Chicago — Show and Tell

Jack Siegel is a Chicago-based photographer who traverses the streets of Chicago with camera in hand. Jack's practice includes architectural photography and urban landscapes.

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All in Chicago

Christmas Carols

Dec 7

Dec 7 Christmas Carols

Chicago, Chicago Tourism, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Festivals, Musicians, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

On Sunday, December 7, 2025, 15 Christmas carolers could be seen on the sidewalk adjacent to Daley Plaza, where the City’s annual Christkindlmarket is located. They hoped their songs would highlight what many believe is a genocide unfolding in Gaza. The melodies were familiar, but the words to the Christmas songs had been changed to highlight the death and destruction that the Palestinian People have been experienced during the last two years. Here are my thoughts about and images from this holiday demonstration.

Black Friday Anemia

Nov 28

Nov 28 Black Friday Anemia

Chicago, Chicago Tourism, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

On Black Friday, November 29, 2025, demonstrators staged two rallies on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. The first addressed a wide variety of issues, best summed up as the Trump agenda. The demonstrators were urging consumers to boycott Amazon.com, Home Depot, and Target. The second demonstration addressed animal rights and the trade in fur. Both events drew sparse attendance. Here are my thoughts about and images from both demonstrations.

Stabbed In the Back

Nov 23

Nov 23 Stabbed In the Back

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

Today, November 25, 2025, Chicago’s Ukrainian Community held a rally at the Wrigley Building Plaza, which was followed by a memorial service at Holy Name Cathedral so that the community could properly honor the victims of Holodomor. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day’s events.

Selenium Derivatization Blues

Nov 21

Nov 21 Selenium Derivatization Blues

Blues, Chicago, Jazz, Musicians, Performance, Things to Do in Chicago

Billy Branch brought his Sons of the Blues to the Logan Center Friday night. The SOBs were larger than normal, with a horn section and three backup singers. Branch was launching his new album, The Blues is My Biography. The band the music was terrific. Here are my thoughts about and images from the evening.

Nov 19

Nov 19 Venezuela

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

On November 20, 2025, 75 demonstrators held a rally in Chicago’s Federal Plaza objecting to Donald J. Trump’s efforts to topple Venezuela strongman Nicolás Maduro’s regime, possibly through U.S. military intervention. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration.

Veterans Taking a Stand

Nov 11

Nov 11 Veterans Taking a Stand

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Parades, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

Chicago-area veterans held a rally at Chicago’s Vietnam War Memorial along the Chicago Riverwalk to commemorate Veterans Day 2025. Given all the chaos created by Donald J. Trump, several speakers went far afield in their remarks, thereby overshadowing the stated theme—opposition to all war. Here are my thoughts about and images from the rally

Oct 4

Oct 4 Gatherings

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators, a lone anti-Trump demonstrator, and a group of motorcyclists all took to the streets on Saturday, October 4, 20025. Their paths crossed on Upper Wacker Drive, just to the west of Michigan Avenue. Here are my thoughts about and images from the three gatherings.

The "Enemy From Within"

Sep 30

Sep 30 The "Enemy From Within"

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

On September 20, 2025, Chicago’s pro-Palestinian and “Trump-Out-of-Chicago” forces joined together what turned into a joint rally and march. Several hundred demonstrations castigated Trump, condemned ICE, and demanded that Israel cease military operations in Gaza. Here are my thoughts about and images from the rally and subsequent march.

Mexican Independence Day

Sep 14

Sep 14 Mexican Independence Day

Chicago, Chicago Tourism, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Festivals, Musicians, Parades, Performance, Public Declarations, Things to Do in Chicago

On Sunday, September 14, 2025, Chicago’s Mexican Community celebrated Mexican Independence Day with a parade in Little Village. Here are my thoughts about and images from the afternoon celebration.

Sep 9

Sep 9 Head Fake

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, the Coalition Against Trump staged an emergency demonstration at 5:00 PM in the Congress Gardens Plaza just off Michigan Avenue. Here are my thoughts about and images from the event.

Where Were You?

Sep 6

Sep 6 Where Were You?

Chicago, Crime, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

Late Saturday afternoon, I covered a rally demanding that Donald J. Trump keep the military and ICE agents out of Chicago. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration and subsequent march.

Naval Base Great Lakes

Sep 6

Sep 6 Naval Base Great Lakes

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

On Saturday, September 7, 2025, 100 people demonstrated outside Naval Base Great Lakes in Waukegan, Illinois in opposition to Donald J. Trump’s immigration policies and his willingness to deploy the National Guard and the U.S. military for domestic law enforcement purposes. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration and subsequent march.

Labor Day March

Sep 1

Sep 1 Labor Day March

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Parades, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations, Urban Landscapes

September has arrived, which means Labor Day weekend. Today, several thousand Chicagoans took to the streets in the West Loop and Fulton Market for a protest march against the Trump Administration. Here are my thoughts about and images from the event

Jazzfest, Day 2

Aug 29

Aug 29 Jazzfest, Day 2

Chicago, Chicago Tourism, Donald J. Trump, Festivals, Jazz, Musicians, Performance, Things to Do in Chicago

The second day of the 2025 Chicago Jazz Festival brought a variety of jazz styles to Chicago’s Millennium Park. Hands down, pianist Patricia Barber outdid everyone with her lyrical wordplay rooted in the Beat poets and her piano work, but her band was also outstanding because it maintained a consistency musical line throughout Barber’s performance. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day.

Jazzfest, Day 1

Aug 28

Aug 28 Jazzfest, Day 1

Blues, Chicago, Chicago Tourism, Jazz, Musicians, Performance, Things to Do in Chicago

The 2025 Chicago Jazz Festival opened its four-day run with a superb lineup. Here are my thoughts about and images from the the first day of the festival.

Ukrainian K-Pop All Stars

Aug 24

Aug 24 Ukrainian K-Pop All Stars

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Parades, Performance, Protest

On Sunday, August 24, 2025, I attended the Chicago Ukrainian Community’s annual Independence Day celebration, which included speeches from Congressman Mike Quigley and Congresswoman Robin Kelly. Most importantly, I had another opportunity to see the Ukrainian K-Pop All Stars perform. Here are my thoughts about and images from exhilarating event.

Death in a Tent

Aug 16

Aug 16 Death in a Tent

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

On Saturday, August 20, 2025, members of the Chicago’s Palestinian Community held a demonstration at the intersection of Upper Wacker Drive and Michigan Avenue. Here are my observations about and images from the demonstration.

Aug 16

Aug 16 Texas Hold 'Em

Chicago, Donald J. Trump, Demonstrations, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

On Saturday, August 14, 2025, I attended “Stand with Texas: Fight the Trump Takeover” in Chicago’s Millennium Park. Sponsored by Indivisible Chicago, the demonstrators included many of the Texas legislators who fled to Illinois in order to prevent the Texas Legislature from converting five Democratic congressional seats to Republican ones through redistricting/gerrymandering. Here are my thoughts about and images from the event

Posse Comitatus

Aug 14

Aug 14 Posse Comitatus

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

Late Thursday afternoon, August 14, 2025, several groups held a protest in Chicago’s Federal Plaza to object to Donald J. Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration.

Aug 14

Aug 14 Baked Alaska

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

Tomorrow, Donald J. Trump heads to Alaska for an ill-advised summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Tonight, 30 Russian emigrés demonstrated outside of Chicago’s Wrigley Building, calling on Putin to stop the war in Ukraine. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration.