Chicago in the ’50s
My first attempts to photograph airliners came in the mid-1950s at Chicago’s Midway and O’Hare Airports.
United DC-6 N37533. My first airplane photograph, taken at Chicago Midway Airport in 1955. Not very exciting, I admit, but a 13-year-old with a Brownie Hawkee can’t be expected to produce any prize winners. ©Jon Proctor
My second shooting opportunity came on March 9, 1957, again at Chicago-Midway, on an overcast day. United DC-7 N6314C, Mainliner Honolulu, appears to have just arrived, still wearing its delivery colors. ©Jon Proctor
Another March 1957 shot, this time of one of Northwest’s mighty Boeing 377 Stratocruisers, at the time the largest airliner in flight. © Jon Proctor
On April 19, 1957, my grade-school classmate, Joe Tourtelot and I celebrated my 15th birthday (a day late) by riding a Chicago Helicopter Airways flight from O’Hare to Midway. There wasn’t much going on at O’Hare back then, but I managed to snap this American Airlines Convair 240 from the observation deck. ©Jon Proctor
Next to American sat this TWA Martin 202A, distinguished from the 404 model by small “eyebrow” cockpit windows and 9 passengers windows, versus 10 on the 404. ©Jon Proctor
O’Hare was barely gaining traffic, as evidenced by this picture taken from the observation deck. ©Jon Proctor
Here’s our S-55 helicopter, about to depart after dropping us off at Midway Airport. ©Jon Proctor
From a great observation deck, that ran the length of Midway’s terminal building, Joe and I spent a few hours watching airliners. Here’s a Delta “Golden Crown” DC-7, N4872C. ©Jon Proctor
Capital was the first U.S. airline to operate turboprops, with the Vickers Viscount, which was heavily deployed on the Chicago-Washington DC route. Although four-engined, it only carried 44 passengers. N7412 was one of the early deliveries and less than 2 years old when photographed on the same day. I can still hear the shrill whine of those Rolls-Royce engines. ©Jon Proctor