Barbara Crane Collection

Barbara Crane (1928-2019) graduated from New York University and the Institute of Design at IIT. She has taught photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, exhibited internationally, and has received both NEA grants and a Guggenheim Fellowship. From 1972 to 1979, she was commissioned by the Chicago Commission on Historical and Architectural Landmarks (currently known as the Commission on Chicago Landmarks) to photograph Chicago buildings being evaluated for possible landmark designation. Crane photographed numerous Chicago neighborhoods, capturing many pre-war commercial buildings and residences before the current trend of teardowns and extensive remodelings. The collection is comprised of approximately 1000 black-and-white images of Chicago buildings and neighborhoods, as well as the 4”x 5” negatives used for the prints. View finding aid.View selected images from this collection. Collection access:Collections may be accessed in the Franke Reading Room of the Research Center at The Art Institute of Chicago, by appointment only. For further information, consult the FAQ. Finding aids by subjectBrowse all finding aidsBrowse images and mediaOral histories Contact the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives:archives@artic.edu