POSTCARD - CHICAGO - BEAUTIFUL APARTMENT BUILDING - S E CORNER WILTON AVE AND KING PLACE - NOTE TWO GIRLS ON SIDEWALK - c1910 - GENERAL NOTE: THIS KIND OF LARGE APARTMENT BUILDING TYPICALLY HAD A LOBBY INSIDE THE STREET DOOR, SEPARATED FROM THE STAIRS TO THE APARTMENTS BY A LOCKED DOOR - THE LOBBY WOULD BE STYLISHLY TILED AND MAILBOXES WERE BRASS BUILT INTO THE WALL - OFTEN THERE WAS A FAUX FIREPLACE WHOSE MANTLE WAS USED TO PUT THINGS ON AS MAIL TO BE FORWARDED - ALL THE WOODWORK OF DOORS AND BANISTERS WAS TYPICALLY VERY HEAVY DARK-STAINED HARDWOOD - THE STAIRS WERE THICKLY CARPETED WITH GOOD STUFF OFTEN ORIENTAL IN MOTIFF - THE GLASS IN THE DOORS WAS HEAVY AND OFTEN HAD BEVELLED EDGING AROUND WOOD AND A SECTION OF STAINED-GLASS INSERT - BUILDING NUMBERS WERE HEAVY BRASS AS WERE DOOR HANDLES AND KICK-PLATES - ALTOGETHER MAKING A HANDSOME AND HOMEY PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME HOME TO - SERVICES SUCH AS GARBAGE COLLECTION WERE FROM THE ALLEY BEHIND THE BUILDING WHICH ALSO CONTAINED THE ELECTRICITY AND PHONE POLES, KEEPING THEM OFF THE STREET - THERE WAS SOME SERIOUS URBAN PLANNING AT THAT TIME IN CHICAGO - THE ROWS OF TREES UP AND DOWN THE STREET PROVIDED A BEAUTIFUL SCREEN FROM NEIGHBORING BUILDINGS ACROSS THE STREET AND PROVIDED COOLING EFFECTS IN AN ERA WITH NO AIR-CONDITIONING - THEY JUST LOOKED MAGNIFICENT AT MATURITY - THEY WERE TYPICALLY AMERICAN ELMS WHOSE CHARACTERISTIC VASE SHAPE CREATED A CATHEDRAL-CEILING EFFECT FROM THE SIDEWALK