State Historical Society of Iowa

Perfect Eat Shop in Chicago, Illinois, April 1942

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African Americans eating at a local Chicago restaurant owned by African American Mr. E. Norris in 1942. Most diners and employees are black, and several small businesses in this area of Chicago were owned and operated by African Americans who had migrated north during the Great Migration.
Courtesy of Library of Congress, Delano, Jack, "In the Perfect Eat Shop, a restaurant on 47th Street near South Park, owned by Mr. E. Norris (Negro). Chicago, Illinois," April 1942

Description

The photograph shows African Americans eating at a local, Black-owned Chicago restaurant in 1942. Most diners and employees are African American, and several small businesses in this area of Chicago were owned and operated by African Americans who had migrated north during the Great Migration.

Source-Dependent Questions

  • Look closely at the photo and describe what you see.
  • This photo was taken at a Black-owned restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. How would seeing an image like this give African Americans wanting to leave the South hope for migrating to Northern cities like Chicago?

Citation Information 

Delano, Jack, "In the Perfect Eat Shop, a restaurant on 47th Street near South Park, owned by Mr. E. Norris (Negro). Chicago, Illinois," April 1942. Courtesy of Library of Congress