A portrait of Chicago institution Out Of The Past Records

Almost 50 years in the business.

Couple Charlie and Marie Henderson have been selling records in Garfield Park since 1969. A West Side Chicago mainstay, the original Madison Street storefront burned down during riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King. Now at 4407 W. Madison, the shop is a one-stop adventure for eager collectors ready to get dirty and dig.

A cross-eyed cat named Shadow roams the store, and you’ll be sure to see some dusty groovers meandering through the stacks alongside you. Records here are ‘strictly old-school’, reasonably priced and gently used. As Marie Henderson says, “you’re guaranteed to find a lot of everything and a lot of nothing, it just depends what you’re looking for.”

Watch the short film above and visit Out Of The Past Records in person at 4407 W. Madison St, Chicago, IL 60624. Find more of Chicago’s best record shops here.

Film by Simon Brubaker for The Vinyl Factory.

Music: Alan Parker’s ‘Love Is All’ and ‘You’ve Got What It Takes” from The Sound of Soul, courtesy of Be With Records. Pre-order a copy here.