Page 3 – Chicago History Museum

Adapting historical recipes to fit contemporary ingredients and measurements can require some trial and error, since food production and ingredient characteristics change over time.

We present to you two versions of the Palmer House Brownie. One is original recipe, written for ingredients of the era. The other is the recipe provided by the Palmer House today. You may need to do a little experimenting to get the gooey, fudgy brownies you want!

Palmer House Brownies (Original)

Brownie Ingredients:

1 lb. (1 cup) butter
18 oz. (3 cups) semisweet chocolate
1 Tbsp baking powder
8 oz. (2 cups) cake flour
24 oz. (3 3/8 cups) granulated sugar
4 whole eggs
1 lb. walnuts, crushed

Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 cup apricot preserves
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Melt the chocolate with the butter in a double boiler.
Mix the dry ingredients (except for walnuts) in a mixing bowl.
Mix the chocolate with the dry ingredients (4–5 minutes).
Add the eggs.
Pour the mixture into 9” x 12” baking pan and sprinkle walnuts on top.
Press the walnuts down slightly into the mixture with your hands.
Back for 30–40 minutes. It should test “gooey” with a toothpick in middle. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before glazing with a pastry brush.
For the glaze, mix together the gelatin, preserves, and water in a saucepan. Bring to boil for 2 minutes, then spread while hot.

Note: The brownies are easier to cut if you place the entire pan in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours after glazing, then remove and cut into squares with a serrated knife. In fact, freezing them after glazing is highly recommended for the recipe to work properly.

Makes 24 chocolatey treasures.

Download the Recipe Card

Palmer House Brownies (Today)

Brownie Ingredients:

5.25 oz. (7/8 cup) 60% dark couverture chocolate
9.75 oz. (1 cup + 3 ½ Tbsp) butter
12.75 oz. (1 3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp) granulated sugar
5 eggs
3.5 oz. (3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp) (heaping) all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
8 oz. (1 cup) chopped walnuts

Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 cup apricot preserves
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Mix the baking powder, sugar, and flour together in a bowl. Combine chocolate and flour mixtures. Stir for 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs and continue mixing.
3. Pour the mixture into a 9×12 baking sheet. Sprinkle walnuts on top, pressing down slightly into the mixture with your hand. Bake for approximately 35 minutes.
4. Brownies are done when the edges begin to crisp and has risen about 1/4 of an inch.
5. To make the glaze: Mix together water, apricot preserves, and unflavored gelatin in saucepan. Mix thoroughly and bring to a boil for two minutes. Brush hot glaze on brownies while still warm.

Note: When the brownie is properly baked, it will remain “gooey” with a toothpick in the middle due to the richness of the mixture.

Recipe courtesy of the Palmer House Hilton.

Download the Recipe Card

Each fall, people in Latine communities around the world remember their deceased loved ones during Día de los Muertos. In this blog post, CHM curator of religion and community history Rebekah Coffman writes about how contemporary Day of the Dead celebrations mirror the hybridization and mingling of Indigenous and Catholic roots through Spanish colonization of Latin America.

Ofrenda installation at NMMA by Alejandro García Nelo, “54,950 heartbeats: A tribute to the victims of the earthquakes in Turkiye, Syria and Morocco,” 2023. Photograph by Rebekah Coffman

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is strongly associated with Mexican communities but today is celebrated throughout Latin America and globally by the Latine diaspora.

Illustrations depicting Mictēcacihuātl from Exhibition catalogue for NMMA’s (then the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum) Día de los Muertos exhibition, p. 9, CHM Collection, GT4995 A4D52 1991

It is a holiday rooted in Indigenous tradition that has evolved through the centuries. The Aztec Empire celebrated the Lady of the Dead or Queen of the Underworld, Mictēcacihuātl, as an Indigenous spiritual tradition. Mictēcacihuātl is said to protect bones of the dead so they may be returned and used in the land of the living. Spanish conquistadores observed this tradition and fused Aztec traditions with the Catholic holidays of All Saints Day and All Souls Day as a tool for colonialism and forced conversions. In Spain, Catholic celebrations of All Saints Days and All Souls Days were celebrated by decorating family graves and sharing food graveside as way of remembering and communing with deceased loved ones. Contemporary Day of the Dead celebrations mirror the hybridization and mingling of these Indigenous and Catholic roots through Spanish colonization of Latin America.

(L) Calavera de la Catrina, from the portfolio of 36 Grabados: José Guadalupe Posada, published by Arsacio Vanegas, Mexico City, c. 1910. Public Domain. (R) José Guadalupe Posada print by artist Carlos A. Cortéz Koyokuikatl, showing Posada’s La Catrina, 1981. CHM, Broadsides collection.

In the visual language of today, Mictēcacihuātl typically takes the form of La Catrina, a skeletal female figure wearing a European-style woman’s hat. This is credited to the influence of Chicago activist-artist Carlos Cortéz Koyokuikatl’s reuse of a popular image created by Mexican engraver and printmaker José Guadalupe Posada.

