The Merchandise Mart under construction, seen from the Lake Street Bridge in 1929.
Known as Mart Center Drive today, the then new and un-named drive in front of the Merchandise Mart under construction in 1930.
The view of the new Merchandise Mart, still under construction in 1929.
Elevator operator Frank Lofther cues up an elevator for Tom Moore and his horse in the Merchandise Mart on March 10, 1949. The horse was for a television show produced int the building.
The Merchandise Mart drugstore in 1945.
George Griffiths, left, one of the builders of the Merchandise Mart, Claude A. Welles, general manager of the Merchandise Mart, and C. C. West, atop the building during construction in 1928.
Juliet Foley, from left, Karoyla Richter, Dorothy Gaskin, and Georgina Lov Flagler, hold onto a letter from Merchandise Mart employees to soldiers in 1941. The letter was 240 feet long.
The original caption printed with this photograph on Dec. 15, 1956 said it all: Camera captures on film, forever, a veritable Christmas fairyland of lights, sparkling like sequins on satin. Photo was taken shortly before most Loop offices close, from atop Kemper Insurance Building, 20 W. Wacker Dr. You’re looking east from atop the 45-story building across Chicago River. That’s the Merchandise Mart in the left background, with ‘Merry Christmas’ emblazoned across its massive facade and reflecting in the water.
The Merchandise Mart queens in 1940. Over 18,000 secretaries and filing clerks vied for the title of “World’s Most Beautiful Office Girl” at the Merchandise Mart in 1940. The winner was rewarded with a spring hat, a check for $100, and a free airplane trip to New York.
The Merchandise Mart Sox Fan Club members whoop it up as they leave for the White Sox opening day game on April 16, 1953.
The clock outside the Merchandise Mart, seen here in 1941, has three hands.
Helyn Schnaufer operates the Magic Board on March 22, 1951, which was installed in the Merchandise Mart to direct buyer traffic. The board was valued at $5,000 in 1951.
The Merchandise Mart air guide sign on the building’s roof in 1948.
Construction started in 1962 for the new 145-foot portico in front of the Merchandise Mart. The lights were turned on for the first time, shown here, on Jan. 3, 1963.
The Merchandise Mart post office opened with Ethel R. Bromberg mailing packages with help from postal clerk H. Edelman in 1930. The massive building has more than 4,000,000 square feet of floor space and once boasted its own zip code, as well as post office.
The Merchandise Mart Chorus, made up of 40 voices, sang “The Crucifixion” conducted by Francis Gregory. The group sang for 45 minutes in the lobby of the Merchandise Mart on March 29, 1961.
The Merchandise Mart Chorus, made up of 40 voices, sang “The Crucifixion” conducted by Francis Gregory. The group sang for 45 minutes in the lobby of the Merchandise Mart on March 29, 1961.
A night view of the Merchandise Mart. Undated photo.
Milton A. Botterill and Shela Wilson do the twist inside the “Place In Space” display in the lobby of the Merchandise Mart on Jan. 8, 1962.
People look over the “Place In Space” display in the main lobby in the Merchandise Mart on Jan. 8, 1962.
Merry Christmas is written out in lights on the Merchandise Mart on Nov. 25, 1964.
R. G. Becker, R. A. Martin, and H. L. Kluska, look at a mirror on the second floor that shows the elevator starter on the first floor if a crowd is waiting on the first floor on April 15, 1954. The device was a periscope system for the elevators.
