| Dates: | 2015 |
| Size: | 6 photographs, 6 captions, 1 exhibition panel |
| Repository: | Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, 400 S. State Street, Chicago, IL 60605 |
| Collection Number: | c00064 |
| Provenance: | Donated to the Chicago Public Library by Linda E. Swift, 2016. |
| Access: | No restrictions. All reproductions require written permission from Linda E. Swift. |
| Citation: | When quoting material from this collection the preferred citation is:Linda E. Swift Photographs, [Photograph#] Special Collections, Chicago Public Library. |
| Processed by: | Debra Orellana, March 2017 |
Biographical Note
From 2007 to 2015, Linda Erf Swift photographed students from three Chicago high schools in the Hyde Park and Kenwood neighborhoods. The goal of her Chalkboard Project was to generate dialog between students and awareness about their communities, schools and lives. Each student posed before a chalkboard with their favorite quote. The Chalkboard Project: Teens and Quotes was exhibited at the Harold Washington Library Center in 2015.
Before turning to photography, Swift raised her family and worked as a teacher and social worker. Her commitment to community engagement included assistance programs for families, teens and inmates in the Cook County Department of Corrections. In addition, Swift has been active in such social justice initiatives as civil rights, education and women. She credits these experiences as the inspiration behind her photography. “I am particularly interested in giving voice and image to those not often heard from.” Swift received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2011.
Scope and Content
This collection contains 6 color portraits, exhibit captions and a text panel from The Chalkboard Project, 2015.
Arrangement
The photographs and corresponding captions are arranged alphabetically by students’ first name.
Subject Headings
- Swift, Linda Erf
- High School Students--Illinois--Chicago--Photographs
- Hyde Park (Chicago, Ill.)
- Kenwood (Chicago, Ill.)
Related Materials
- Swift, Linda Erf. The High School Photo Project: Works in Progress. United States: Linda Erf Swift, 2010. TR820.5.S954 2010
- David Gremp Photographs, 1978-1979
Container List
| Oversize Folder 1 | Photograph 1.1 | Chalkboard Project, Ahmad with quote by Kid Cudi, 2015 |
| Oversize Folder 1 | Photograph 1.2 | Chalkboard Project, Angelina with quote by Harriet B. Stowe, 2015 |
| Oversize Folder 1 | Photograph 1.3 | Chalkboard Project, Janelli with quote by unknown author, 2015 |
| Oversize Folder 1 | Photograph 1.4 | Chalkboard Project, Jason with quote by W.H. Auden, 2015 |
| Oversize Folder 1 | Photograph 1.5 | Chalkboard Project, Jiara with quote by unknown author, 2015 |
| Oversize Folder 1 | Photograph 1.6 | Chalkboard Project, Martese with quote by Malcolm X, 2015 |
| Oversize Folder 1 | Envelope 1.7 | Chalkboard Project, exhibit captions, 2015 |
| Oversize Folder 1 | Poster 1.8 | Chalkboard Project, exhibit text panel, 2015 |
