Happy Thanksgiving from the Chicago History Museum! What’s on your menu today? This Seneca Hotel menu from November 25, 1943, has a patriotic design that is undoubtedly influenced by the United States’ participation in World War II. Despite the food rationing in effect then, it appears that the Seneca Hotel spared no expense in procuring a wide selection of meat for their patrons, including Lake Superior whitefish, Vermont turkey, young capon and ham, prime ribs of beef, and Long Island duck. Located at 200 East Chestnut Street, the Seneca Hotel served both travelers and long-term residents. The sixteen-story building was built in 1924 and features neoclassical detailing with streamlined elements—a suitably opulent look befitting a hotel that was close to both the Gold Coast and the then-developing North Michigan Avenue. For a period of time, it was owned by Alex Louis Greenberg, a financial adviser to Al Capone who was killed in 1956. In 2012, the building was renovated and converted into apartments. Learn more about Chicago’s hotel industry in our Encyclopedia of Chicago. Read the Entry

From left: An undated photograph of the Seneca Hotel, Chicago. CHM, ICHi-081114; Raymond W. Trowbridge, photographer. Seneca Hotel menu, November 25, 1943. Photograph by CHM staff. The dining room at the Seneca Hotel, March 24, 1933. HB-01511-K, CHM, Hedrich-Blessing Collection. 

The Encyclopedia of Chicago

“The Encyclopedia of Chicago is no mere collection of fun facts. It is a work of stunning scholarly achievement.” — Tom McNamee, Chicago Sun-Times

Published by the University of Chicago Press, The Encyclopedia of Chicago is the result of a ten-year collaboration between the Newberry Library and the Chicago History Museum. This project brought together hundreds of historians, journalists, and experts on everything from airlines to Zoroastrians to explore all aspects of the rich world of Chicago and its surrounding metropolitan area. Read the Encyclopedia

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