New School Band playing in front of Wall of Fame - CARLI Digital Collections Featured Image

Steve Balkin Photographs of Maxwell Street, Chicago (Chicago State University) in CARLI Digital Collections.

This photo by Steve Balkin offers a view into the last days of musical performances at a cultural institution and now lost part of Chicago. As seen in the classic Chicago work The Blues Brothers, Maxwell Street was a bustling marketplace full of energy, products, music, and food. As UIC took over the Little Italy/Maxwell Street area to expand its campus and housing, buildings from the original neighborhood were demolished and the market it self moved. In 1998, the New School Band played the blues in front of the Wall of Fame mural that documents some of the musical greats who started in the area, such as Howlin Wolf. While the market exists in its new location and is open on some Sundays, it has never completely recaptured the spirit of the original location.

Written by Ian Collins, Digital Services Librarian, University of Illinois at Chicago

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