A nephew of 1930s gangster John Dillinger needs a cemetery’s permission to exhume the notorious criminal’s Indianapolis gravesite to prove whether he’s actually buried there, a judge ruled Wednesday in dismissing the nephew’s lawsuit against the cemetery.
chicago history

The state says the building is too expensive to maintain and repair, but architectural activists are determined to highlight its unique features and its role in the city’s past, present and future.

Geoffrey Baer shares the story behind a unique Chicago-made typewriter and the ornate 1907 building that served as its headquarters.

Local historian Dominic Pacyga tells us about his new book “American Warsaw: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Polish Chicago.”

What do a train ride and an army parade have in common? Geoffrey Baer investigates two Chicago publicity stunts in this installment of Ask Geoffrey.

Blistery winds and falling snow Monday didn’t prevent members of the George L. Giles American Legion Post 87 from the journey they’ve made every Veterans Day for the past 93 years along Martin Luther King Drive to the Victory Monument.

Today, taking a picture is as easy as a single click on a phone. But for many years, the process was much more intricate and time-consuming. Geoffrey Baer shines some light on the now largely forgotten event.

How did a Lincoln Park statue wind up standing in cities all over the world? Geoffrey Baer goes south of the border for the answer.

Louis Comfort Tiffany led an all-star team of artists and designers who could create almost anything out of glass: lamps, jewelry, mosaics and also artwork of a spiritual nature. We visit the exhibit “Eternal Light.”

For more than 50 years, vending machines scattered throughout Chicago-area zoos and museums have sold visitors souvenirs made of melted plastic. Meet the man keeping the vintage technology alive.

Alds. David Moore and Sophia King introduced an ordinance Wednesday to rename Lake Shore Drive to Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Drive in honor of the city’s founder.

More than 350 buildings open their doors to the public this weekend. Geoffrey Baer takes us behind the scenes of several unique buildings featured as part of Open House Chicago.

As real estate development booms in pockets of the city, it feels like a new neighborhood is introduced every few months. This may seem like a relatively recent phenomenon, but in Chicago, the practice goes back decades. Geoffrey Baer explains.

From the Picasso to the Bean to countless city murals, public art is a vibrant part of Chicago culture. But for over a century, Chicagoans have taken special pride in a pair of sculptures watching over Michigan Avenue. Geoffrey Baer explains.

The legend of street photographer Vivian Maier has grown immeasurably since her death. Now the collector who acquired the majority of her work has made a gift to the University of Chicago: 2,700 of her images and some artifacts.

More than 40 years ago, Chicagoan Dale Wickum traveled all over the country by freight train to meet and photograph men who called themselves “railroad tramps.” The photos have been in storage since the 1970s. Until now.