Gallery | Lake Michigan

There was only one element of the local scenery that Olmsted truly appreciated. That was Lake Michigan itself, which Olmsted found "beautiful, always changing in hue and texture." The lake served as the great sublime element, backdrop, and guiding theme for Olmsted's 1871, 1893, and 1895 plans for Jackson Park.

This gallery of contemporary images reveals the ever-changing beauty of Lake Michigan that once captivated and inspired Olmsted over a century ago.

(Cover - SKYLANDING Photo by Robert W. Karr, Jr.)