View of the Celebrando Comunidad mural by Liz Reyes in Little Village at 26th Street and Lawndale Avenue, October 18, 2019. CHM, STM-087170528, James Foster/Chicago Sun-Times

(L) NMMA installation: Familia Jiménez, Leo Parga, Araceli Muñoz, Mireya Bautista and Héctor Martínez, Öfrenda for Guadalupe Jiménez (1957–2022), 2023. Photograph by Rebekah Coffman. (R) Ofrenda in Dunkin Donuts in Pilsen, 2023. Photograph by Rebekah Coffman

Another of the most recognizable elements of Día de los Muertos is the ofrenda, or altar. Seen in homes, along streets, on sidewalks, in stores, and in cemeteries, ofrendas are literal offerings to the spirits of deceased loved ones. They often feature photographs as well as favorite items of those who have passed on, including foods like pan de muerto, water or other drinks, and favorite toys or activities. Ofrendas are also usually decorated with cempaxochitl/cempasúchil, or marigolds, which symbolize life’s fragility. Their bright orange color and distinct smell act as guides for bringing spirits back for the time of celebration.

(L) Person holding a sign that reads “Chicano Power,” July 19, 1971. CHM, ST-60004929-0031, Chicago Sun-Times collection. (R) Mural, July 19, 1971. CHM, ST-60004929-0145, Chicago Sun-Times collection

While Día de los Muertos had been celebrated in Mexico for centuries, its arrival to the United States coincided with Mexican immigration during the second half of the 19th century. For decades, the tradition was kept by families through religious masses and visits to family graves, but gatherings remained small and more private. This began changing through the 1960s and 1970s with the rise of the Xicano/Chicano movement. El Movimiento pushed against structural racism through centering bold expressions of Mexican and Latino identity in the public sphere. Activist efforts included political actions, student walk outs, and protests but also included arts such as visual and poster art, literature, music, and murals. Chicano activists began marking Día de los Muertos boldly in community, using it as a way to educate the broader public about Mexicanidad and carefully distinguishing it from Halloween.

Exhibition catalogue for NMMA’s (then the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum) Día de los Muertos exhibition, Cover and frontispiece, CHM Collection, GT4995 A4D52 1991

As this exhibition catalogue demonstrates, the National Museum of Mexican Art (NMMA) has played a key role in amplifying Day of the Dead in Chicago. Since 1987, they have held an annual display of commissioned ofrendas, each year shifting focus on a different theme, but all centered in preserving this ancient tradition while bringing new relevance. Additionally, their Día de los Muertos Xicágo gathering features dozens of ofrendas made by community members as well as art activations and live music.

(L) Carlos Totolero and Helen Valdez, two of the cofounders of the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum (now NMMA), February 13, 1992. ST-19040944-0004, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM. (R) Students visiting the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum (now NMMA), February 13, 1992. ST-19040944-0006, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM.

NMMA was founded in 1982 by a group of six educators. Originally called the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, they wanted to create an organization that centered Chicago’s Mexican community through accessible, social-justice oriented educational and cultural programming. They first opened to the public in 1987 in Chicago’s West Side Pilsen neighborhood, repurposing the Harrison Park boat house. In 2001, they expanded into a 48,000 square foot facility and officially changed their name in 2006 to NMMA to better reflect their expanded mission. Recognizing Mexican identity is sin fronteras, or without borders, the NMMA continues today, welcoming over 150,000 guests annually.

Additional Resources

Read an interview with Carlos Tortolero in Chicago History magazine, Spring 2020
NMMA Google Arts & Culture digital exhibition on Día de los Muertos
José Gaudalupe Posada Aguilar: commemorating the 75th anniversary of his death
Encyclopedia of Chicago article on Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum
Encyclopedia of Chicago article on Pilsen
Encyclopedia of Chicago article on Mexicans

Ghost Trackers Newsletter cover, vol. 10, no. 1, February 1991

Very few Chicago History Museum (CHM) staff members haven’t encountered a variation of the question, “Is the Museum haunted?” While we can’t confirm or deny any allegations, we can instead focus on the importance of folklore in CHM’s mission.

As an international city, Chicago residents bring with them their beliefs and superstitions. Similarly, their memories sometimes become a part of the city’s cultural fabric through stories that serve as cautionary tales, urban legends, and timeless ghost stories. For some, the question of what lies beyond the mortal plane transcends sheer curiosity, becoming a lifelong interest involving experimental research, debate, and community. Institutions like CHM sometimes collect the records produced by these efforts because they provide unique historical perspectives on memory, belief systems, and local traditions.

In 1982, Chicago-area author and paranormal researcher Dale Kaczmarek began publishing the Ghost Trackers Newsletter (GTN) as the official publication of the Ghost Research Society (GRS), an organization interested in investigating all aspects of the supernatural. The newsletter was available to members of the GRS and the general public for a nominal fee, and it came with membership perks like invitations to events and a network of other individuals with shared interests.

GTN, Volume 4, No. 4, October 1985. This newsletter issue told the famous story of the supposed hauntings at Hull-House, the settlement home operated by Jane Addams on Chicago’s West Side. Today, after waves of urban renewal, Hull-House is now a museum operated by the University of Illinois Chicago.

