Carla Bruni has spent close to twenty years preserving, studying, and writing about historic architecture across dozens of US cities and four continents. She teaches graduate students at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she holds a master of science degree in historic preservation. She has been a recurring guest discussing architecture and environmental issues on WGN Radio, and her work has been featured by StoryCorps Chicago, WLS, NPR, PRX, the Chicago Reader, Chicago Tonight, Chicago Magazine, and various national and international publications. She also works to support the 30,000+ members of the Chicago Bungalow Association, overseeing energy efficiency retrofits, creating history and home maintenance resources, and leading the charge to list thousands of vintage homes in the National Register of Historic Places. Her professional involvement in community repair and revitalization has taken her to every corner of Chicago, her native city.
Phil Thompson is the cofounder and illustrator behind Wonder City Studio (wondercitystudio.com), a company dedicated to creating artwork of the places worth preserving, with a special love for Chicago. For ten years, he has captured more than a thousand homes and buildings with his pen-and-ink illustrations. His work has been featured in dozens of media outlets, including the Chicago Tribune, Chicagoist, Curbed, Business Insider, and Chicago magazine. Clients have included the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the Chicago Architecture Center, among others, and his prints are sold at seventeen retail locations throughout the city.