The Rookery

The Rookery
Chicago, Illinois
Photograph by Tom Atwood

Daniel Burnham, the architect who was Director of Works for the World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893, also designed (along with John Root) one of Chicago's most famous buildings, known as The Rookery. Built in 1888, The Rookery features interior design by Frank Lloyd Wright. The 11-story building is so magnificent and ageless that the people in this photo somehow seem out of place. Like the cars and streetlights, they are from another era, from a future that is small and plain, when compared to the Rookery's timeless grace. (For more about Daniel Burnham, see Erik Larson's fine novel, "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Madness and Magic at the Fair that Changed America.") Shutter: 1/30; Aperture: f/5.6; ISO: 100; Focal length: 18 mm