The Ghost Trackers Newsletter had a homemade feel akin to a modern-day zine, where readers could expect consistent offerings. Most issues open with an editor’s page and an update on GRS activities. The lengthiest piece of writing in the publication was usually an article devoted to an individual location or haunting. While in its early days, the publication focused primarily on Chicago-area hauntings, as its audience grew, it wasn’t uncommon to find features devoted to paranormal hauntings and investigations in other Midwestern states like Michigan and distant locations like Southern California. Other publication offerings included opinion polls (letters to the editor), book reviews (and, in later issues, movie critiques) on materials covering the paranormal, and classified ads. Readers could find advertisements promoting lectures of interest to those in the field, invitations to local gatherings and conventions, and pitches for unique products and publications catering to those with otherworldly interests.

Ghost Trackers Newsletter, Volume 8, No. 3, October 1989. This advertisement is representative of what could be found in GTN issues. The Book of Azrael: An Intimate Encounter with the Angel of Death is one of several publications by author Leilah Wendell documenting supposed communications with an otherworldly entity with intimate knowledge of the afterlife. Due to its subject matter and limited printing, copies of this book have become increasingly desirable among collectors and researchers.

While the subject matter covered by the newsletter appears questionable to skeptics when analyzed through a historical lens, GTN provides a unique look into local and far-reaching stories. For example, a 1983 issue of the newsletter took up Chicagoland’s most famous ghost, Resurrection Mary, at length, recounting supposed sightings and other events related to the story. As those familiar with the story know, one of the most enduring parts of the legend is the supposed metal bars of the cemetery gate where Mary’s ghost left her ghostly handprints, warping the structure in the process. The 1983 article in the newsletter, simply titled “Resurrection Mary,” goes into extensive detail about this story, providing specific dates, names, and even an image, all of which can serve as potential leads for those interested in exploring the legend further.

Pages from Ghost Trackers Newsletter, vol. 2, no. 4, October 1983

Similarly, many of the adverts peppered throughout the newsletter give historians a concise record of when and where gatherings took place, thereby allowing us to map the trajectory of specific organizations, movements, and individuals that may otherwise have left scarce records. While seemingly trivial, these records can be of value to a diverse group of researchers interested in tracking a story.

Ghost Trackers Newsletter, vol. 2, no. 8, June 1989

All said and done, Ghost Trackers Newsletter had an impressive run. Its final issue was published in October 2001, meaning it was around for roughly two decades, and as is made apparent by several of its issues, it had an international readership. One of its most significant accomplishments was how seriously it took its work, time and time again, featuring pieces focused on the importance of research and objectivity as anchors for those with this area of interest.

Ghost Trackers Newsletter, Volume 5, No. 8, October 1986. This half-page list written by GTN editor Dan Kaczmarek is one of the many regularly published pieces dedicated to the craft of paranormal research. Other pieces were more substantial and covered topics as diverse as the difference between a spirit and a ghost and advice on taking experimental spirit photographs using emerging technologies.

It also provides extensive records on how the growing access to technology revolutionized the ways communities with niche interests communicated and developed. What initially began as a largely handmade publication eventually transitioned into a publication that served as a revenue stream for this organization, a mission further achieved by the newsletter’s adoption of word processing software in the late 1980s, which facilitated the editorial process, made for a more uniform newsletter, and enabled the more regular inclusion of images and written content from guest authors beyond the Chicago metro. As Ghost Trackers Newsletter makes clear, the digital revolution at the end of the 20th century brought new tools to old haunts.

The Museum’s copies of Ghost Trackers Newsletter are available for interested researchers at the Abakanowicz Research Center, which is free to visit.

For Photographer Appreciation Month, CHM Abakanowicz Research Center associate Annika Kohrt writes about our holdings on George R. Lawrence, a Chicago inventor and photographer with larger than life ambitions and a portfolio to match.

I love the story of a tinkerer. George R. Lawrence (1868–1938) was a relatively fearless Chicago inventor who made several innovations in the field of photography. When I say “relatively fearless,” I mean he was creating small explosions to light his photographs and flying hot air balloons to get aerial photographs in the time before airplanes. He eventually had enough life-threatening experiences in the balloons that he switched to designing unmanned kites, understandably.

Undated portrait of George R. Lawrence. CHM, ICHi-011070

Like Daniel Burnham’s famous statement, “Make no little plans,” Lawrence was dreaming big—literally. He advertised “The Hitherto Impossible in Photography is Our Specialty,” and the first impossible feat in photography he took on was artificial lighting. Before flash bulbs and flood lights existed, photographers used magnesium chloride to generate a quick burst of light to get nighttime shots. Fire officials banned the use of this flash powder at large gatherings because of the danger of explosions, but Lawrence tinkered away at a magnesium formula until it “generated more light and less smoke.”

He then developed a system of portable towers connected by electrical circuits to make simultaneous sparks that ignited the powder in multiple places in a room and a canvas bag that dropped over the light to collect the smoke immediately after the picture. For this he earned the title “Flashlight Lawrence” among his friends, and he made good business photographing large indoor banquets and assemblies across the country. Lawrence also designed and developed his own panoramic banquet camera to capture a proportional image of each individual in a group picture.

