Henry D. Green Photograph Collection
Scope and Contents
The photographs depict everyday life on Chicago’s North Side during the 1940s and early 1950s. Many of his photographs reflect the home front during World War II in local businesses and clubs, as well as activities in neighborhood schools and parks. All photographs are black and white, mostly 8 x 10 inches. Most have corresponding 4 x 5 negatives, though not all. Additional materials by Henry Delorval Green are held at the Chicago History Museum.
Dates
- 1944 - 1954
Creator
- Green, Henry Delorval, 1896-1984 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Please consult staff to determine ability to reuse materials from collection.
Biographical / Historical
Henry Delorval Green was born in Linwood, Nebraska on November 24th, 1896. He moved to Chicago in the 1920s and opened a photography studio in the Merchandise Mart. During the depression he worked for the Federal Art Project under Works Progress Administration auspices. He moved to the Lake View neighborhood during World War II and set up his studio, taking photographs of many weddings, private celebrations and civic events, in addition to commercial assignments for local businesses. He was also employed as a “stringer” for several neighborhood newspapers. His wife, Doris, worked with him, taking care of the business accounts, and his son, Thomas, worked with him as a photographer after serving in the war. Mr. Green retired in 1968, and died in Chicago on March 26th, 1984.
Extent
396 Photographic Prints
232 Photographic negatives
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Henry D. Green was a commercial photographer on Chicago’s North Side. Subjects in the collection include local businesses, community groups, celebrations in neighborhood parks and events at local schools. Many photographs reflect life on the North Side during World War II. Additional materials by Henry Delorval Green are held at the Chicago History Museum.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into the following series:
Series 1: Businesses
Series 2: Clubs and Organizations
Series 3: Hospitals
Series 4: Municipal Agencies
Series 5: Parks
Series 6: Portraits
Series 7: Religious Organizations
Series 8: Residences
Series 9: Schools
Series 10: Street Scenes
Series 11: Transportation
Series 12: Wartime Activities
Within each series photographs have been further arranged either alphabetically or chronologically where appropriate.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated to the Chicago Public Library by the Chicago Historical Society in 1983. The Chicago Historical Society acquired the collection after Mr. Green retired in 1968 and sold the building with his studio. After surveying the collection, the Chicago Historical Society kept some of the photographs and donated some to Hild Regional Library.
Existence and Location of Copies
Select photographs from this collection are available in the Library's Henry D. Green Photograph Digital Collection.
- Lakeview (Chicago, Ill.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Photographs -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms
- Title
- Guide to the Henry D. Green Photograph Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Originally processed by Becky Haglund, 1984. Revised by Julie Lynch and Morag Walsh, 2018. Ingested into ArchivesSpace by Allyson Smally and Julie Lynch, 2022.
- Date
- 1984
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Northside Neighborhood History Collection Repository
Sulzer Regional Library
Chicago Public Library
4455 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago IL 60625 United States
(312) 742-4455
northsidehistory@chipublib.org