The Tribune Building: Historical Pieces Frozen in Time

Have you ever desired to get up close and personal with The Great Wall of China, Aztec Ruins or the Berlin Wall without leaving the Untied States? You can see parts of all of these at 435 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago, IL.

The year is 1914 and the Chicago Tribune’s editor and publisher, Robert R. McCormick, was tasked with covering the ongoing conflict of WWI. In the throes of war, McCormick toured a cathedral in Ypres, France, that had been damaged by artillery shells of the Germans. McCormick wanted a piece of the historical, yet unfortunately damaged cathedral, so he took a chunk of the rubble home. This started a years-long tradition of stones, façades and other historical fragments being given to McCormick as gifts and souvenirs from foreign correspondents. 

There are roughly 150 specimens from famous historical sites and structures embedded in the Tribune Building’s first story wall to showcase the world’s great wonders, one fragment at a time.