Results tagged “chicagohistorymuseum”

               

Much like the Riverview Park of yore, Kiddieland is almost nothing more than memories now. This will be the final weekend for the decades-old amusement park in Melrose Park, and rather than dig back through old newspapers we thought we'd take a look at the place that will very soon be history.

   

Props to our pal Len Kody from the Windy Citizen for discovering this pretty cool - if a little bizarre - design for a Union Station by the year 2020. It appears to be an entry in the Chicago Architecture Club's Union Station 2020 competition, which will be featured as part of the Burnham 2.0 exhibit, opening at the Chicago History Museum this November.

Many of us at Chicagoist are history buffs so we were pretty excited to hear that one of the five known copies of the Gettysburg Address has made its way to town. Starting today, the "Everett Copy" of the speech goes on display at the Chicago History Museum, but only for a short spell. The copy has been making the rounds in honor of the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth and, according to James Cornelius, curator of the Lincoln collection at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, which owns the manuscript, "Let's just say it needs a good rest."

Music

Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont, Wednesday, January 28, 7 p.m., $20 - $25, call 73-525-5006 for tickets.

In spite of the current recession, Chicago's museums are still managing to bring in a healthy number people. Total attendance in 2008 at the city's top 10 "major cultural attractions" was only off by one percent for a total of 7.7 million. The Shedd Aquarium saw a drop of seven percent, but was still had the highest overall attendance at 1.9 million; The Museum of Science & Industry had a larger drop at 15 percent, but was second overall with 1.4 million. In spite of these drops, the eight other attractions saw increases. The Art Institute of Chicago drew 1.4 million for third place overall and the Chicago History Museum saw a healthy 22 percent increase in visitors for a total of 266,000. The overall attendance on "free days" also saw a hefty increase of over 15 percent.

Closing the music library of DJ "Pretty White Jeebus" for a spell, we're getting back to the photographs of yesteryear.

Considering the intense scrutiny this year’s historical presidential race is under, it seems an appropriate time to take closer look at what exactly everyone is fighting for. The Chicago History Museum is doing just that this month in a two-part series titled “The American Presidency,” which examines our nation’s highest office from the perspective of its audiences.

On March 4, 1837, Chicago officially became a city, first mayor William B. Ogden presiding.

It should be a lighter than normal traffic day tomorrow, President’s Day. No mail delivery. Most banks, federal offices, city offices and state offices will be closed. School will be out. Courts will not be in session, and you won’t be able to pick up something to read at the library.

Born on January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King would have been 79 this year. In 1984 an act of Congress made the third Monday of this month Martin Luther King Day. With most government offices closed today, there are a plethora of events honoring his memory. The Chicago Park District is holding a series of events dedicated to his legacy. The University of Chicago is hosting panels and speakers all week, with a series of films and documentaries this evening starting at 5 p.m. The DuSable Museum of African American History is holding workshops, performances and panel discussions on the legacy of the civil rights movement and the challenges it still faces in 21st century America. The Chicago History Museum kicks the day off with crafts and storytelling for children, followed by songs and spirituals performed by the Chicago Chamber Choir. At 1 p.m., LeRoyce Hawkins and Cameron Drake will perform Jeff Stetson's critically acclaimed "The Meeting", an imagined meeting between Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, followed by a reading of King's "I have a Dream" speech.

The weather forecast calls for a lot of "brass bra cold" this weekend. It won't stop people from going out and enjoying their weekend, although some serious consideration should be given to hibernating on the couch with movies, a bottle of wine, and a comforter.

There are sixty bridges spanning the Chicago River throughout the city, as we found out last month at the annual B News neighborhood pub quiz. We know about the larger bridges downtown, and we stop to stare at them when the spans are raised to allow boats to pass. However, the majority of bridges spanning the river are smaller ones allowing traffic to pass between neighborhoods. We tend to overlook those bridges. This is one of them.

In a day packed with college football bowl games, the coolest televised sporting event on New Year's Day had to be watching the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins play an NHL game outside in Buffalo, in front of over 71,000 fans. It brought the game back to its roots, played outside on frozen ponds and lakes throughout the Midwest and Canada. Now imagine that same game outside, only featuring two of the NHL's "Original Six." With the Black Hawks roaring back from the brink of irrelevance in the months after Bill Wirtz's passing, playing hockey in a sold-out Soldier Field, for example, would be the capper on an impressive resurrection.

Now that we have a day job and commute to work every morning, we have ample opportunity to sit on the train and get our fifty cents worth reading the Sun-Times. We're huge fans of Tom McNamee's "The Chicago Way" column, as it's one of the few regular features in any of the city's newspapers that successfully reflects on the city's rich past in a way that engages present-day readers.

