Chicago, IL: 1968 Buckingham Fountain

Most people would lead with a pretty picture of the completed fountain. But this fountain was initially part of the Concrete Industry post.

Raymond Kunst posted

Raymond's comment:

Buckingham Fountain under construction (1926)
Buckingham Fountain is a Chicago landmark in the center of Grant Park. Dedicated in 1927, it is one of the largest fountains in the world.
Built in a rococo wedding cake style and inspired by the Latona Fountain at the Palace of Versailles, it is meant to allegorically represent Lake Michigan.
It operates from April to October, with regular water shows and evening color-light shows. During the winter, the fountain is decorated with festival lights.
The fountain's pumps are controlled by a Honeywell computer which was previously located in Atlanta, Georgia until the 1994 renovation when it was moved to the pump house of the fountain. The fountain's security system is monitored from Arlington Heights (a Chicago suburb).

Bruce Vinkler Interesting delivery system for the site-mixed concrete. I'd hate to have to clean out those chutes.

There are several other photos of the construction at the referenced posting in the caption. But this delivery system long before they learned how to pump concrete was of particular interest.

Chicago History posted
Original construction of Buckingham Fountain.
Historic Chicago posted
Buckingham Fountain Construction. (1927)
Photo from the Collection of the Chicago Park District.
Historic Chicago posted a lighter exposure

John Frazier posted

By Alanscottwalker - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11648300

My wife and I saw it several times before we noticed that the center jet can go really high. If there is a breeze, you have the option of standing on the windward side and getting wet. There are only certain hours of the week that they run it at full strength.

Gus Skaliotis posted

Abel Camacho posted

Park District description, Video of it spouting. I did not realize that all of the other jets crank up also when the main center jet fires up. Behind the scenes. Colored light show.

Mike Tuggle posted
Buckingham Fountain in 1959.
[Fire boats are helping celebrate Queen Elizbeth's visit for the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway.]

Mike Tuggle posted
Buckingham Fountain in 1964.

Ramymond Kunst reposted several pictures of the construction including another one of the chute. Original Chicago is a public group so you should be able to follow the link.

Jesse Williams posted
Buckingham Fountain in black & white - circa 1977

Jesse Williams posted
Buckingham Fountain in Color - circa 1977.

Patricia Oh posted

David M Laz posted
Another great Buckingham Fountain downtown pic.

Benjy Joseph Carroll posted
Buckingham fountain during construction year unknown ! Enjoy my friends !

Raymond Kunst shared an album with the comment: "Buckingham Fountain under construction (1926)."
Neil Gale Clarence Buckingham and his Memorial Fountain in Chicago's Grant Park. Some fantastic night photography of the fountain too.
https://drloihjournal.blogspot.com/.../clarence...

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David Haisch The Stevens now Hilton is under construction also, great pics.

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Photography & Video Digital posted, cropped
Gorgeous Buckingham fountain May 2024

 

Leonard Carry Williams posted
Tourist season has begun!

 

Janet Morrow posted
BEAUTIFUL BUCKINGHAM FOUNTAIN ON A SUMMER DAY.

 

Original Chicago posted

View of the Buckingham Fountain on its opening day for the 1968 summer season and the John Hancock building under construction in the background, Chicago, Illinois.

05-20-1968

Whitney Elam Hill shared

Double whammy! Two Chicago landmarks being born and ignited in the same shot. I love this city.

 

Boston Public Library Flickr, License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)

Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain, Grant Park, Chicago

File name: 06_10_013395

Title: Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain, Grant Park, Chicago

Date issued: 1930 - 1945 (approximate)

Physical description: 1 print (postcard) : linen texture, color ; 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.

Genre: Postcards

Subject: Parks; Monuments & memorials

Notes: Title from item.

Collection: The Tichnor Brothers Collection

Location: Boston Public Library, Print Department

Rights: No known restrictions

MDLS's album includes several pictures of the fountain. This one is my favorite fountain picture in his collection.

The Tribune caught some additions to the fountain.

15 photos