The Photographs of Mildred Mead
[Mildred Mead, Some Chicagoans, 2:14:3, photo dated July 6, 1951]
Born in 1910, Mildred Mead worked as a professional photographer, both freelance and by contract.
Mead recorded many south-side Chicago activities, places, and events, particularly those associated with the South East Chicago Commission, the Hyde Park Kenwood Community Conference, Michael Reese Hospital, the University of Chicago Planning Unit, and the Fort Dearborn Project (for Marshall Field).
Mead also documented the study of Maxwell Street Market sponsored by agencies when the South Freeway was projected to go through the Market, city parks, the lakefront, the Hyde Park 57th St. Fair, the Robie House, and public housing and urban redevelopment projects of the Land Clearance commission and the Metropolitan Housing and Planning Council.
[Mildred Mead, Southside Lake Front 4:2:119, 1950s]
The Special Collections Research Center has digitized its collection of over 1,000 of Mead’s photos. They can be searched or browsed through our Archival Photographic Files database.
