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Eras

1950s

331 photographs

A high-angle view of a red streetcar turning a corner on a city street, surrounded by 1940s cars and brick buildings, with a person standing on the car's roof.

A red Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar navigates a city street in the late 1940s, with vintage automobiles and brick buildings lining the road. May 12, 1954 · Larrabee Division, Chicago, IL

A red and cream streetcar from the Chicago Surface Lines turns at a street intersection in Chicago, surrounded by 1940s automobiles, brick buildings, and visible trolley wires.

A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, likely numbered [?]3, navigates a cobblestone intersection in Chicago during the 1940s, with vintage automobiles and storefronts lining the street. May 12, 1954 · Halsted - Grand, Chicago, IL

Two vintage Chicago streetcars, a green PCC and a red Peter Witt, are stopped at a grade crossing with automobiles and pedestrians nearby on a sunny day.

Two Chicago Transit Authority streetcars, a green PCC 9720 and a red Peter Witt 658, meet at a grade crossing on a city street. May 18, 1954 · Larrabee, Chicago, IL

A red and white Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 141 is positioned on a bascule bridge with vintage cars and a control tower nearby under a clear sky.

A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 141, stands on a bascule bridge under a clear sky in the late 1940s. May 24, 1954 · Halsted Lumber

A vintage color photo showing a red and cream streetcar on a city street with cobblestones, yellow taxis parked along the curb, an elevated train platform above, and storefronts including 'Flagg Bros' and 'Hardy'.

A red and cream Chicago Transit Authority Peter Witt streetcar numbered 610 runs under an elevated structure with CTA signage, on a sunny street lined with 1950s automobiles and storefronts. May 25, 1954 · Halsted and 63rd PL, Chicago, IL

A red and cream streetcar with the number 640 travels down a street under a dark elevated structure, with people on the sidewalk and vintage cars parked along the curb.

A Chicago Transit Authority Peter Witt streetcar, number 640, travels under an elevated structure on a city street lined with 1940s-era automobiles and storefronts. May 25, 1954 · Halsted and 63rd PL, Chicago, IL

A yellow and green streetcar numbered 1394 crosses an intersection on curved track under trolley wire, while two pedestrians cross the street beside brick buildings with bail bond signs and a hair-tonic billboard.

Streetcar 1394 turns through the intersection, likely at 1st and Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, in the 1950s. June 1954 · 1st and Broadway, Los Angeles, CA

A yellow streetcar with a green window band and a trolley pole crosses an intersection in front of a car lot with a large DINTY sign, while a pedestrian walks across the street at left.

A yellow and green streetcar, likely of Los Angeles Transit Lines, runs along a street past a car lot under a DINTY sign. June 1954 · 1st and Vermont, Los Angeles, CA

A green and cream streetcar on center tracks in a downtown street lined with tall buildings, ornate lamp posts and 1950s cars, seen from above.

Chicago Transit Authority streetcar [?]240, signed for route 36, heads down a busy State Street in downtown Chicago. June 6, 1954 · State and Van Buren, Chicago, IL

Looking down a downtown street lined with neon signs, a green and cream streetcar comes toward the camera on a single track that is under repair, with red warning flags, piles of crushed stone and construction machines beside it, and a yellow taxi in the next lane.

A PCC streetcar approaches on a downtown Chicago street where the track is being rebuilt, likely Clark Street near Monroe. June 6, 1954 · Clark and Monroe, Chicago, IL

A vintage street scene in Chicago showing a green and cream PCC streetcar on tracks, with GMC buses and a yellow car nearby. Construction equipment and piles of gravel line the street, while neon signs for hotels and restaurants adorn the tall buildings.

A Chicago Surface Lines PCC streetcar and GMC buses navigate a street under construction on a sunny day, surrounded by neon signs and vintage automobiles. June 6, 1954 · Clark and Madison, Chicago, IL

A two-car red interurban train with round end windows and trolley poles crosses a paved street under overhead wires, with a Shell billboard at left and a stop sign at right.

