Two brothers - the Karzas brothers - two spectacular Chicago ballrooms, one north side, one south, spectacular evocations of Jazz Age exuberance. The Trianon, on the south side, opened in 1922, closed in 1958, and was demolished nine years later.
The story on the north side has a happier outcome. The Trianon'ss success encouraged the brothers to bring the same opulence to the Uptown neighborhood, opening the massive Aragon ballroom in 1926. Decades of success were followed by the death of ballroom dancing, boxing matches, the birth of rock and a short reincarnation as The Cheetah nightclub.
Yet through it all, the Aragon survives today, substantially restored, a major concert venue. For the Tribune, Chicago cultural historian Robert Loerzel just wrote this great history of the Aragon, which you can read here.
I'm using his piece as a excuse for this post with some of our Aragon pics, most from a 2012 Open House Chicago visit, before I discovered the usefulness of having shots level and in focus. I'll have to go back again and see what's developed.
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