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Storm on Lake Michigan, Chicago, IL, 1911

Subjects
Beaches & CoastlinesFloods & StormsLakes & Ponds
Card type
Lithograph
Date
c. 1911 (Golden Age)
Front of Storm on Lake Michigan, Chicago, IL, 1911, c. 1911 lithograph postcard
Front
Back of Storm on Lake Michigan, Chicago, IL, 1911, c. 1911 lithograph postcard
Back

About this postcard

A large wave breaks on the Lake Michigan shore beneath a dark, stormy sky, with driftwood and debris scattered across the beach in the foreground. The scene reflects the lake's reputation for sudden rough weather, a hazard for shoreline communities and lake shipping in the early twentieth century.

Postcard Details

Message · English, in pencil

Dear Papa. Got here all right. Having a good time. Mamma

STORM ON LAKE MICHIGAN
PostmarkedChicago, IL
Stamp
Addressed to
Mr Alfred Butell

Odell, IL

Postcard record

PostmarkedChicago, IL
Series572C
ConditionFair
Place addressedMr Alfred Butell, Odell, IL
Place depictedLake Michigan
Stamp10c Thomas Jefferson, green
Stamp1c Benjamin Franklin, green, perforated on all sides
NotesWhite border; surface damage/white spots; printed caption: STORM ON LAKE MICHIGAN. Postmark: CHICAGO ILL. 29 1-30 AM 1911 16. Divided-back card with 'THIS SIDE FOR THE ADDRESS' imprint; heavy foxing/staining and edge wear; pencil message written sideways along the left edge.

Cite this card

Storm on Lake Michigan, Chicago, IL, 1911, postcard, c. 1911. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/storm-on-lake-michigan-chicago-il-1911. Accessed November 2, 2026.