I photographed this man in an alley that intersected with Wilson Avenue in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood in the mid-1970s. His friends called him Eskimo Joe. When I photographed him in 1975, he had a huge bandage on his chin and cuts on his knuckles, but otherwise appeared quite dapper and chipper. His clothing puzzled me though. He wore a sport coat covered with what appeared to be little rock chips and his shirt was torn open. Perhaps he had been in a fight. Like many Native Americans who came to Uptown during this era looking for work, he may have misery instead. Many told me they wanted to return to their families. I never saw him again after this day. If anyone know what happened to him, please let me know so that I can update the caption.