Committee on the Plan of Chicago in Daniel Burnham’s office, Chicago, c. 1908. Seated on the right side of the table: Edward B. Butler, Daniel H. Burnham, Charles D. Norton, Clyde M. Carr, Edward F. Carry, Edward H. Bennett, John DeLaMater, Charles G. Dawes. Seated on the left: John G. Shedd, Charles H. Thorne, Theodore W. Robinson, Emerson B. Tuttle, John W. Scott, John V. Farwell, Charles H. Wacker. CHM, ICHi-003560; George R. Lawrence Company, photographer

Undated photograph of banquet group at the Auditorium Theatre, Chicago. CHM, ICHi-000566; George R. Lawrence, photographer

Lawrence’s single-plate banquet panoramas caught the eye of personnel from the Chicago & Alton Railroad (this story has something for the train lovers out there too!), which in 1899 had just built the most symmetrical train in the world: with uniform windows, trucks, and cars. Commissioned to create a faultless single photograph of the beautiful train, Lawrence and J. A. Anderson built a giant camera that weighed 1,400 pounds and required 15 operators: the largest camera in the world for the “handsomest train in the world.”

Men adjusting the bellows on George Lawrence’s Big Camera, 1911. CHM, ICHi-022529

Then, determined to outdo himself, Lawrence started making balloons to create urban panoramas from great heights. To great fanfare, he went up to capture the Armour Packing Plants, but he didn’t come down the way that he planned. The balloon broke from its ropes, and Lawrence and his camera fell from 200 feet, but they were caught 50 feet above the ground by telephone and telegraph wires! He immediately bought another balloon and got the stockyards photographs, but after a second mishap in Minnesota, he started working with unmanned kites.

George R. Lawrence’s balloon at Armour & Company, June 21, 1901. CHM, ICHi-011036.

The incident captured in the Chicago Daily News, June 21, 1901.

Kites used to support George R. Lawrence camera equipment, c. 1905. CHM, ICHi-011047; George R. Lawrence, photographer

Lawrence was a daredevil with flair, matched with mechanical genius and artistic ambition. A large portion of his large photographs are in our collection, and you can view them for free at the Abakanowicz Research Center. And if you’re interested in bird’s-eye views of Chicago, we have plenty of resources beyond Lawrence’s photographs. Plan your visit today!

Additional Resources

View the finding aid for the George R. Lawrence Collection, 1900–1910
Peruse our online image portal CHM Images

In anticipation of our upcoming exhibition Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective, CHM costume collection manager Jessica Pushor shares about Sally Rand and a pair of her fans that will be on display.

Born Helen Gould Beck in Missouri, Sally Rand (1904–79) got her start as a chorus girl before working as an acrobat and traveling theater performer. Her career spanned more than forty years, appearing on stage, screen, and television.

Studio portrait of Sally Rand posing with her feather fans, San Francisco, c. 1933. CHM, ICHi-183610, Romaine Photography, photographer

Sally Rand arrived in Chicago in 1933 and began her infamous fan dance at the Streets of Paris Cafe de la Paix stage at the A Century of Progress International Exposition, accompanied by her backing orchestra, directed by Art Frasik. This dance was performed to Claude Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” with a run time anywhere between five and eight minutes. Rand would play peek-a-boo with her body by manipulating her fans in front and behind her. In a Chicago Tribune article from July 25, 1933, she describes how she fools the audience: “After hours of practice before a mirror I learned how to manipulate the fans so that the spectators would think they were seeing something when they really were not. The routine was evolved after I was asked to dance as nearly nude as possible at one of Chicago’s better known clubs.”(1)

A crowd listens to a barker on a small stage in the Streets of Paris at the A Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, September 1934. CHM, ICHi-167341; O. L. Cook, photographer

Within two months of the world’s fair opening, the fan dance came under the scrutiny of local authorities and was soon characterized as lewd and lascivious. Rand was arrested four times in a single day—on August 4, 1933—after every performance of her fan dance at the Chicago Theatre on charges of putting on an indecent exhibition.(2) Rand made a concession after her arrests and coated herself with body paint, which satisfied the authorities and allowed her to continue performing the fan dance.(3)

Left: News coverage of Sally Rand the day before she was arrested four times in one day, Chicago Daily News, August 3, 1933, p. 31. Right: One way Rand appeased authorities was by wearing a dress, Chicago Daily News, August 7, 1933, p. 4.

On September 23, 1933, Sally Rand was convicted of willfully performing an obscene and indecent dance in a public place. She was sentenced to one year in county jail and fined $200. Even after the conviction, Rand was still allowed to perform, and it is estimated that at least 2 million people saw her dance at the world’s fair, making the Streets of Paris one of the most profitable concessions at the fair. The following year, in November 1934, her conviction was overturned.

In 1943, the Chicago History Museum, then the Chicago Historical Society (CHS), arranged for the donation of Rand’s feather fans, with a press release announcing the new acquisition. But before Rand’s scheduled appearance at CHS, there was an emergency Board of Trustees meeting, and CHS president Joseph M. Cudahy released this statement to the press: “The board feels that the fans used by Miss Sally Rand at a Century of Progress are not relative to the World’s Columbian Exposition material now on exhibition and does not believe they have sufficient historical interest to warrant their acceptance by the Museum.”(4)

In 1966, CHS contacted Sally Rand, who by then was the featured performer at Mangam’s Chateau, a hip restaurant and nightclub in Lyons, Illinois, that featured big names in comedy, singers, and other variety acts. CHS asked Rand if she would donate her feather fans, and she happily obliged. Then-CHS president Clement Silvestro said they were accepting the fans into the collection because “The fans made history, they represent a phase of American life.”(5)

Fans, c. 1966. Ostrich feathers, plastic, wood. Maybelle Shearer, Chicago. Gift of Miss Sally Rand. 1966.398a-b. CHM, ICHi-186021

The fans that Sally Rand donated to CHS in 1966 are not the original ones she used in 1933–34. They are very similar to those fans but were purchased by Rand in 1966 and were used during her appearance at the Mangam’s Chateau, where she performed the same fan dance that launched her to fame some 30 years prior.

