Railroaders At The Chicago History Museum Offers A Poignant Snapshot Of Chicago Labor In The 40S

• Courtesy Library of Congress
• Throwing a switch; Proviso Yard; 1943

One of the standout images in “Railroaders: Jack Delano’s Homefront Photography” is of a lone, faceless rail man—back to the camera, his all-denim outfit stamped with grime—as he leans over to throw a switch at Chicago’s vast Proviso Yard, a couple dozen sets of vacant tracks stretching into the background. Then shot epitomizes the magnitude of Chicago’s railway system in the mid-20th century, when its reputation as a crucial hub for the railroading industry was undeniable. But most importantly, it depicts the grind.

Through 8/10: Mon-Sat 9:30 AM-4:30 PM, Sun noon-5 PM, Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark, 312-642-4600, chicagohistory.org, $14, $12 students and seniors.