Chicago Illinois, USA

Demolished 1995

In 1979 I was a cheerleader for the Chicago Bulls, and we performed at the stadium. We were the first year team that Bulls had cheerleaders, one of the first cheerleaders in the NBA.
There was ice for the hockey games under the wooden court they used for basketball, and it sure was cold on that court. When the buzzer announced a timeout, we jumped up and ran to the center of the court to perform. It was the Madhouse on Madison, and now filled with good memories. Sandy P.

When the Chicago Stadium was built in 1929, it it was the largest indoor arena in the world. It was the home of the NHL Chicago Blackhawks and the NBA’s Chicago Bulls. It was nicknamed the “Madhouse on Madison”, and a feature during events was the playing of the largest Barton Pipe organ ever built. It also hosted five United States presidential nominating conventions. The stadium was built by Paddy Harmon, a promoter, who sank his entire fortune into the project, only to lose control to the stadium shareholders. After exiting receivership in 1935, the Stadium was owned by the Norris and Wirtz families until its closure in 1994 and demolition in 1995. It was replaced by the United Center.

The painting is based on an old uncredited photograph.

No. 300