Pacific Electric car 413 leads a two-car train through a street crossing, likely in Long Beach, California, in the late 1950s. June 10, 1954 · Long Beach, CA

A green and cream two-car rapid transit train crossing a street with embedded streetcar tracks, next to a green and cream streetcar under overhead wires, with a man walking at right.

A two-car Chicago Transit Authority rapid transit train crosses the street at grade beside a Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar at Western and Van Buren, Chicago. June 16, 1954 · Western and Van Buren, Chicago, IL

Two red and gray interurban cars on a railway track in a wooded area, with a large grain elevator in the background.

A Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee interurban train, cars 429 and 430, travels along a private right-of-way in Forest Park, Illinois, with the Acme Feeds grain elevator in the background. July 1954 · Forest Park, IL

A high view down a downtown street lined with tall buildings and lamp posts. A green and cream streetcar runs on center tracks among parked cars, buses and pedestrians.

A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar on State Street near Van Buren, Chicago, with buses and mid-1950s traffic, likely 1955–1957. July 25, 1954 · State and Van Buren, Chicago, IL

A maroon and cream rapid transit car on a wooden elevated track with a tower and brick buildings in the background.

A Chicago Rapid Transit Company 4000-series wooden rapid transit car on an elevated structure in Chicago, Illinois. July 25, 1954 · 42nd Pl, Chicago, IL

An old interurban railcar on elevated tracks with trees and water in the background.

A Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Master Unit interurban car travels along an elevated structure near Lake Michigan. July 25, 1954 · 42nd Pl, Chicago, IL

A green and cream streetcar numbered 7156 crosses a street intersection with diagonal track crossings, while an old wooden elevated train car stands on ground-level tracks behind barricades at left under overhead wires.

Chicago Transit Authority streetcar 7156 crosses Van Buren Street at Western Avenue in Chicago while a wooden 'L' train waits on the ground-level tracks behind. August 13, 1954 · Western and Van Buren, Chicago, IL

A light green and cream streetcar on cobblestone-paved tracks under an elevated railway station, with parked cars along the curb at left and tall downtown buildings behind.

A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar passes under the elevated Loop station, likely at State and Van Buren. August 29, 1954 · State and Van Buren, Chicago, IL

A dark brick two-story carbarn with numbered open bays holding about ten green and cream streamlined streetcars, with curving tracks set in brick pavement and overhead wires in the foreground.

A row of green and cream PCC streetcars in the numbered bays of a Chicago carbarn lettered for a city railway company, likely the Chicago Transit Authority's car station at Cottage Grove and 38th. September 26, 1954 · Cottage Grove and 38th, Chicago, IL

A yellow and green double-truck streetcar numbered 1390 on double street track under tall trees, with parked late-1940s cars in the background.

Streetcar 1390 on a tree-lined street, showing a [...] PARK destination sign; the note places it at the north end of line 9 in Los Angeles. October 1954 · North end of line 9, Los Angeles, CA

A green and cream streetcar signed 49 Western-Archer stands on cobblestone track while a uniformed crew member bends down to throw a switch with an iron bar.

A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar signed 49 Western-Archer, likely number 71[?]0, at Western and Archer in Chicago while a crew member throws a track switch. October 15, 1954 · Western and Archer, Chicago, IL

A green and cream streetcar comes toward the camera on a wide street with streetcar tracks; to the left, a brown wooden train car stands beside a brick tavern building, with a truck and a dark 1950s sedan between them.

A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar signed for Western-Archer crosses Van Buren as a wooden 'L' car waits on the street-level tracks at Western Avenue. November 3, 1954 · Western and Van Buren, Chicago, IL

A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago Transit Authority bus, number 1799, stopped at a street corner with passengers boarding.

