Remembering Rev. Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Leader
On February 17, 2026, American civil rights activist, politician, and minister Jesse Jackson passed away at the age of 84. In his passing, Chicago lost a tireless worker for civil … Learn More
Author: estherwang
The Fight to Save St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
In honor of the anniversary of parishioners successfully saving St. Francis from destruction, Rebekah Coffman, Curator of Religion and Community History, and Elena Gonzales, Curator of Civic Engagement & Social … Learn More
Haitians in Chicago
Each January 1, Haitians and the Haitian diaspora celebrate Haiti’s Independence Day, which commemorates its declaration of freedom from France. From 1791 to 1804, enslaved people staged the successful revolt … Learn More
Celebrating Las Posadas in Chicago
Each year, the tradition of Las Posadas is observed by the Latino/a/e communities from December 16 to 24. In this blog post, CHM curator of religion and community history Rebekah … Learn More
Racially Restrictive Covenants in the Chicago History Museum’s Archives
Hannah Simmons is a student at Northwestern University and the Black Metropolis Research Consortium graduate assistant at our Abakanowicz Research Center (ARC). As part of her work, Hannah is writing … Learn More
Performance Programs for Theater, Music, Dance, and Opera in Chicago
CHM research center associate Annika Kohrt writes about theater, music, opera, and dance performance programs available to visitors in the Chicago History Museum’s Abakanowicz Research Center. Theater in the fledgling … Learn More
The Chicago Origins of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
[Ed. note: This blog post was originally published on December 2, 2014, and has been updated with additional resources.] Curator Petra Slinkard and intern Claire Arnold explore the Chicago origins … Learn More
A Blueprint for Navigating the Chicago History Museum’s Architecture Collection
In this blog post, CHM cataloging and metadata librarian Erin Matson highlights the Chicago History Museum’s architecture collection, focusing on the newly available main inventory of architectural drawings. Last spring … Learn More
Researching Family History at the Chicago History Museum
In this blog post, CHM research center associate Annika Kohrt highlights resources in the Chicago History Museum’s Abakanowicz Research Center that may be helpful in conducting genealogical research. Are you … Learn More
Gregory A. Sprague and the History of LGBTQIA+ History in Chicago
October is LGBTQIA+ History Month. In this blog post, CHM senior public and community engagement manager Greg Storms writes about Gregory A. Sprague, a Chicago historian of gay culture who … Learn More