American Historical Ephemera and Early Photography

Half plate landscape-oriented ambrotype featuring a view from the back of what would become the south wing of the Old University of Chicago. Several male subjects are visible, standing at various distances in the space between the Romanesque building and the camera. This is the only image showing only the south wing we have located before the main building and north wing were completed, which likely dates this image to circa 1858, making it the earliest photographic image of the Old University that we are aware of. Also of note is the steepled structure featured to the viewer's right of this ambrotype. We are unsure what that building is, but it does not appear in any other images we could find of the Old University.

[With:] Stereoview titled "143. University of Chicago, back view," with John Carbutt's imprint and series title "Views of Chicago" on mount recto and faint pencil inscription reading, "Douglass Institute Chicago" on verso. Stephen A. Douglass donated the land upon which the university was built, and the university's Douglass Hall was named after his many contributions.