1980s Chicago
DESCRIPTION
This delightful pictorial illustration titled Chicago was drawn by Pat Coffman Huss, likely in the late 1970s or early 1980s, and presents a vibrant, imaginative portrait of the city rendered in a whimsical, hand-colored style.
The scene focuses on the north end of Michigan Avenue, looking south from the intersection of Oak Street, where the Drake Hotel anchors the lakefront and the elegant Ritz-Carlton rises nearby. The familiar stretch of the Magnificent Mile unfolds in lively detail, populated with bustling cars, bicyclists, pedestrians, and even horse-drawn carriages. Along the shaded parkways near Oak Street Beach, figures picnic, sailboats dot the waters of Lake Michigan, and small vendor carts sell balloons and hot dogs, giving the composition a warm sense of summer energy.
The city’s skyline is playfully condensed and animated, with major landmarks exaggerated in scale to emphasize their significance. The towering John Hancock Center dominates the center, flanked by the Playboy Building, Water Tower Place, and the rounded Marina City Towers, while in the distance the artist includes the Sears Tower and Comiskey Park, situating Chicago’s sporting and architectural icons within a single, compact vista.
Adding to the map’s charm are the small, narrative details that bring the city to life. A Marshall Field’s delivery truck rumbles along the avenue, a WTTW Channel 11 television van broadcasts nearby, and vehicles for the Chicago Tribune and International Galleries weave through traffic. Street signs, lamp posts, and traffic signals are rendered with the same care as skyscrapers, reflecting the artist’s affection for both the grandeur and the everyday rhythms of city life.
Across the top of the illustration, the curvature of the Earth forms a whimsical dome linking Chicago to faraway places; New York, New Orleans, Texas, Washington D.C., and beyond to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Moscow, and Hong Kong, each represented by tiny, colorful symbols such as the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, or a pagoda. The result is both humorous and poetic, emphasizing Chicago’s identity as a global crossroads.
About the Artist: Pat Coffman Huss
Pat Coffman Huss is an American illustrator and artist best known for her whimsical pictorial maps and cityscapes created during the 1970s and 1980s. Based primarily in the Midwest, she produced a series of hand-drawn, delicately colored works that celebrated urban landmarks, regional culture, and everyday life with humor and warmth. Her maps, often featuring Chicago, Milwaukee, and other Great Lakes cities, combine architectural accuracy with playful detail, blending the traditions of commercial illustration and fine art. Huss’s work was sold through local galleries and specialty shops, including International Galleries in Chicago, and is admired today for its charming artistry, personal touch, and ability to capture the spirit of place in the pre-digital era of hand-rendered design.
CONDITION
1200 W. 35th Street #425 Chicago, IL 60609 | P: (312) 496 - 3622