Snapshots

Photos from the archives and readers such as you.

Younger than springtime

Students take pleasure in an enchanted night within the Loop within the early Fifties (UChicago Photographic Archive, apf4-02165, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library)

Bookstacks

In June 1920 holdings from the John Crerar Library await the cabinets of their new residence. The library, which opened in April 1897, was initially situated within the Marshall Field constructing on North Wabash Avenue however later moved to a brand new location on East Randolph Street. The Crerar Library merged with the University of Chicago in 1984, however earlier than that it was a privately endowed public library established by Chicago businessman John Crerar after his dying in 1889. Crerar left few pointers concerning the sorts of books and periodicals he wished there—simply that “all nastiness and immorality be excluded.” But he went as far as so as to add this: “I mean that dirty French novels and all skeptical trash and works of questionable moral tone shall never be found in this Library.” To distinguish its collections from the arts-and-humanities-focused Newberry Library and the Chicago Public Library’s normal curiosity collections, the Crerar Library prioritized holdings associated to the sciences and know-how. (Photography by Chicago Architectural Photographing Company, UChicago Photographic Archive, apf2-01945, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library)

Little containers fabricated from ticky-tacky

At the Laboratory Schools in 1951, Olga Adams’s (PhB 1924, AM 1932) kindergarten class builds a cardboard metropolis as a part of a metropolis planning unit. After building was accomplished, the scholars stuffed the buildings with furnishings and performed within the constructions. (Photography by Mildred LaDue Mead, UChicago Photographic Archive, apf2-09524, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library)

Trivial pursuit

From left, UChicagoans Neal Johnston, AB’60; Roger Downey, EX’59; Leonard Friedman, AB’63; and Elliot Lilien, AB’61, compete within the General Electric College Bowl in December 1959. The present was hosted by Allen Ludden (far proper) and aired on CBS. In every episode, two faculties or universities—one a returning champion—competed in a 24-minute trivia contest with questions resembling “What president said, ‘I would dedicate this nation to the policy of the good neighbor’?” and “If you heard someone refer to the Arlberg method, would he be talking about biological research, Willie Mays’s batting stance, or a ski technique?” The Maroons bested the University of Miami of their first matchup however misplaced to the University of Kansas of their second. Nevertheless, they took residence $2,000 in scholarship and grant cash for the University and acquired to take pleasure in “two week-ends of New York luxury,” as this journal put it. (UChicago Photographic Archive, apf1-10634, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library)

Seventies salon

Math professor Izaak Wirszup, PhD’55 (seated within the white chair), and his spouse, lecturer in Russian Pera Wirszup (standing, middle), longtime resident masters in Woodward Court, chat with college students over drinks in 1971. Did you spend time with the Wirszups when you have been on campus? Share a narrative at [email protected]. (Photography by Sandi Kronquist, UChicago Photographic Archive, apf1-11450, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library)

Monsters of the Midway

Nick Varsam, AB’83 (entrance proper), shared this {photograph} of his intramural (IM) soccer crew celebrating on the Midway round November 1980. “I believe we were only one pitcher of beer into our IM football championship celebration,” Varsam writes. Other crew members pictured right here embrace Larry Wilt, AB’84; Craig Peters, EX’83; Charles Episalla, AB’83; Kenny Davis, AB’83; Larry Mendelsohn, AB’83; Krikor Topouzian, AB’82; and Barry Peterson, AB’83. Did you play intramural sports activities at UChicago? Throw us a reminiscence at [email protected]. (Photo courtesy Nick Varsam, AB’83)

Democratic discussions

Fourth-year Renato Mariotti, AB’98, introduces former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell on the Challenge of Modern Democracy convention in April 1998. The three-day convention, which Mariotti co-organized with classmate Rohit “Ro” Khanna, AB’98—now a member of Congress (D-CA)—additionally featured audio system together with former Haitian president Jean- Bertrand Aristide and CNN anchor Bernard Shaw. Who was probably the most memorable politician you heard converse on campus? Tell us about it at [email protected]. (Photography by Dave O., Copyright 2026, The Chicago Maroon. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.)

Have photographs out of your UChicago days? The Magazine might be able to share them in Alumni News and in a future Snapshots. Send high-resolution scans and your reminiscences of what the photographs are about to [email protected].