Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The old Talman Home bank on South Kedzie Avenue and West 55th Street. Chicago Illinois USA. December 1986.

One of My all time favorite landmarks on Chicago's southwest side, was the old Talman Home Bank , located on the southeast corner of South Kedzie Avenue and West 55th Street in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood.

I had many happy memorys here during the 1970's and 80's, as I had attended a few special occasions and events put together by the banks public relations department, seen a live concert in the parking lot, visited a now deceased relative who worked here during her lunch break, waited in the air conditioned doorway during the hot summer weather for the northbound CTA Route # 52 Kedzie / California Avenue bus, and enjoyed some complimentary cofee and doughnut hole pastrys while My parents took care of their banking business. It was a friendly and pleasant neighborhood establishment in Chicago.

I took this 35mm time exposure photograph looking north from West 55th Place, in bitterly cold 10 above zero farenheight temperatures, on a December night in 1986. I was experimenting taking night time time exposures with a friend named Jeff who I attended Curie High School with. At some point in our session, an inside bank alarm had malfunctioned and soon an officer from the Chicago Police Department stopped at the bank and had spoken to a uniformed bank security officer. Everything was fine, and the police officer soon left the south parking lot.

A passerby stopped and asked us....
"Hey guys. Are You taking a photo of that cop robbing the bank?"
Ha Ha Ha! Ah yes. Local Chicago humor.

Thank You.
Eddie K.

4 comments:

Tom Gill said...

I too remember an outdoor concert here! My Aunt and I walked over to watch it one day. It had flag twirlers and a marching band too.

Afterwards we walked to the McDonald's a few doors away.

That had to be around 1975 or so....

Eddie said...

I attended a parking lot concert with My family here in either August or September of 1977. It featured Bob Atcher from the old WLS Barn Dance country music show, a country music singer named Bill Blough who seemed like a cross between Tom T. Hall and Billy Carter, an upcoming female country music vocalist named Christie Laine who later became a Christian Music vocalist, and a man and woman back up vocalist group called the Pearl Handles.

Bob Atcher would develope and become the Mayor of suburban Schaumburg in the 1950's and 60's.
He passed away a few years ago.

It was a fun concert in the south parking lot that evening.

Thank You.
Eddie K.

Brokecompsoul said...

Enjoyed the story. Thank you

Anonymous said...

I wonder if our friend leomemorial has had a chance to see this one?