As Chicago continues to break its record for tourism year-after-year, the city has set an ambitious goal of attracting 55 million visitors to the Windy City annually by 2020. And the city may as well be on its way with the numerous public works projects currently underway that are expected to help boost the amount of domestic and international tourists Chicago receives. Even still, Chicago has always been a popular place for travelers, and the city's reputation for having some of the tallest and most notable buildings in the world has always been a major draw. Back before cheap film and disposable cameras, travelers would send postcards to their friends and family members, showing them images of what the Windy City looked like. Here are 51 vintage postcards from the earliest decades of the 20th century that offer a glimpse into the architecture and daily life of Chicago's past.
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