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The Chicago History Museum earlier this month broke ground on a multifaceted park beautification project. Named for long-time Chicago civic leaders and supporters of the Museum, Richard M. and Shirley H. Jaffee, the project features an accessible interpretive path around the Museum and includes renovations to the Museum’s public plaza. In cooperation with the Chicago Park District and community partners, the Museum seeks to make the 4.5 acres surrounding the building a more beautiful, educational, and welcoming space for all. The Jaffee History Trail will open to the public this fall.
“The Chicago History Museum is proud to continue sharing Chicago stories in an innovative way that encourages learning and critical thinking outside the museum’s doors, said John Russick, Senior Vice President for the Chicago History Museum. “We are honored to work with the Chicago Park District to make this interpretive path come to life, and we are incredibly thankful to our supporters, community partners, and neighborhood residents for their ongoing support and guidance during this important project.”
Each of the 8 stops on the walking path around the museum will explore aspects of Chicago’s personality, highlighting the city’s resilience and complexity. The Jaffee History Trail will serve as a space for continued education outside the museum, incorporating features such as the “Fire Blob”, a rarely seen and massive relic from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the Couch Tomb, a reminder that the area was once a city cemetery.
“Enhancing park spaces for Chicagoans to enjoy and learn something new is the epitome of what the Chicago Park District seeks to support,” said Michael Kelly, Chicago Park District General Superintendent & CEO. “We are honored to work with the Chicago History Museum on the Jaffee History Trail project and eager to welcome the public to the space.
This project also includes necessary renovations to CHM’s underground collection storage facility, which sits directly below the plaza on the east side of the museum. The facility houses 23,000 linear feet of archives and manuscripts. Renovations will upgrade the structural integrity of the space and modernize the interior, so collection items are well-preserved and accessible for years to come.
Additional elements of the trail will include a garden featuring native plants, a collection of weathervanes designed in collaboration with the Chicago Park District’s 15 cultural centers and local artist Bernard Williams, and an open pedestal for visitors to consider what leadership means and what they stand for. The landscaping plan includes nearly 150 new trees and beds of native plants, which will attract birds and other pollinators.
As work continues on the Jaffee History Trail project, CHM invites members of the community to an upcoming virtual town hall to learn more about the project on April 13, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom.
For more information on the Jaffee History Trail, FAQ’s, and a project timeline, please visit: www.chicagohistory.org/history-trail/
St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago is a renowned event rooted in cherished traditions. With not one but two St. Patrick’s Day parades, dyeing the Chicago River, and enjoying a green beer or two, Chicagoans know how to celebrate this beloved holiday.
While our celebrations will likely look different this year, we’re not missing the chance to honor the rich history behind one of our city’s favorite holidays. Tune in to WTTW Chicago tonight at 8:00 p.m. for “Labor of Love: A St. Patrick’s Day Special,” featuring fascinating insight on the history of Chicago’s Irish communities from Peter T. Alter, CHM’s chief historian and director of the Studs Terkel Center for Oral History. The WTTW original documentary reveals how the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local 130, UA, became involved in organizing the city’s downtown St. Patrick’s Day parade, how the dyeing of the Chicago River became a global event, the process behind the crowning of the queen and the selection of the grand marshal, and what it means to be Irish. You won’t want to miss it!
The Chicago History Museum has received a $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. The grant will support the museum in establishing a new permanent role, Curator of Religious Community History, and the Fellowship for Religious Collections, a program for early career archivists in religious history collections. The museum is one of 18 organizations from across the United States that received grants through this initiative.
“The Chicago History Museum is honored to receive this award from Lilly Endowment Inc. to deepen our mission of sharing Chicago stories,” said Gary T. Johnson, president of the Chicago History Museum. “It is imperative that we create a more balanced understanding around religion and its significant history in Chicago and the U.S. through exhibitions and public programs. We are thrilled to begin the search for our new position, Curator of Religious Community History, and open the Fellowship for Religious Collections opportunity.”
The Chicago History Museum has delved into religious faiths and communities in past exhibitions. They included Catholic Chicago, which brought to light nearly two centuries of Chicago’s rich Catholic history, and Shalom Chicago, which traced the history of Chicago’s Jewish community through personal stories and artifacts dating back to the 1840s. American Medina: Stories of Muslim Chicago, open now through May 2021, explores themes of journey, identity and faith from the perspectives of Muslim Chicagoans.
