cite this card
Madison Street Bridge closed over the Chicago River, Chicago, Illinois, circa 1907, postcard, c. 1915. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/madison-street-bridge-closed-over-the-chicago-river-chicago. Accessed October 25, 2026.