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NOW BRANDIS, BACK TO   YOU.
>>>  CHICAGO NATIVE PATRICK   McCAW I WORKED AS AN   ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST AT THE   EPA FOR DECADES.
IN HIS FREE   TIME, HE ENVIRONS IT  THE   ENVIRONMENT AROUND HIM.
THE NEW  EXHIBITION OF HIS PHOTOGRAPHS   IS A PROVOCATIVE LOOK AT   CHICAGO DURING THE PIVOTAL   DECADE AND A WINDOW  INTO THE   STEREOTYPES.
NICK BLUMBERG HAS   THE STORY.
>> Reporter: PATRICK ROPER ON  PICTURES.
HIS FATHER WAS A   PHOTOGRAPHER.
BUT PATRICK LIKED  WORKING PICTURES, WORKING WITH   A SIMPLE POINT AND SHOOT   THROUGH THE 60s AND 70s.
>> ONE DAY ONE OF MY FRIENDS,   HE SAID YOU NEED TO STEP UP.
>> Reporter: McCOY GOT A 30   MILLIMETER CAMERA.
HE DIDN'T   WANT TO TAKE CLASSES, SO HE   MADE A DEAL WITH HIMSELF.
>> EVERY DAY I WAS GOING TO   TAKE AT LEAST ONE PHOTOGRAPH.
>> Reporter: McCOY CARRIED THE   CAMERA AROUND HIS NICK   EVERYWHERE .
>> WHEN I WOULD GO THROUGH THE   DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS,   INVARIABLY SOMEONE WOULD SAY  HEY, TAKE MY PICTURE!
>> Reporter: THAT WAS PART OF   McCOY'S DEAL WITH HIMSELF, TOO.
HE WOULD TAKE A PICTURE OF   ANYONE.
AT NIGHT HE WOULD   DEVELOP THEM AND TAKE THEM IN   HIS BACKPACK THE NEXT DAY.
>> I WOULD JUST GIVE THEM THEIR  PHOTOGRAPH!
>> Reporter: McCOY GOT TO KNOW   PEOPLE, OFTEN TAKING THEIR   PICTURES FULL-TIME.
MANY OF   THEM WERE REGULARS AT THE   RIALTO TAP IN THE SOUTH LOOP.
EVERYBODY FROM PEOPLE LIVING IN  HOMELESS SHELTERS TO DOWNTOWN  BUSINESSMEN TO DRAG QUEENS,    THE CROWD WAS MOSTLY GAY BLACK   MEN.
>> IN THE SOUTH LOOP, IT WAS   KIND OF LIKE CHEERS.
>> Reporter: McCOY ALWAYS   ALLOWED THE PERSONALITIES OF   HIS SUBJECTS TO SHINE THROUGH.
>> I WANTED TO GET BEYOND THE   PREJUDICES AND STEREOTYPES.
>> IT IS A SLICE OF BLACK   AMERICAN LIFE THAT YOU DON'T   USUALLY SEE.
YOU DON'T USUALLY  SEE IT IN MUSEUMS.
>> Reporter: SHE HAD KNOWN   McCOY FOR A DECADE AND HELPED   HIM WILLED DOWN THE NUMBER OF   SNAPS.
>> THE IDEA OF PHOTOGRAPHY AT   LEISURE, THAT WOULD BE NOTHING   SHORT OF SPECTACULAR!
>> Reporter: BUT AS THE 80s   GAVE WAY TO THE '90s, McCOY   FELT LESS SAFE TAKING HIS   CAMERA EVERYWHERE.
>> THERE WERE A SMALL NUMBER OF  PEOPLE THAT I MET FOR MY TIME   TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS THAT WERE   REALLY DEAR TO ME.
>> Reporter: HE SAYS SEEING HIS  PHOTOGRAPHS DISPLAYED LIKE THIS  COMES WITH NOSTALGIA AND   SADNESS, BUT ALSO A SENSE OF   PRIDE IN WHAT HIS WORK   CAPTURES.
>> IT IS A BEAUTIFUL IMAGERY OF  THAT TIME PERIOD FROM A BLACK   PERSPECTIVE.
>> Reporter: FOR CHICAGO   TONIGHT, I AM NICK  LUMBER.