Lilly Endowment awarded grants totaling more than $43 million through the initiative. These grants will enable the organizations to develop exhibitions and education programs that fairly and accurately portray the role of religion in the U.S. and around the world. The initiative is designed to foster public understanding about religion and lift up the contributions that people of all faiths and diverse religious communities make to our greater civic well-being.
“Museums and cultural institutions are trusted organizations and play an important role in teaching the American public about the world around them,” said Christopher Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “These organizations will use the grants to help visitors understand and appreciate the significant impact religion has had and continues to have on society in the United States and around the globe. Our hope is that these efforts will promote greater knowledge about and respect for people of diverse religious traditions.”
Lilly Endowment launched the Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative in 2019 and awarded planning grants to organizations to help them explore how programming in religion could further their institutional missions. These grants will assist organizations in implementing projects that draw on their extensive collections and enhance and complement their current activities.
Women march down State Street for the first women’s liberation march since 1916, May 15, 1971. ST-20003470-0019, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM © Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
March 8 marks International Women’s Day, which recognizes the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
The first National Woman’s Day was organized by the Socialist Party of America and observed on February 28, 1909. The following year, at the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, Denmark, it was proposed that there be a celebration on the same day every year for women to advocate for their demands. International Women’s Day was honored for the first time on March 19, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. By 1914, the day was agreed globally to be observed annually on March 8, which it has remained ever since.
The way the day has been recognized varies from country to country. In the early years, it was often a day for marches, where women protested for the right to vote, to hold public office, and for equitable working conditions and pay. In the US, the day has moved away from its origins within the labor movement and is often used to recognize women’s achievements. In Chicago, March 8 has been a day that numerous women’s organizations have hosted rallies, programs, and other celebrations.
Women’s activism has a rich history in the Chicago area. Chicago women have chosen to challenge unfair employment policies, structural racism, and a lack of political representation. Our online experience Democracy Limited: Chicago Women and the Vote offers a glimpse of recent and distant moments when Chicago-area women mobilized for change, part of a long history of activism and protest.
Studs Terkel Radio Archive
In his forty-five years on WFMT radio, Studs Terkel talked to the twentieth century’s most interesting people. His daily radio show featured many of the leading advocates of feminism and women’s rights and covered topics such as lesbianism, women and labor, the concept of witches, feminism and race, and many others.
Naomi Anderson, c. 1893, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library Digital Collections. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-755b-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
On March 1, 1843, Naomi Bowman Talbert Anderson was born in Michigan City, Indiana, to Elijah and Guilly Ann Bowman. She was a writer, speaker, and advocate for women’s rights and racial equality. Her mother encouraged her education, and at twelve years old her poetry caught the attention of the mostly white community and she was invited to attend the previously all-white school. At age twenty, she married barber William Talbert, and they moved to Chicago.
In Chicago, Bowman Talbert became involved in the growing women’s movement as well as the temperance movement, which promoted abstaining from alcohol consumption. In 1869, Bowman Talbert spoke at Chicago women’s suffrage convention and urged attendees to support voting rights regardless of race or sex. However, she wasn’t always credited for her work. Suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony publicized her 1869 speech in their newspaper, The Revolution, but identified her only as “a colored woman.”
After her husband died in 1877, Bowman Talbert had to support her family, first as a hairdresser and then as a teacher. She married Lewis Anderson in 1881, and they moved to Wichita, Kansas, where she continued her activist work. In Wichita, she founded an orphanage for Black children who were excluded from the whites-only children’s home. In the 1890s, she campaigned for suffrage, calling for “justice and . . . a voice in making the law” for women.
Learn more about Naomi Bowman Talbert Anderson and other early suffrage activists in our online experience Democracy Limited: Chicago Women and the Vote.
From left: portrait of Mary Richardson Jones, c. 1865. Aaron E. Darling, painter. CHM, ICHi-062628. Portrait of John Jones, c. 1865. Aaron E. Darling, painter. CHM, ICHi-062485.
In February 1853, a new law took effect that prohibited African Americans from settling in Illinois. The law was spearheaded by Democrat John A. Logan and passed by Illinois’s all-white legislature. This exclusion of Black Americans was one of the most egregious stipulations in a series of anti-Black laws passed in Illinois that relegated free African Americans to second-class citizenship. Under these laws, which came to be known as Black Laws, Illinoisans of African descent could not vote, testify against white people in court, or bear arms, and were required to register with local authorities.
