In the annual Bughouse Square Festival at Washington Park in the Near North Side, participants follow a tradition of public speaking at this location that dates back to World War I. The festival, sponsored by the Newberry Library, includes reinactments of speeches by famous Chicagoans and, as shown here at this 1993 event, stages for the public to participate in soapbox oratory, music, and poetry presentations.

Photographer: John McCarthy
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-37925)