DeKALB – All Donald Krehl wanted to do was see the statue of G.V. Black – the father of modern dentistry – in Chicago’s Lincoln Park.

But as Krehl searched for information on the statue and location at local bookstores, he found there were no guidebooks for the hundreds of statues in the city. It was a common request at the Chicago Architecture Foundation Bookstore and one Krehl decided he would fill.

Krehl, a retired DeKalb dentist, has compiled a guidebook of Chicago’s statues as well as some monuments and memorials called “Monumental Chicago.” The 67-year-old said it took two years of frequent trips from DeKalb to Chicago, but it was a rewarding experience.