A remarkable photograph from the Chicago History Museum takes us back to Southport Avenue on November 16, 1986—nearly 40 years ago. Taken by photographer John McCarthy, the image captures the Music Box Theatre, Crown Liquors and a row of neighborhood storefronts long before Southport became the shopping and dining destination familiar today.
What businesses can you spot?
- Music Box Theatre — 3733 N. Southport Avenue: The unmistakable vertical MUSIC BOX sign dominates the left side. Opened in 1929, the beloved cinema had reopened in 1983 following restoration and was showing repertory and specialty films in the 1980s.
- Crown Liquors — 3709 N. Southport Avenue: The large liquor-store sign and window advertisements are clearly visible at right, with specials for Coke, vodka and other products. The address has an even older entertainment history: it was once the Esthena Theatre, which opened in 1913 and later briefly operated as the Southport Theatre.
- Other Southport storefronts: The photograph shows several additional shops under the long apartment-and-retail building next to the Music Box. Some signs are visible, but their lettering is not sufficiently clear in this scan to identify every business reliably. Do you recognize any of them?
The story behind Crown Liquors
Before Crown Liquors, the site at 3709 N. Southport housed the Esthena Theatre, a small movie house dating to 1913. According to Cinema Treasures, the former theater building was demolished in 1999. A contributor recalls that demolition exposed an old marble sidewalk bearing the Esthena Theatre name—a remarkable remnant of the block’s earlier moviegoing history.
A Southport landmark that endured
While neighboring businesses have come and gone, the Music Box remains a defining Southport landmark. It opened on August 22, 1929, and returned to operation in 1983 after a major restoration. By the time this photograph was taken in 1986, its film programming was evolving toward the independent, foreign and classic cinema for which it is known today. A Southport Neighbors Association history documents this period.
View or purchase the historic photograph
This photograph is part of the Chicago History Museum Prints and Photographs Collection. The official catalog title is Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport, dated November 16, 1986, by John McCarthy. Its museum identification number is ICHi-38969.
See the original Chicago History Museum collection record or visit Chicago History Museum’s image purchase and licensing service to inquire about a high-resolution reproduction or print. For licensing inquiries, the museum lists rightsrepro@chicagohistory.org. Image rights remain with the Chicago Historical Society.
Do you remember Southport Avenue in the 1980s? Tell us which storefronts you recognize—or share your memories of Crown Liquors and the Music Box in the comments.