Historical Note

The 2011 snowstorm started Tuesday afternoon, February 1, 2011. Over 20 inches of snow would eventually descend upon the city with winds measuring up to 70 miles per hour. These wintry elements knocked out power for many and closed Lake Shore Drive as well as businesses, organizations, schools and city departments. Many speculated that this snowstorm, which was referred to as snowpocalypse, would go down in history as Chicago’s worst storm. However, it ranked third behind the 1967 and 1999 snowstorms.

Scope and Content

The Snowstorm Photograph Collection contains photographs of Chicago neighborhoods on or just after the 2011 blizzard. The photographs are arranged geographically: Loop, North Side, Northerly Island and South Side. Within these categories, they are filed alphabetically by donor’s last name.

Provenance

The photographs in the Snowstorm Photograph Collection were donated by Marcus Berry, Brian Diller, Kristen Edson, Kelly Hafermann, Debra Orellana, Thomas Reiser, Brooke Smith, Ashley Susina, Maurice Thomas, Jr., and G’Jordan Williams.

Access

The Snowstorm Photograph Collection is available to the public for research in the Special Collections and Preservation Division Reading Room on the ninth floor of the Chicago Public Library’s Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State Street, Chicago, IL, 60605. The collection does not circulate, although photocopy and photo reproduction services are available depending upon the condition of the original materials. First-time patrons to Special Collections must present photo identification and complete a Reader Registration Form. Telephone inquiries on this collection and other Special Collections holdings can be directed to (312) 747-4875.

Inventory

LOOP

Orellana
1.1	Plymouth Court, looking down from inside the Harold Washington Library Center, February 1, 2011
1.2	Plymouth Court and Van Buren Street, looking south on Plymouth, February 1, 2011
1.3	Van Buren and Dearborn streets, looking north at Monadnock Building, February 1, 2011
1.4	Willis Tower, from inside the Harold Washington Library Center, February 1, 2011

See also Hafermann 4.21 and Reiser 10.5

NORTH SIDE

Diller
2.1	Cedar Street, 17 East, February 2, 2011
2.2	Lake Michigan, February 2, 2011
2.3	Lake Shore Drive, abandoned cars, February 2, 2011
2.4	Lake Shore Drive, abandoned Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus, February 2, 2011
2.5	Lake Shore Drive, inside view of abandoned CTA bus, February 2, 2011
2.6	Lake Shore Drive, inside view of abandoned CTA bus, February 2, 2011
2.7	Lake Shore Drive and Division Street tunnel to Oak Street Beach, February 2, 2011
2.8	LaSalle Street, 1100 block north, February 2, 2011
2.9	Maple Street at Clark Street, February 2, 2011
2.10	Maple and Clark streets, February 2, 2011
2.11	Oak Street Beach, Lake Shore Drive and Division Street, Tunnel to Oak Street Beach, February 2, 2011
2.12	Oak Street Beach, Lake Shore Drive and Division Street, Tunnel to Oak Street Beach, February 2, 2011
2.13	Oak Street Beach, Lake Shore Drive and Division Street, Tunnel to Oak Street Beach, February 2, 2011
2.14	Oak Street Beach, Lake Shore Drive and Division Street, Tunnel to Oak Street Beach, February 2, 2011

Edson
3.1	Cornelia Avenue near Broadway, February 2, 2011
3.2	Cornelia Avenue and Broadway, south side of the street, February 2, 2011
3.3	Cornelia Avenue and Broadway, looking northwest, February 2, 2011
3.4	Cornelia Avenue, looking at Inner Lake Shore Drive, February 2, 2011
3.5	Cornelia Avenue, looking east to Pine Grove Avenue, February 2, 2011
3.6	Lake Michigan near Diversey Harbor, February 2, 2011
3.7	Lake Shore Drive between Belmont Avenue and Diversey Parkway, February 2, 2011
3.8	Lake Shore Drive south of Belmont Avenue, February 2, 2011
3.9	Lake Shore Drive at Belmont Avenue overpass, February 2, 2011
3.10	Lake Shore Drive near Fullerton Parkway, February 2, 2011
3.11	Lake Shore Drive near Fullerton Parkway, February 2, 2011
3.12	Lake Shore Drive at Fullerton Parkway exit, February 2, 2011
3.13	Lincoln Park, Jeep snowed in, February 2, 2011

Hafermann
4.1	Ashland Avenue, 4200 block north, February 2, 2011
4.2	Berteau and Ashland avenues, February 2, 2011
4.3	Berteau and Ashland avenues, February 2, 2011
4.4	Berteau and Ashland avenues, February 2, 2011
4.5	Berteau and Ashland avenues, February 2, 2011
4.6	Clark Street, 3400 north, February 2, 2011
4.7	Clark Street and Buckingham Place, February 2, 2011
4.8	Cullom Avenue near Paulina Street, February 2, 2011
4.9	Greenview and Pensacola avenues, February 2, 2011
4.10	Greenview and Pensacola avenues, February 2, 2011
4.11	Greenview and Pensacola avenues, February 2, 2011
4.12	Greenview and Montrose avenues, February 2, 2011
4.13	Irving Park Road and Ravenswood Avenue, February 1, 2011
4.14	Montrose Avenue, 1625 West, February 2, 2011
4.15	Montrose and Greenview avenues, February 2, 2011
4.16	Paulina Street and Cullom Avenue, 1700 block of West Cullom, February 2, 2011
4.17	Paulina Street and Cullom Avenue, February 2, 2011
4.18	Paulina Street and Cullom Avenue, February 2, 2011
4.19	Pensacola Avenue and Clark Street, February 2, 2011
4.20	Pensacola and Greenview avenues, February 2, 2011
4.21	Van Buren Street and Plymouth Court, El Station (Harold Washington Library Center-State/Van Buren), February 1, 2011

