Jim's Original - CARLI Digital Collections Featured Image

From CITY 2000 (University of Illinois at Chicago) in CARLI Digital Collections.

This week, National Hot Dog Day happened. Some cities, like Boston, mark the occasion with an all-you-can-eat festival. Alfred, New York has a parade. At most places around the country, though, we have to settle for select vendor offers of free or heavily discounted dogs (just $1 at Sonic and 7-Eleven).

For those who value authenticity over parsimony and crave the dog more than once per year, Jim's Hot Dog in Chicago is the place to go. From 1939 to 2001, this vendor sated patrons' hankerings for street food at the corner of Maxwell and Halsted Streets, most notably with their "world famous" Polish sausage sandwich. This photograph from UIC's City 2000 digital collection shows the original venue one year before it closed. While Jim's Original fare can still be enjoyed in two newer Chicago area locations, I'm glad we have this timeless shot.

And I really hope Jim's is still around when we celebrate National Hot Dog Day in the year 3,000.

Written by Anne Shelley, Illinois State University

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