The law prohibited bringing enslaved persons into the state and forbid any African American from emigrating to or residing in Illinois longer than ten days. Should a white resident bring a complaint against an African American resident, the latter could be fined between $50 and $500. If the accused failed to pay the fine, they would be jailed and sold at a public auction to recoup the cost. Moreover, if the Black resident paid the fine, the white accuser received half the sum, incentivizing white civilian policing of African Americans.
This 1853 law provoked widespread outrage among both Black and white Illinoisans. John Jones became a prominent Black organizer and leader in the fight for Black residents to live and thrive in their homes. In addition to organizing against the Black Laws, Black residents flouted the fugitive slave law through Underground Railroad operations, battled for abolition, and developed community institutions for education, religion, and benevolence. As Jones noted in his scrapbook, “Union is strength and… concert is power.”
Learn more about the first generation of Black Chicagoans and their activism in our two-part Google Arts and Culture story: Concert is Power.
Part 1: Chicago’s First Free Black Generation
Part 2: Free Black Movements in Antebellum Chicago
Watch fob with amethyst stone by Carence Crafters, c. 1910. Clockwise from top: ICHi-074261, ICHi-074260, ICHi-074263. All images by CHM staff.
Amethyst is the birthstone for February. The word “amethyst” is derived from “amethystos” in Greek, with the prefix a-, meaning “not,” and methyein “to be drunk with wine,” because the ancient Greeks believed that the stone could prevent or cure drunkenness in its wearer.
This watch fob (c. 1910) was made by Carence Crafters, a Chicago-based design firm that specialized in Arts and Crafts–style products. It has a pyramid-cut amethyst in a silver Celtic knot–style setting, a motif that appeared frequently in their work. On the back is the word “STERLING” and the Carence Crafters mark of two interlocking Cs in a square. Prior to World War I and the development of the wristwatch, most watches designed for men had to be carried in a pocket. The wearer would have attached his watch to the latch and let the amethyst hang out of his pocket.
Carence Crafters was incorporated on March 7, 1908, with three investors: R. D. Camp, Carl D. Greene, and John H. Dunham. Their output was largely copper and brass jewelry, as well as household items such as candleholders, trays, desk sets, boxes, and picture frames, which were distributed to a nationwide network of retail shops and department stores. As very few of Carence Crafters’ business records exist today, it is unknown why the company filed paperwork to cancel their charter in March 1911.
Explore our costume collection to see more accessories.
The Chicago History Museum today announced the acquisition of 117 photographs and two copies of Chicago Protests: A Joyful Revolution, from Chicago-based visual artist and author, Vashon Jordan Jr. His donated work was inspired by civil injustices in 2020 and the persistent demonstrations that took place across Chicago, showcasing the resilience and authenticity of Chicago and its people. Chicago Protests: A Joyful Revolution is currently in the museum’s research center and the photographs will be made available to the public on the Museum’s image portal later this year. Several photos will be featured in an upcoming exhibition that highlights the tumultuous and triumphant events of 2020.
“Vashon Jordan Jr.’s work sheds light on our city’s strength and resilience and aligns directly with our mission to share Chicago stories,” said Charles E. Bethea, Andrew W. Mellon Director of Collections and Curatorial Affairs at the Chicago History Museum. “We are honored to have his poignant work in our collection and make his photographs available to the public to learn from and shape our future.”
Jordan Jr.’s book, Chicago Protests: A Joyful Revolution, showcases his photos from more than 35 different demonstrations and moments in Chicago that shaped a summer of unrest in 2020. His partnership with the museum is ongoing and includes additional photo donations featuring Lori Lightfoot’s inauguration in 2019 and future notable events in Chicago.
“The city of Chicago showed unmatched resilience and hope during the summer of 2020, sparked by unrest and civil injustices taking place across the country. When we look back on this time, I want young people to see themselves represented for the enormous strides we made together,” said Vashon Jordan Jr., author of Chicago Protests: A Joyful Revolution. “I am excited to share my photography with the Chicago History Museum and its audiences, as it shows people of all backgrounds and identities coming together in solidarity, embarking on a joyful revolution.”
Vashon Jordan Jr., 21 years old, is a visual artist who uses photography and videography to showcase authentic moments that reflect the people of Chicago. He enjoys engaging with youth across the city to inspire and encourage activism. Jordan Jr. received his Associate in Arts from Kennedy-King College and is currently studying at Columbia College Chicago
Following a diligent search process and subsequent vote by the board of trustees, the Chicago History Museum today announced that Donald E. Lassere, President of the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, KY will succeed Gary T. Johnson as Museum president. Johnson is retiring after more than 15 years as president at CHM.
