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Chicago Sun-Times Collection

A guide to the Chicago Sun-Times Collection at the Chicago History Museum.

Below are the links to the Sun-Times images inventories, which are available through Airtable. Inventory records include links to digital images, if available. You do not need an Airtable account to access and search the inventories. Though all the information in this guide will be useful when working with the Sun-Times collection, we recommend reviewing Search Strategies and Accessing Images before beginning your research with the Airtable Inventories.

Please note the following before beginning your search:
  • Due to the volume of the collection, loading times for the inventories in Airtable vary and may require several minutes.
  • Descriptive metadata for much of this collection is unverified and/or incomplete. Some descriptions have been transcribed from the original Sun-Times negative envelopes or tear sheets and have not been vetted by CHM.
  • Though CHM owns the majority of CST images from roughly 1940-2000, there are known gaps in the collection. See the FAQs for more details.

Sun-Times Airtable Inventories

 

  • Chicago Sun-Times Inventory - Batch Images (Series 1)

    Link to Series 1 of the Chicago Sun-Times Inventory in Airtable. In this base, each record corresponds to a job, a distinct event with multiple images. A majority of the jobs in this series have not been digitized. To access images in this inventory, visit the Undigitized Images page of the research guide.

  • Chicago Sun-Times Inventory - Batch Images (Series 2)

    Link to Series 2 of the Chicago Sun-Times Inventory in Airtable. In this base, each record corresponds to a job, a distinct event with multiple images. A majority of the jobs in this series have been digitized, and there are different views to filter out those that are available digitally from those that are not. Please note, CHM may not have negatives for a portion of the digitized jobs in this series, and some digital images may not be available publicly. If you encounter a job where it appears there are no negatives or digital images available, please contact rightsrepro@chicagohistory.org. The majority of the images in this inventory are from 1960 to 2000.

  • Chicago Sun-Times Inventory - Single Images (Series 2)

    Link to Series 2 of the Chicago Sun-Times inventory in Airtable, single images base. In this base, each record corresponds to a single image. A majority of the jobs in this series have been digitized.  Please note, CHM may not have negatives for a portion of the digitized jobs in this series. The majority of the images in this inventory are from 1940 to 1960. There is also a second table in this base where you can find color stock images.

History and Scope of the Collection

This collection consists of images produced by Chicago Sun-Times (CST) staff photographers from roughly 1940-2000. Most of the images date from 1960-2000 and have not been published. The collection is arranged by series, including both analog images and digital images.  

The different series do not vary much in overall scope but were created as a way to manage the acquisition and processing of this large collection. Each series contains approximately 2.5 million images, both digital (JPG) and analog negatives (35 mm and medium format, in black-and-white and color.) With exceptions, Series 1 is made up of mostly undigitized material, while Series 2 is mostly digital. To access the original negatives from either series, visit the Accessing Images page of the research guide.

Due to the volume and complexities of this collection, CHM has published online inventories via Airtable, in lieu of a traditional finding aid, where you can browse and search the collection. This LibGuide will provide tips for navigating the Airtable inventories. If you are still having trouble finding what you need, please reach out via email: research@chicagohistory.org. 

Content Warning

Historical material often contains violent acts, offensive language or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture and language of a particular period or place. These items are presented as part of the historical record.  

Some images in this collection may contain graphic depictions of death, injury, violence, or nudity. Some descriptions have been transcribed from the original negative envelopes or tear sheets and may include outdated or harmful language. 

The Chicago History Museum has an institution-wide initiative to critically consider the language used to describe people and materials, and we invite you to read more about our related projects. 

Critical Cataloging Initiative 

Tutorial for Searching the Chicago Sun-Times Photography Collection

This video provides a brief overview of this guide and demonstrates how to find and access Sun-Times images.