View of Illinois and Michigan Central Depot & c. From the Corner of Madison St. and Michigan Avenue

Chicago: E. Whitefield, 1860. Remarkable lithograph from a series of seven downtown Chicago scenes issued by Edwin Whitefield (1816-92) in the 1860s, lithographed and printed by Charles Shober in Chicago. 10¼" X 18¼", matted and framed to 26½" X 20½". Overall very good. The coloring is bright and delicate, with only faint age toning evident. Framing is adequate -- basic and edgeworn, with single hand-ruled cream matte, but since this is how Governor Adlai E. Stevenson II framed it we feel this represents an integral part of the print's history, so it remains as is. These rare individual prints seldom come on the market, and this example other than inoffensive age toning in the sky area is exceptionally sharp. Many were supposedly lost in the Chicago Fire of 1871. From the collection of Adlai E. Stevenson III (1930-2021), former United States senator from Illinois, who inherited it from his father, Adlai E. Stevenson II (1900-65), two-term Illinois governor and two-time candidate for U.S. president. Its precise history within the family is not recorded, but it seems likely that Governor Stevenson may have first displayed it in his offices while a practicing attorney in Chicago in the late 1930s. It's not recorded whether it was handed down to him, but if so it came from his father, Illinois secretary of state Lewis G. Stevenson (1868-1929), or his grandfather, U.S. vice president Adlai E. Stevenson I (1835-1914). It is also possible it was handed down from the governor's other grandfather, Abraham Lincoln's friend and supporter Jesse W. Fell (1808-87). While the frame is worn and a bit scuffed, it could easily be replaced. (Inventory #: 50744)