A new photo collection at the Harold Washington Library is giving a glimpse into what life was like for Latinos in Chicago during the 1990s.

At the time, Japanese photographer Akito Tsuda was a student at Columbia College when a class assignment brought him to the Pilsen neighborhood.

After graduating, he left the United States — taking those photos with him.

But years later he took a chance and reconnected with his subjects. Now he’s back in the city revisiting the people and places he visited all those years ago.

The library acquired 118 of Tsuda’s photographs, which will be on display in the ninth-floor exhibit hall through the end of the year. The exhibit is part of Art Design Chicago, a citywide collaboration initiated by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Click here for more information about “Akito Tsuda: Pilsen Days” and future events.

WTTW is part of Art Design Chicago, a citywide collaboration initiated by the Terra Foundation for American Art that highlights the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities.