Plate 50 A from Plan of Chicago 1909: Chicago. View of the Proposed Park on the South Shore Looking Northwest Towards the City. 1896

Daniel Burnham created this pastel drawing in 1909 as part of his ambitious Plan of Chicago. Pastel is an interesting choice for an image meant to sway public opinion. Its powdery, soft quality is far from the hard lines of architectural drafting. And of course, it is radically different from the earth-moving equipment needed to make this proposal a reality. The drawing shows the proposed South Shore park looking toward the city. Notice the repetitive marks laid down to describe the trees and river. These reveal the artist’s hand and the many hours of labor needed to create such a large drawing. But this wasn't just an aesthetic decision. Burnham understood that winning hearts and minds required an emotional connection. The seductive haziness of pastel conveyed a feeling, an atmosphere, far better than any technical rendering could. This reminds us that even the grandest designs are built one mark at a time, one person at a time.