Chicago Transit Authority bus 1799, a GM New Look model, is shown at a stop near an elevated station, with passengers waiting to board. November 12, 1954 · Logan Square, Chicago, IL

A black-and-white photograph of a vintage Chicago CTA bus, number 1799, stopped on a city street with a group of people waiting to board. The bus displays a route sign for '82 Kimball Lincoln Village' and a 'Drewry's Beer' advertisement on the front. An elevated train structure looms overhead.

A Chicago Transit Authority Flxible New Look bus, number 1799, on route 82 to Kimball/Lincoln Village, is stopped at a curb with passengers waiting to board under an elevated 'L' structure at Logan Square. November 12, 1954 · Logan and Square, Chicago, IL

An elevated view down a busy downtown street decorated with Christmas trees on the lamp posts, with a green and cream streetcar coming toward the camera and another going away on the next track, among cars, shoppers and subway entrances.

Two Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcars pass on State Street at Van Buren, with the street decorated for Christmas. November 26, 1954 · State and Van Buren, Chicago, IL

A vintage orange and white interurban train car numbered 39 is stopped on a city street next to a large brick building with a sign reading 'HOTEL LA SALLE'. Several people are boarding, and classic automobiles are parked nearby under a clear blue sky.

Interurban car 39 of the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad on a street in South Bend, Indiana, in 1955, with the Hotel La Salle in the background. 1955 · South Bend, IN

A red and green interurban train, identified as car 174, sits at a wooden station platform under a clear blue sky, with brick buildings and a Dr. Scholl's billboard in the background.

Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Master Unit car 174 on an elevated structure in Chicago, likely at the Chicago & Franklin station. 1955 · Chicago and Franklin, Chicago, IL

A red and cream CA&E interurban car numbered 171 is stopped at a rural station platform with overhead wires, a person walking nearby, and a car parked in the background.

CA&E interurban car 171, a wood-body electric car, is pictured at the Elmhurst station on a wet, overcast day. 1955 · York Rd., Elmhurst, IL

A train crosses a metal trestle bridge over a snowy, brushy valley on a cloudy winter day.

A train crosses a snow-covered trestle bridge in winter. 1955 · McCormick Blvd., Chicago, IL

A black and white photo of several CTA trolleybuses lined up on a street in winter; the lead bus, number 9418, has its destination sign reading '47 47th - LAKE PARK' and a passenger is boarding.

A line of Chicago Transit Authority Flxible trolleybuses, including number 9418 on route 47 to Lake Park, are stopped on a winter street. 1955 · 47th and Archer, Chicago, IL

A green and white streetcar turns through an intersection on a sunny downtown street beneath overhead wires, with a second streetcar, pedestrians and tall buildings behind it.

A green and white PCC streetcar signed for S Central & Manchester on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, with a second PCC and Bullocks signs behind it. 1955 · S and Broadway, Los Angeles, CA

A vintage trolleybus travels down a busy street in Chicago, with storefronts like Citizens Loan Corp and a Fred Astaire dance studio sign in the background.

A CTA trolleybus, number 8357 on route 77, navigates a busy Chicago street corner, surrounded by period automobiles and store signs. 1955 · Belmont Ashland

A high view down a busy downtown street decorated for Christmas, with a green and cream streetcar in the center lanes, a bus at the left curb, cars and a taxi in front, and crowds on both sidewalks.

A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar heads up State Street near Jackson among Christmas decorations, taxis and shoppers, likely in the mid-1950s. 1955 · State and Jackson, Chicago, IL

A black and white photo shows a Chicago Transit Authority bus driving on a wide highway with other cars; the surrounding trees are bare, indicating winter.

A Chicago Transit Authority New Look bus, number 6177, travels on a multi-lane highway alongside 1950s automobiles on a winter day. 1955 · Outer Drive and North Av., Chicago, IL

A black and white photo shows a vintage CTA bus labeled '8 HALSTED 79TH ST' and number 638 on a city street at dusk, surrounded by parked cars, pedestrians, and glowing signs for businesses like Sears and Norman Jewelers. The street has embedded trolley tracks, and the scene is bustling with activit

A Chicago Transit Authority Flxible New Look bus, number 638, runs on route 8 Halsted at dusk on a busy street lined with 1950s-era cars and illuminated storefronts. 1955 · 64th and Halsted, Chicago, IL

Front view of a vintage Chicago Transit Authority bus on a snowy street, with a 1950s car parked to the side and bare trees in the background.