The presidential search committee was led by Daniel S. Jaffee, CHM’s board chair. The committee included ten board members and was assisted by an external consulting firm. The search took many months and culminated in finalists’ participation in virtual town hall meetings with museum staff and a safe, in-person museum visit.
“Conducting our search during the COVID-19 pandemic certainly posed some challenges, as initial vetting and interviews were done virtually,” said Jaffee. “I am grateful for the time and passion each committee member dedicated to the process, and proud of the decision we made. Thanks to the incredible job that Gary Johnson and his team have done over the years, the museum was in the enviable position of being a very attractive landing spot for highly qualified candidates, and we are excited to welcome Donald Lassere to his new role.”
Born in Chicago, Lassere and his family moved several times during his youth before returning to the city, where he graduated from Percy Julian High School. Motivated by his love for history and experiences in nonprofits, cultural spaces and the private sector, Lassere plans to leverage his diverse background by honing CHM’s audiences and providing valuable experiences for all visitors.
“Chicago holds such importance in my life, and I am thrilled to return to my hometown to work with the dynamic team at the Chicago History Museum and lead with the mission to share Chicago stories at top of mind,” said Lassere. “I believe we have an incredible opportunity to be truth tellers at CHM, sharing both the beautiful and unpleasant sides of our history that have shaped Chicago as we know it. CHM’s collection holds countless stories that have yet to be told, and I am honored to lead the institution in providing our visitors an inspiring, fun and educational experience.”
Lassere joins CHM with notable experience across industries. He has been President and CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center and Museum (MAC) since 2012, providing leadership that enhanced the reputation of the center on a local, national and global basis. Before his work at MAC, Lassere served in numerous roles, including Senior Vice President for Scholarship America, where he led Scholarship Management Services, the nation’s largest administrator of education assistance programs. In addition, he implemented grassroots programs to serve students in almost 4,000 communities and provide financial aid opportunities. He is an adjunct professor of organizational behavior and leadership at University of Louisville’s MBA and Entrepreneurial MBA programs.
Lassere is active in several community organizations and committees. He is Board Chair of the Louisville Visitor and Convention Bureau, served as a member of the selection committee for the Grawemeyer Award in Education, and was a board member of the Louisville Downtown Development Corporation, among other organizations.
“I welcome Donald Lassere back to Chicago and am very excited about the new perspectives he will bring,” said Johnson. “I am grateful to the people of Chicago for the privilege of leading Chicago’s own museum for almost 16 years. With Donald Lassere as president, the best is yet to come.”
Gary Johnson will remain president of CHM while Lassere and his family relocate to Chicago. Lassere will begin at CHM on April 12.
On February 12, 1855, Fannie Barrier was born in Brockport, New York. She was the first African American to graduate from Brockport State Normal School (now SUNY-College at Brockport) in 1870. She held several teaching positions, first in Missouri and later in Washington, DC, where she met her future husband, S. (Samuel) Laing Williams, a law student. The couple married in 1887 and settled in Chicago, where they were active among community reformers.
Though often not treated as an equal in organizations run by white women, Barrier Williams joined the Illinois Woman’s Alliance (IWA), which worked to obtain legislative support for women’s issues, particularly regarding health. However, Black women faced the dual burden of racism and sexism and did not have the luxury of battling only for women’s rights. Their longtime activism reached new heights in the early 1890s with the creation of a network of women’s clubs devoted to social action. Many of the issues they addressed remain painfully familiar and unresolved, such as a racist criminal justice system, violent attacks on Black people intended to maintain racial oppression, exclusion from white institutions, and economic disparities.
Chicago women were leaders in this national movement. Barrier Williams helped found the National League of Colored Women in 1893, created the National Federation of Afro-American Women with Mary Church Terrell in 1895, and represented Illinois’s Black clubwomen at the Colored Woman’s Congress in Atlanta in 1895. To her, the women’s club movement was a “national uprising” of Black women “pledged to the serious work” of racial advancement.
Learn more about the Black women’s club movement in the “Visionary Women” part of our online experience Democracy Limited: Chicago Women and the Vote.
About Democracy Limited
A century after ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, the Chicago History Museum invites visitors to explore women’s activism in Chicago to secure the right to vote—and beyond. In our digital experience, Democracy Limited: Chicago Women and the Vote, discover the ways women organized to challenge the status quo and how these different paths led to a mass movement for suffrage. Find out what the vote did and did not accomplish, and for whom. Connect themes of the past with the present, which remind us that while injustice and inequality persist, so do activist women.