To Ronnie Frey, doorways are more than just entryways. From the modest to the majestic, Chicago\u2019s often historic portals are integral parts of the fabric of the city. They invite contemplation. Even after years of exploring Chicago\u2019s neighborhoods as a photographer and tour guide, Frey still notices distinctive doors and doorways he\u2019d previously overlooked: \u201cWhat I didn\u2019t realize in the beginning was there is a never-ending supply of these things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since 2017 on his popular Instagram account @doorwaysofchicago<\/a>, Frey has been sharing shots he takes of entrances that speak to him. His new book, Doorways of Chicago<\/a>, is an outgrowth of that, packed with scores of doors\u2009\u2014\u2009classic and quirky, pretty and gritty\u2009\u2014\u2009that adorn the fa\u00e7ades of public and private buildings across the city.<\/p>\n Among Frey\u2019s favorites is the entrance to the lower level of the Driehaus Museum (pictured above), with its grand scale and carved limestone. He\u2019s also a fan of the intricately designed doors of the Carl Street Studios (one in the courtyard is pictured below), a three-story Victorian mansion in Old Town that was reimagined as an artists\u2019 colony in the late 1920s by artist Edgar Miller and architect Andrew Rebori and now serves as a condo complex. The doors are hand-carved, with custom handles, lock plates, and mail slots that, as Frey puts it, \u201cturned everyday elements into sculptural delights.\u201d \u2014\u2009Mike Thomas<\/p>\n