Board of Trade I — Chicago

Art Deco Grandeur Through a Plastic Lens

This is one of two images I made of the Chicago Board of Trade Building during a walking tour of the city—using a simple plastic Holga camera loaded with medium-format black and white film.

Although the negative was initially scanned in grayscale, I ultimately returned to a warm sepia tone for the final image. The color felt right, echoing both the building’s Art Deco elegance and the vintage character of early twentieth-century Chicago.

A Towering Symbol of Chicago’s Financial History

Located at 141 West Jackson Boulevard, the building was designed by Holabird & Root and completed in 1930. Rising 605 feet above the street, it is crowned by a 31-foot statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture—an emblem of the commodities trading that once defined the institution.

Capturing Presence with a Lo-Fi Camera

Standing at the base of the structure, I was struck by its scale and quiet authority. The vertical composition exaggerates that presence: the tight framing, upward perspective, and subtle distortion of the Holga lens all contribute to the building’s monumental feel.

A Companion in Contrast

Its companion piece, Board of Trade II, offers a wider horizontal view. This image, however, places the viewer directly beneath the tower—inviting the eye upward toward the sky and the enduring geometry of Chicago’s Art Deco skyline.

Limited Edition

Issued in a total edition of 15, with 2 Artist Proofs.

The edition applies across all sizes. Signed and numbered by the artist