Chicago Meet Me Under The Clock At Marshall Fields #2

A Little Boy is Safely Lost In Chicago

With an expression compounded of fear, surprise, wonder, and interest, the little boy searched the... more

by Chicago In Photographs

Title

Chicago Meet Me Under The Clock At Marshall Fields #2

Artist

Chicago In Photographs

Medium

Photograph - Fine Art Print

Description

A Little Boy is Safely Lost In Chicago

With an expression compounded of fear, surprise, wonder, and interest, the little boy searched the faces in the crowds hurrying past him. glanced occasionally upwards to be certain that he was under the big Marshall Field Clock and returning from time to time the questioning smiles of a few sympathetic passers-by. The important thing was that he was lost. The edge of excitement and fear was removed from his heart as well as his face as soon as his mother found him, and the experience remained in his mind colored with faint regret and the knowledge that it was not entirely genuine.

There was a family agreement that whenever my mother took my brother and myself to Marshall Field's toy department before Christmas [and as far as I know that was our one Christmas-time excursion] we were to meet under the big clock at the corner of State and Randolph streets in case of any separation. She had said actually: "If you should get lost," and the one word stuck in my imagination, the vision of an as yet unfelt experience. It became essential to be lost. Ans I had found it easy enough to separate myself in the crowded department store and make my way to the clock. There I was not only "lost" but waiting to be found. ~ Fritz Peters Chicago Tribune December 4, 1949

All proceeds will be donated to Chicago's Cornerstone Community Outreach in honor of photographer Richard Cleis, 1965-2021.

Uploaded

August 28th, 2020