Sally Rand stands atop the Great Chicago Fire relic at the Chicago Historical Society, August 30, 1966. ST-90004010-0033, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM

When Rand came to the Museum to donate the fans, she climbed atop the molten metal relic salvaged from the Great Chicago Fire (which to this day still sits outside the Museum) and swirled her feather fans around her, much to the delight of the newspaper reporters and photographers in attendance. When asked if she was actually nude behind those fans back in 1933, she replied, “The Rand is quicker than the eye.”

You can see Sally Rand’s fans on display in our exhibition Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective, open October 19, 2024, through July 27, 2025.

Additional Resources

Footnotes

“A FAN DANCER TELLS HOW SHE FOOLS THE BOYS: IT REQUIRES PRACTICE, SALLY SAYS.” Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963), Jul 25, 1933, 5. https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/fan-dancer-tells-how-she-fools-boys/docview/181449001/se-2
“Sally Dances in Loop; Arrest Her 4 Times.” Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963),  August 5, 1933. https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/sally-dances-loop-arrest-her-4-times/docview/181401483/se-2
Virginia Gardner, “Sally Listens to Judges, then Wraps Herself in Coat of Paint.” Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963), August 6, 1933, 3. https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/sally-listens-judges-then-wraps-herself-coat/docview/181440393/se-2
Daily Times, May 10, 1943, 73. NewsBank: Selected America’s Historical Newspapers , https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=EANX-NB&req_dat=0D99702A94485B8A&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Aimage%252Fv2%253A176820A8B9EC1C11%2540EANX-NB-
Sheila Wolfe. “Sally Rand’s Fans make it into Museum.” Chicago Tribune (1963-1996), August 31, 1966. https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/sally-rands-fans-make-into-museum/docview/179030860/se-2
Chicago Sun-Times, September 4, 1966, 27. NewsBank: Selected America’s Historical Newspapers. https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=EANX-NB&docref=image/v2%3A1443FD2E0D78767F%40EANX-NB-170C06B6964EAFB1%402439373-1707542CD2EC2676%4026-1707542CD2EC2676%40

Making space for teens in museums can sometimes be met with apprehension. Is our program engaging enough? Will they be interested? Can we handle their potential criticisms? These are all honest questions that spring to the minds of even the savviest museum worker. Considering the Chicago History Museum’s mission, including teens became a priority.

To create our teen engagement framework, the education team turned to the experts—colleagues at teen-serving museums and teens themselves to explore best practices to prime our teen engagements for success. A set of criteria emerged:

Meet the teens where they are (culturally, emotionally, academically, and socially)
Recruit teens with similar interests (history, art, civic engagement, sports)
Provide a balance of content engagement (in our case history) and creative expression
Position teens as key contributors with decision making power
Make connections between exhibition content and the teens’ lived experiences
Allow teens to share in setting the norms for engagement and collaboration

There are also mutual benefits of teen engagement in museums. Through the programs at CHM, teens recognize the impact of history and their role in creating the future. While museums provide opportunities that help teens learn and grow, they have an opportunity to serve as entry points to arts and culture, sparking lifelong interest in museums. At CHM, teens’ inputs and feedback have helped shape subsequent teen opportunities. Past CHM teen projects have centered Chicago’s legacy of activism for universal suffrage, the power of community documentation, and identity-confirming fashion in the city.

The Artivism teens creating posters in an arts-making session during their summer 2024 experience. All photographs by CHM staff.

In the summer of 2024, a group of teens with interests in social justice and art participated in an intensive experience in support of CHM’s exhibition Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art of the 1960s–70s. The exhibition historicizes Chicago’s legacy of activist art and the unique capacity of art to catalyze change. A cohort of six Chicago-area teens created vibrant messages for issues today using art techniques of the period.

The Chicago Artivism (art + activism) Teens project met multiple needs, including paid summer employment and access to arts education, as many public schools in our area have limited arts instruction. The importance of this opportunity to local teens was confirmed by grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. At CHM, we value teen expression and believe in the power of activist art to catalyze change. This project offered an impactful civic platform for the teens, providing a megaphone for issues they cared about.

The selection processes helped us identify teens we felt had a willingness to learn, would bring a collaborative spirit and unique perspectives, and who represented metro Chicago’s demographics. This resulted in a group of six artivists, ready to learn and create with one another and with project staff.

A working session with the Artivism teens in their studio space at the Museum.

