September @CERA:
The Chicago Streetcar Pictorial Round Table
Friday evening, September 26, 2014 – Doors open at 6:30, and the program begins promptly at 7:00 pm
University Center, 525 S State St, Chicago, IL 60605
Post-war PCC 4140 and pre-war car 4051 at the Madison-Austin loop in July 1951. (CERA Archives)
Come join us for the first of three events in our “Chicago PCC Weekend.” Our program will begin with rare films of Chicago streetcars, unseen in 60 years. We will then watch excerpts from the Chicago Streetcar Memories DVD, which will be included with each copy of our forthcoming book Chicago Streetcar Pictorial: The PCC Car Era, 1936-1958 (for more information, see the “CERA News” for September).
We have assembled a stellar panel for a “round table” discussion of Chicago’s PCCs, including B-146’s authors, Jeff Wien, David Sadowski, and John Nicholson; transportation historians Roy Benedict andGeorge Kanary; and legendary photographers Ray DeGroote, Truman Hefner, Bob Heinlein, Bernie Rossbach, and Ken Spengler, whose work is featured in the book. This program will be videotaped for future DVD release.
Because we expect the demand for seats may exceed what is available, and due to the presence of many out-of-town visitors, this is a ticketed event. Admission to this once-in-a-lifetime program is free for current (2014) CERA Members, and $5 for others. You can get tickets here. After 6:45 pm, latecomers will be seated at our discretion. If the event does sell out, we will have a waiting list for tickets in case of any last-minute cancellations.
As a special bonus, each attendee will receive a commemorative poster, suitable for framing and autographing. These will be distributed at the end of the evening. We look forward to seeing you there!
-Your CERA Directors
CTA red Pullman 594 passes Pullman PCC 4131 at Madison and Wells in 1947. There is about 40 years’ difference in ages between the cars. The PCC is a Madison car, and 594 is on a variant of the Milwaukee route. We are looking east. (CERA Archives)
The experimental PCC Model B on display at Chicago’s Navy Pier in August 1934. (Pullman Standard photo, courtessy of John Bromley)
Pre-war PCC 4008 westbound on 64th near Stony Island. (Joe L. Diaz photo, CERA Archives)
CSL PCC 4007 at Kedzie Station. (Chicago Surface Lines photo, CERA Archives)
CSL PCC 4005 on Madison Street, November 23, 1936. (Westinghouse photo, courtesy of John Bromley)
CTA PCC 7188, northbound on Dearborn at Jackson in April 1957, passes bus 8102. (Richard S. Short photo, CERA Archives)
CSL W14 towing a PCC northbound at Kedzie and Harrison in 1947. As you can see by the sign, Chicago, Aurora & Elgin trains stopped at the Kedzie “L” station on the Garfield Park line. (Joe L. Diaz photo, CERA Archives)