Our servers drank a big glass of bitch juice this morning, but things appear to be shaping up at this point.

'Tis the season for free champagne tastings. Get started tonight at the Artisan Cellar (located on the first floor of the Merchandise Mart) with a sample of some rare bubblies from 4-6 p.m. Learn all about the history of smothered foods from author Wilbert Jones, the author of Smothered Southern Foods. Jones' lecture, "Smothered - Southern Style" is being held Saturday at the Chicago History Museum, sponsored by the Culinary Historians of Chicago. The lecture...

This week, we're taking another visit back to our childhood stomping grounds on the Northwest side. But we're going way back, waaayyy back to 1917. Our father's side of the family immigrated to America from Greece four years earlier, settling in Greektown. Our mother's side of the family was at least a decade away from moving to the East Village from Virginia. The photo you're looking at at the top of this entry is...

The Reeling Film Festival is in its last days, but there's still time to catch what's sure to be one of the most fascinating movies in the program. Quearborn & Perversion, a new documentary by Columbia College alum Ron Pajak, tells stories of lesbian/gay Chicago life spanning the years 1924-1974. It's surely a beautiful irony of history: what is today the epicenter of the Viagra Triangle was, in the 50's, the epicenter of gay life;...

Once a Second City performer, always a Second City performer...right? Rachel Dratch and Tim Meadows, both mainstage alumns, will be at the Chicago History Museum tonight for a panel about improv. Kevin Dorff, another Second City performer and now an on-strike writer for Conan O'Brien, moderates, and there will be real live sketch and improv to boot. Tickets are $12 ($10 for members) and the show starts at 6:30. We can't believe we missed last...

Let's face it: we're spoiled when it comes to movies. Not only do the best (and worst) theatrical releases play here, but we also have scads of film festivals to choose from year-round. No sooner are CIFF and the Korean Film Festival over than Reeling is upon us. Since 1981, Reeling, Chicago's gay and lesbian film festival, has been unspooling a vitally diverse cross-section of queer filmmaking. This year's schedule includes nearly 70 programs,...

Nostalgic for the pre-Mapquest world? Do your dogeared city guides and abused atlases sit proudly on your bookshelves? Have we got an event for you. The citywide Festival of Maps kicks off tomorrow, and is a tribute to those simpler, flatter world guides we’d consult constantly before the internets helped us find the best non-highway crosstown routes quicker than you could say "Western Avenue." It’s the first fest of its kind, and is a collaboration...

Chicagoist loves Stuart Dybek, from back before he received his "genius grant" and now even more so. Continuing with our coverage, Dybek will be speaking tonight at the Chicago History Museum with Donna Seaman of Open Books, as part of their Chicago Treasures series. Chicago Treasures focuses on the symbiotic Chicagoans who define the city and whose work is likewise defined by Chicago. Tonight, Oct. 10, 7 p.m., Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St.,...

Throughout our time writing for Chicagoist, we have been lucky enough to go to many a special event. From food expos to chocolate and wine tastings, we have had the opportunity to see a side of food commerce that many never do. We think it's a pretty good and interesting side. Its main purpose, as we see it, is to get the word about a new product out to the masses. The best way...

Might as well start this week's installment off by pointing out that Taste of Greece is happening this weekend in Greektown. Half of us (the paternal half) is excited about this. The festival runs from noon until 11 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday. If you are heading to Greektown this weekend, consider attending Alexa Ganakos' Greektown in All Its Glory lecture at the Chicago History Museum before going, sponsored by the Culinary Historians of Chicago....

Chicago History Books?

Here's a trivia question for you: what is North America's oldest competitive international film festival? Answer: the Chicago International Film Festival, which has been going strong for 43 years. A lot has changed since 1964 (well OK, there's still a Daley in the mayor's office). For a great peek at the past there's nothing better than the photographs of Gary Stochl. But, we digress. Much of the credit for CIFF's longevity must go to Michael...

The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is holding its annual Cookbook Expo this weekend in Chicago. And, for the first time, they're opening it up to the public. This is your chance to hobnob with some of your favorite cookbook authors and chefs, who will be on hand to sell and sign their latest books. The event runs from 5-6 p.m. tomorrow at the Hilton Chicago. Even though it's free, reservations are required; e-mail...

Happy Birthday! The City of Chicago will officially celebrate its 170 years today. We've got the official Birthday bash as well as other events to keep you busy this weekend. Admission is free today to the Chicago History Museum from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. for the City of Chicago birthday celebration. The official birthday for the city isn't until March 4 (the date the city was incorporated), but being the social butterflies they are,...