Love it or hate it, the architectural style known as brutalism has left its mark on cities all over the world. So what’s the story of brutalism in Chicago? Geoffrey Baer weighs in.

Journalism, we often hear, is a “first draft of history.” That makes old newspaper photos an excellent window into the past. We get a peek.

For decades, the Ramova Theatre has languished in neglect. But after years of neighborhood activism and a new redevelopment proposal, the old movie house could soon be transformed into an updated version of its former self. 

Sixty years ago, a young photography student aimed his camera at Chicago teens. His name was Joseph Sterling, and we visited an old classmate of his for a closer look at the process of capturing youth culture and Chicago in the mid-20th century.

Martin Luther King Jr. was known for speaking out against racial segregation, voter disenfranchisement and economic inequality. We discuss his life and legacy with a man who marched with him: Paul Adams III.

A new report issued by Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development says the Obama Presidential Center will have an “adverse” impact on Jackson Park’s Historic Landscape District and the city’s historic Park Boulevard System.

Dozens of old glass negatives found in the attic of a North Side home lead to a surprising discovery, just days before the house was scheduled to be torn down. 

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. 

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.

When he died in 2011, Chicago photographer Dorrell Creightney left behind half a million photos. His work is not well known, but his daughters are on a mission to change that.

The River North neighborhood offers a mix of restaurants, bars and galleries, but it wasn’t always so trendy. Chicago photographer and filmmaker Tom Palazzolo captured the area in the 1960s and now many of those photos are part of a new book.

Chicago has a thriving live music scene today, but many of the city’s legendary venues are long gone. A new book from Neal Samors and Bob Dauber remembers many of those 20th century nightspots.

At a time of great division in the U.S., a little bit of Mr. Rogers can go a long way to remind us of simpler times. We revisit a 1985 interview between Fred Rogers and original “Chicago Tonight” host John Callaway.

Before search engines and Wikipedia, where could Chicagoans go when they needed to know something fast? Geoffrey Baer serves up the story of a popular information service.

When a woman snatched a newborn from its mother’s arms in 1946, the case made headlines nationwide. And though the mystery seemed solved two years later, recent media reports say a man living in rural Michigan may be that very child.

Over its long history, Chicago has seen plenty of firsts, but those stories aren’t always well-known today. Entrepreneur Jesse Binga is at the center of one of those stories. Longtime journalist Don Hayner tells us more.