Smith
5.1	Diversey Parkway and Sheridan Road, February 1, 2011
5.2	Lake Shore Drive near Diversey Parkway, February 1, 2011
5.3	Lake Shore Drive near Diversey Parkway, February 1, 2011

Susina
6.1	Kenton and Waveland avenues, February 1, 2011
6.2	Waveland Avenue, 4600 block, February 2, 2011
6.3	Waveland Avenue, 4600 block, February 1, 2011
6.4	Waveland Avenue, 4600 block, February 1, 2011
6.5	Waveland Avenue, 4600 block, February 2, 2011
6.6	Waveland Avenue, 4600 block, February 2, 2011
6.7	Waveland Avenue, 4600 block, February 2, 2011
6.8	Waveland Avenue, 4600 block, February 2, 2011
6.9	Waveland Avenue, 4600 block, February 2, 2011
6.10	Waveland Avenue, 4600 block, February 1, 2011
6.11	Waveland Avenue, behind the 4600 block, February 2, 2011
6.12	Waveland Avenue, behind the 4600 block, February 1, 2011
6.13	Waveland Avenue, behind the 4600 block, February 1, 2011
6.14	Waveland Avenue, behind the 4600 block, February 1, 2011
6.15	Waveland Avenue, behind the 4600 block, February 1, 2011
6.16	Waveland and Kenton avenues, February 1, 2011
6.17	Waveland and Kenton avenues, February 1, 2011
6.18	Waveland and Kenton avenues, February 1, 2011
6.19	Waveland and Kenton avenues, February 2, 2011

NORTHERLY ISLAND

Susina
7.1	Northerly Island, February 4, 2011
7.2	Northerly Island, February 4, 2011
7.3	Northerly Island, February 4, 2011
7.4	Northerly Island, February 4, 2011
7.5	Northerly Island, February 4, 2011
7.6	Northerly Island, February 4, 2011
7.7	Northerly Island, February 4, 2011

SOUTH SIDE

Berry
8.1	105th Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, February 2, 2011
8.2	105th Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, February 2, 2011
8.3	105th Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, February 2, 2011
8.4	105th Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, February 2, 2011
8.5	105th Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, February 2, 2011
8.6	10500 South Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, February 2, 2011
8.7	10500 South Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, February 2, 2011

Reed
9.1	37th Place and Wabash Avenue, February 2, 2011
9.2	37th Place and Wabash Avenue, February 2, 2011
9.3	37th Place and Wabash Avenue, February 2, 2011
9.4	37th Place near Wabash Avenue, February 2, 2011
9.5	37th Place near Wabash Avenue, February 2, 2011
9.6	37th Place near Wabash Avenue, February 2, 2011
9.7	37th Place, view of staircase, February 2, 2011

Reiser
10.1	76th  Street and Winchester Avenue, February 4, 2011
10.2	95th Street and Damen Avenue, looking west on 95th Street, February 4, 2011
10.3	95th Street and Damen Avenue, on Damen Avenue
10.4	95th Street, 1962 West, Chicago Public Library, Beverly Branch parking lot, February 4, 2011
10.5	State and Adams streets, n.d

Thomas
11.1	86th Street and Racine Avenue, February 2, 2011
11.2	86th Street and Racine Avenue, looking west, February 2, 2011

Williams
12.1	71st Street and Crandon Avenue, February 2, 2011
12.2	70th Street and Merrill Avenue, February 2, 2011
12.3	70th Street and Merrill Avenue, February 2, 2011
12.4	70th Street and Merrill Avenue, February 2, 2011
12.5	70th Street and Merrill Avenue, February 2, 2011
12.6	70th Street and South Shore Drive, looking down at roof with snow, February 1, 2011
12.7	70th Street and South Shore Drive, February 2, 2011
12.8	71st Street and Yates Boulevard, February 2, 2011
12.9	71st Street and Yates Boulevard, February 2, 2011
12.10	South Shore Cultural Center Beach, February 3, 2011
12.11	South Shore Cultural Center Beach, February 3, 2011
12.12	South Shore Cultural Center Beach, February 3, 2011
12.13	South Shore Cultural Center Beach, February 3, 2011
12.14	South Shore Drive and 71st Street, February 2, 2011
12.15	South Shore Drive and 71st Street, South Shore Cultural Center, February 2, 2011
12.16	South Shore Drive and 71st Street, South Shore Cultural Center, February 2, 2011
12.17	South Shore Drive and Yates Boulevard, February 2, 2011
12.18	Unidentified alley and car, February 2, 2011
12.19	Unidentified man walking down alley, February 2, 2011