The program design included eleven working sessions and a final twelfth day dedicated to a showcase of teens’ art. Initial days included orientation and community building activities that cemented cohort dynamics. Teens connected with Museum education and curatorial staff in the Designing for Change exhibition with learning activities such as:

Discussions on visual thinking strategy
Mini exhibition tours
Creative writing responses
Oral history practice interviews
Hands-on object analyses
Short talks
Peer-to-peer teaching

Afternoon artmaking was facilitated by Jomo Cheatham, a local, longtime, youth-focused teaching artist. Under his tutelage the teens worked as individuals, as pairs, and as a whole group in a variety of mediums present in the exhibition, including line drawing, painting, silk screening and block printing.

Examples of wheatpasting from the teens’ session, including prints from Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative.

Assisting our teaching artist was a near peer mentor, Audrey O’Hearn, a summer education intern who came to us through Studio Institute. She worked alongside the teens on their projects most afternoons and led one special session on the history and practice wheatpasting in protest art. This session combined the Chicago Artivism teens and Aquí en Chicago teen interns to create activist art jointly. She also collaborated with the teens to design an invitation to the showcase.

The teens tour the Designing for Change exhibition with lead exhibition preparator Ethan Gasbarro during a Career Walk and Talk session.

Teens were also introduced to a variety of museum work through a Career Walk and Talk, meeting employees who specialize in visitor services, curation, exhibition production, graphic design, security, and conservation at CHM. Reflecting on their experience during their project evaluation, one teen wrote, “. . . I was already interested in working in museums, but this gave me more knowledge on the many ways that can be done, including creative ways I had not considered.”

A display of protest posters in the Artivism teens’ showcase.

The internship culminated in a showcase of the teens’ work, which included protest signs, zines, block prints, protest banners, silk screened t-shirts and tote bags, all featuring causes and issues the teens were passionate about. A highlight was five large mural panels, one dedicated to each of the main sections of the Designing for Change exhibition. These murals reflected the teens’ understanding of the social movements and artistic expression of the 1960s and ’70s, while the other pieces connected that history and inspiration to contemporary life.

Chicago Artivism teens mural display in CHM’s Chicago: Crossroads of America exhibition.

On their evaluation one teen noted, “I am most proud of the murals we made. Since we made them during the last weeks of the internship, they represent all that we learned about the different movements. Also, my art and painting skills significantly improved, and some of my best work was on the murals. Lastly, I love that we all collaborated on the murals, so they represent our art as a collective.”

Teens wrote labels for the showcase including biographies and artist statements. They also collaborated on a manifesto describing their collective practice and intentions for their art.

The collection of protest signs and banners on display outside of the Designing for Change exhibition.

The culmination of the internship coincided with the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Currently, their murals and a selection of their protest signs and banners are on display in the Museum for visitors to enjoy and learn from. Their work is displayed alongside the Designing for Change exhibition, providing youth perspective on art, history, and contemporary societal concerns. As the teens wrote in their manifesto: “To us, artivism is collective advocacy and activism through artistic expression. We will . . . Inspire others through art that sparks emotion, initiating conversation.”

Working with young people is inspiring and invigorating for CHM staff members. Their honest response to the exhibition, their belief in art as a form of civic action, and their interest in museums brought fresh perspectives and new engagement to CHM. We hope you will visit to see their powerful art. Stay tuned for our next teen opportunity!

See past teen projects at CHM

CHICAGO (October 1, 2024) – The Chicago History Museum is proud to announce it is the recipient of the National Park Service’s (NPS) Save America’s Treasures grant. The funds of $454,607 will be used for the conservation treatment of nine costumes in the Museum’s collection, including garments worn by three presidents—George Washington, John Adams and Abraham Lincoln—as well as Mary Todd Lincoln. The project will be matched with $482,170 in nonfederal share.

“We are honored to be recipients of this grant, which will allow us to further conserve numerous historic garments in the Museum’s extensive costume collection,” said Chicago History Museum President Donald Lassere. “It is through our collections, including the costume collection, we are able to share Chicago stories from diverse perspectives and we are grateful to the National Park Service for this gift.”

With more than 50,000 costumes and textiles dating from the eighteenth century to the present, the Museum’s world-renowned Costume and Textiles Collection is noted for both its size and the quality of its holdings. Costume materials include work by distinguished designers such as Charles James, Paul Poiret, House of Worth, Chanel, House of Dior, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent. The collection also includes clothing worn by former presidents and first ladies, sports stars, celebrities and other luminaries, as well as by everyday Chicagoans. Together, these materials reflect the history of Chicago as an evolving urban center and document fashion history through the lens of Chicago and its people.

Administered by NPS in partnership with the Institute of Museums and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities, the Save America’s Treasures grants this year will fund 59 projects that will preserve nationally significant sites and historic collections in 26 states and the District of Columbia. Since 1999, the Save America’s Treasures program has provided over $405 million from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) to more than 1,400 projects to provide preservation and conservation work on nationally significant collections, artifacts, structures and sites.

