Chicago in 1833 at the junction of the north and south branches of the Chicago River

Proof print of Varin’s view of Wolf Point, Chicago, in 1833.

This hand-colored aquatint etching, marked final proof (lower left) and signed by the artist (lower right), was issued in 1928 and purports to show the fledgling town of Chicago less than 100 years earlier.

The image is focused on the intersection of the north and south branches of the Chicago River, known colloquially as ‘Wolf Point’. A flag indicating as much can be seen outside of the tavern that was originally constructed by James Kinzie in 1830 (his father, John, had died nearly two years earlier). Just opposite is likely the store of brothers Samuel and John Miller, which also just happened to operate as a tavern! Several of the too-well-dressed residents are shown engaging in leisure activities, and the indigenous population is relegated to one canoe, barely visible in the background.

The engraving was created by Raoul Varin on behalf of Mr. Ernest Byfield. It was one of the numerous prints Varin issued in the late 1920s to highlight the historical development of Chicago. Published in Chicago by Arthur Ackermann & Son, Inc. in August of 1928.