Plate 78 (2 Drawings) from The Plan of Chicago, 1909: Suggested Location and Arrangement of the Railway Passenger Stations West of the River. Subway Scheme: 1. Plan of Street Level. 2. Plan Below Street Level 1909

Daniel Hudson Burnham made this drawing in 1909 as part of The Plan of Chicago. Look at these delicate lines sketched on the paper. You can almost feel the rhythmic motion of Burnham’s hand as he drafted the city's streets and railways. I can imagine him leaning over his desk, brow furrowed in concentration, as he envisioned a modern metropolis rising from the shores of Lake Michigan. What was he thinking about as he made this drawing? Maybe he wondered about the people who would one day traverse these streets and ride these trains. Notice the sharp, precise lines and the contrast with the soft, textured paper. Burnham's plan feels almost like a dance between control and spontaneity, echoing the way a city grows and changes over time. This tension between the planned and unplanned reminds me of how a painting evolves on the canvas. Like a painter, Burnham was building something from nothing, and his vision continues to shape the city we experience today. It’s all one big conversation between makers!