For more information on the Museum’s Costume and Textiles Collection, please visit: https://www.chicagohistory.org/collection/costumes-and-textiles/

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ABOUT THE CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM
The Chicago History Museum is situated on ancestral homelands of the Potawatomi people, who cared for the land until forced out by non-Native settlers. Established in 1856, the Museum is located at 1601 N. Clark Street in Lincoln Park, its third location. A major museum and research center for Chicago and U.S. history, the Chicago History Museum strives to be a destination for learning, inspiration, and civic engagement. Through dynamic exhibitions, tours, publications, special events and programming, the Museum connects people to Chicago’s history and to each other. The Museum collects and preserves millions of artifacts, documents, and images to assist in sharing Chicago stories. The Museum gratefully acknowledges the support of the Chicago Park District on behalf of the people of Chicago.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 430+ national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

In 2024, the Chicago Temple Building marks the centenary of its physical building. CHM curator of religion and community history Rebekah Coffman, a panelist for a Chicago Temple architectural symposium, writes about the history of Methodism in the city.

Exterior views of the Chicago Temple Building. Photograph by Rebekah Coffman, 2023

Located in the Loop, the Chicago Temple building is a visual landmark in the city’s skyline. Skyscraper and a church in one, this seemingly unusual blending of the secular and the sacred has drawn thousands of congregants for worship and curious visitors to admire since it opened its doors in 1924. Known as the “Mother Church of Chicago Methodism,” First Methodist helped fund the launch of almost 200 churches and played roles in the establishment of Chicagoland institutions including Northwestern University (founded 1851), Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (founded 1855), and Wesley Memorial Hospital (founded 1888), among others. Dedicated on September 28, 1924, the world’s tallest monument to Methodism celebrates its centenary this week.

Stained glass windows depicting early locations and founding leadership of the First Methodist Church, pages from The Chicago Temple, CHM, F548.62 .F57 1975. Photograph by Rebekah Coffman

As a congregation, First United Methodist Church of Chicago is said to be the city’s oldest established Christian church community, even predating the incorporation of the City of Chicago in 1837. Methodism is part of the Protestant Christian tradition and began in England with the work of minister John Wesley. Methodist missionaries, including John Wesley and his brother Charles, came to North America beginning in the 1730s and Methodism spread across the continent through the First (1730–40) and Second (1790–1840) Great Awakening revivalist movements, coming to the Chicago area during the Second Great Awakening.

The First Methodist community began meeting in 1831 as part of a circuit led by Rev. Jesse Walker, first meeting in a home where Merchandise Mart stands today. By 1834, they met in a newly constructed log cabin on the north bank of the Chicago River. Just a few years later, the cabin was rolled on logs across the river and moved to the church’s current location at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Clark Street.

Image of two of First Methodist Church’s early buildings, from Diamond Jubilee booklet, 1910, CHM, F38WK.Y-F5 1910; the ruins of churches & buildings destroyed in the Chicago Fire, including the ruins of the Methodist church block (second row, right), 1871. CHM, ICHi-085795. Photographs by Rebekah Coffman

By 1845, the congregation had grown and built a purpose-built brick church with a spire at the cost of $12,000 (almost $500,000 today). As the city grew, church leaders realized they were locationally advantaged and decided to expand their ventures into both religious and commercial uses, building a new multipurpose building in 1858 on the same site. Rental income from the commercial spaces was used in turn to finance new Methodist congregations. Four stories high, it held business and stores on the first two floors with a worship space and classrooms taking place in the top two floors. This structure was lost during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Reused religious building that was first built by First Methodist Church as a temporary structure following the 1871 Fire, was moved and reused by several Christian congregations before its current reuse as Masjid Abu Bakar in the Wrigleyville neighborhood. Photograph by Rebekah Coffman, 2022; First Methodist multi-use building that replaced the temporary wooden chapel. From Diamond Jubilee booklet, 1910, CHM, F38WK.Y-F5 1910

Following the fire, church leaders made the bold decision to remain downtown and rebuild at what had become known as the “Methodist Corner.” The congregation first built a temporary wooden structure to meet in, while they developed yet another mixed-use venture, this time to the tune of $130,000 (over $3.4 million today). Opened in 1873, the new building also housed both commercial and religious uses, with proceeds benefitting other Methodist ministries in the city. The temporary chapel was charitably passed on to an establishing Methodist congregation in Ravenswood, changing hands and moving locations several times before reaching its current home in Wrigleyville where it is repurposed as a mosque today.

Construction of the tower of the Chicago Temple, or the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Chicago, 1923, DN-0075439, Chicago Daily News collection, CHM; Fritz Skaripori kneeling next to podium on raised platform to finish construction of altar at Chicago Temple, with A. Fromhold standing on the ground in front of the platform and F.J. Thielbar, trustee. September 1924, DN-0077749, Chicago Daily News Collection, CHM.

Decades later, the congregation was inspired to rebuild once again, this time looking to downtown’s growing skyscraper presence for architectural inspiration. In 1903, Illinois State Legislature passed the Dixon Act, which conditionally allowed the church to expand their footprint and build a true skyscraper if rental income continued to benefit new churches. After a series of delays due to the onset of World War I, the death of leader Arthur Dixon in 1917, and pending legal matters, the efforts to build were renewed in 1920 under the leadership of Rev. John Thompson.