A Chicago Transit Authority Flxible New Look bus, number 1301, operates on route 76 - Diversey during a snowy winter day, with a snow-covered 1950s Chevrolet parked nearby. 1955

A vintage black and white photo shows a CTA bus on a snow-covered street with a 1950s car parked nearby and bare trees lining the road.

A Chicago Transit Authority Flxible New Look bus, number 1301, on route 76 Diversey, navigating a snowy street. 1955 · Diversey and Springfield, Chicago, IL

A red and green electric train with the number 104 on the front travels on tracks through a city, with buildings and trees in the background under a clear blue sky.

A Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad electric multiple-unit train, led by car 104, runs on a private right-of-way in a Chicago neighborhood on a clear summer day. 1955 · Loyola

A yellow streetcar numbered 1399 runs toward the camera on double track in a dirt median, with tall utility poles, palm trees and trimmed hedges along a wide boulevard.

Los Angeles Transit Lines car 1399 on route 5 runs along a median right-of-way, likely near Inglewood Cemetery. January 1955 · Inglewood Cemetery, Los Angeles, CA

A yellow streetcar with the number 1399 and route 5 sign travels on embedded tracks beside a road with utility poles and palm trees.

A Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority PCC streetcar, number 1399, operates on a sunny day along a palm-lined street in the 1950s. January 1955

A vintage interurban car running on an elevated railway track, with city buildings and water towers in the background.

A Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Master Unit car, number 324, on an elevated track in Chicago. January 1955 · Garfield Racine Ave, Chicago, IL

A yellow and green streetcar numbered 1307, with its trolley pole raised, stands beside a raised concrete safety island on a wet street under a stormy sky, with palm trees, a HUDSON sign and 1950s cars lining the road behind it.

Streetcar 1307 waits at a safety island on a rain-soaked street lined with palm trees, likely at 48th and Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles. January 1, 1955 · 48th and Crenshaw Bl., Los Angeles, CA

A vintage green and orange streetcar with the number 1307 is stopped on a rain-slicked street, with overhead wires and a 'HUDSON' business sign visible in the background.

A Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority PCC streetcar, number 1307, navigates a wet street under overcast skies. January 1, 1955 · 48th and Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

A red and yellow electric car with a trolley pole crosses a long wooden and steel trestle high above a street, with power lines and a blue sky with clouds above.

A red Pacific Electric car crosses the Fletcher Drive Trestle in Los Angeles. February 25, 1955 · Fletcher Drive Trestle, Los Angeles, CA

A red streetcar with a trolley pole crosses a long trestle with timber and steel spans against a blue sky. Utility poles and wires stand above it, a stucco building is at lower left, and a street with cars is at lower right.

A Pacific Electric Railway PCC streetcar crosses the Fletcher Drive Trestle above a city street. February 25, 1955 · Fletcher Drive Trestle, Los Angeles, CA

An orange, green and cream streetcar with a trolley pole runs down a sunny street under a web of overhead wires, with a Sinclair Paints billboard, an arcaded market building and small shops, and 1950s cars on the street.

A PCC streetcar, likely of the Los Angeles Transit Lines, signed for East First St. and passing the Plaza Market in Los Angeles. March 1, 1955 · P Line Plaza Market, Los Angeles, CA

Two red and orange electric cars with yellow winged emblems on their fronts stand side by side under overhead wires, signed Subway Terminal, with hills in the background.

Pacific Electric Railway cars 5004 and 5007 side by side, both signed for Subway Terminal. March 2, 1955 · Burbank, CA