On May 6 the Chicago Park District held their fourth
Switch On Summer to celebrate the official season-changing signal - turning on Buckingham Fountain. I visited the next evening on the 7th and was puzzled, along with several others, as to why the hourly central jet was not operating. Nor was the evening light and music presentation. But otherwise, the evening and light were wonderful.
Buckingham Fountain by
Paul Sager, on Flickr
http://farm1.staticflickr.com/831/41103132095_d48faaa7c8_h.jpgBuckingham Fountain is a Chicago landmark in the center of Grant Park. Dedicated in 1927, it is one of the largest fountains in the world.
Buckingham Fountain http://farm1.staticflickr.com/906/28131075068_5016e0a936_h.jpgThe fountain was donated to the city by Kate Buckingham in memory of her brother, Clarence Buckingham, and was constructed at a cost of $750,000. The fountain's official name is the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain. Originally from Zanesville, Ohio, the Buckingham family made its fortune in grain elevators, real estate and steel. Kate (1858 – 1937) and her brother Clarence Buckingham (1854 – 1913) were both avid art collectors and benefactors who donated valuable prints, paintings, sculptures, and objects to the Art Institute of Chicago.
Buckingham Fountain http://farm1.staticflickr.com/946/28131061908_cd06efa880_h.jpgThe Willis Tower, built as and still commonly referred to as the Sears Tower, is a 110-story skyscraper in Chicago. When constructed in 1973, it was the tallest in the world. It remains in the top 10, now at #8.
Willis Tower http://farm1.staticflickr.com/971/41103146825_aec4c958a5_b.jpgBuilt in a Rocky rococo wedding cake style and inspired by the Latona Fountain at the Palace of Versailles, it is meant to allegorically represent Lake Michigan. It operates from April to October, with regular water shows and evening color-light shows.
Buckingham Fountain http://farm1.staticflickr.com/826/41103155545_5e1b70d904_h.jpgThese images are sized to fill your wide-screen display. Try using <F11> to maximize your browser window for the full effect. If the images overshoot your display, such as a laptop, just click on the image or the URL link and they'll resize to your screen from the host Flickr site. You can click a bit further into the image details on the Flickr page, if desired. EXIF data is available from the host Flickr pages as well. On the Flickr site, use your <L>key for Large and the <F11> for the full-screen.