Program from the Corner Stone Laying of the Chicago Temple building, November 5, 1922 and Program from the Dedication of the Chicago Temple Building, September 28, 1924. CHM, F38WK .Y-F5z OVERSIZE and F38WK .Y-F5 1924. Photographs by Rebekah Coffman

The cornerstone for the new skyscraper church was laid in 1922. At the congregation’s final service in their previous building, Rev. Thompson, known as the “Shepherd of the Loop,” is quoted as stating, “Changing conditions require new adaptations in methods, and a larger, more varied ministry.” The choice to rebuild again downtown came at a time when many congregations were choosing to sell lucrative properties and move toward the suburbs.

Architectural Drawings for the Chicago Temple, CHM, ICHi-182817 and ICHi-182814, Holabird & Roche, architect. Photographs by Rebekah Coffman

The First Methodist congregation commissioned architectural firm Holabird & Roche (later Holabird & Root), who were known for their skills in designing some of the earliest skyscrapers in the world. Examples of their buildings can be found across Chicago’s skyline, including the Pontiac Building (1891), the Marquette Building (1895), the Century Building (1915), and Soldier Field (1924).

Sky Chapel brochure, CHM, F38WK .Y-F5z OVERSIZE. Photograph by Rebekah Coffman

The congregation’s current building contains three worship spaces: the primary sanctuary on the ground floor; the Dixon Chapel on the second floor; and the eponymous “Sky Chapel,” located just below the Temple’s steeple. Donated by the Walgreens family of pharmaceutical fame, the Sky Chapel opened in 1952. At 400 feet tall, it claims to be the world’s highest worship space.

Stained glass window details showing buildings from the city of Chicago, including the Chicago Temple. Photographs by Rebekah Coffman, 2023.

Chicago Temple’s main sanctuary features an impressive cycle of stained glass that covers themes ranging from biblical stories of both the Christian Old and New Testaments to contemporary representations local to Chicago. For example, the west wall New City Window holds a “church within a church” moment by depicting the Temple building itself, with an adjacent view showing connected institutions such as Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Northwestern University, Wesley Hospital, and Christian Home. Another features an iconic downtown Chicago scene along the Chicago River.

Portrait of Clarence Darrow, Chicago, c. 1900. CHM, ICHi-031827; Alderman Leon Depres (center) leads marchers down State Street on the way to City Hall in protest of segregation in Chicago Public Schools, June 25, 1965, ST-10104123-0008, Chicago Sun Times Collection, CHM

The Temple’s sacred-secular approach again allowed for a diversity of uses throughout the building, with the 5th–21st floors rented as office spaces. Over the years, many tenants have been law firms because of the nearby Cook County and US District Courts. This has included attorney Clarence Darrow, known for his roles in famous cases including the Scopes Trial and in the Leopold and Loeb murder case. Attorney and long-time alderman Leon Depres, perhaps best known for his liberal politics in opposition to Mayor Richard J. Daley, opened a law office as Depres & Lane in the Temple in 1942 and the practice under his name remains a tenant today.

Brochure by Willoughby and Company for the Chicago Temple Building, CHM, F38WK .Y-F5z OVERSIZE. Photograph by Rebekah Coffman

As many historic sacred spaces structurally age, there is a growing urgency to address issues of preservation and storytelling as well as financial and social sustainability. As these sacred spaces within and beyond Chicago look for ways to maintain relevancy and sustain themselves financially amid trends of declining worship attendance, First Methodist’s mixed-use approach makes something old feel in many ways new again. It demonstrates how congregations have creatively evaluated, adapted, and expanded their missions to meet changing needs while maintaining a sense of place and presence.

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Guest author Omar Torres-Kortright, the executive director of the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, writes about the Chicago salsa scene and how Angel Meléndez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra made history 20 years ago with their Grammy nomination.

When we talk about the rich history of salsa music in the United States, it’s hard not to notice Chicago’s absence from the spotlight. The bustling salsa scene in New York City, with its legendary record labels like Fania Records, dominated the narrative during the late 1960s and ’70s, establishing itself as the undisputed salsa capital of North America. Unfortunately, Chicago’s salseros have often found themselves overlooked by the Recording Academy when it comes to recognition. That all changed nearly 20 years ago with a groundbreaking nomination that shimmered like a strobe light on the dance floor and put the eyes of the salsa world on Chicago.

Amid this musical landscape, Latin Street Dancing promoter, professional dancer, and first-time recording producer Andrés Meneses joined forces with the masterful trombonist Angel Meléndez and his swinging 911 Mambo Orchestra.

“I met Angel back in college while hiring bands for events at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. One of the bands we brought in was La Confidencia, which featured Angel Meléndez,” Meneses recalls.

Celia Cruz performing at the Aragon Ballroom, 1106 West Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, in 1982. La Confidencia was her backing band that night with Angel Meléndez on trombone. ST-30002632-0012, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM

La Confidencia, led by Polish American trumpet player Richard Straka, captivated Chicago’s dance halls for more than two decades, backing grand musical acts, including the “Queen of Salsa” herself, Celia Cruz. Other local bands like La Mafia del Ritmo, Shorty Ramírez & Orchestra, La Nativa, Típica Leal, and Típica 78 emerged in the early days to keep the salsa flame alive, but these groups struggled to survive into the late ’80’s and ’90s.

Angel Meléndez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra performing at WGN TV studios. Photograph courtesy of Andrés Meneses.

“In La Confidencia, Angel was the trombone player, and the late Mike Maldonado was the singer. We hit it off immediately,” Meneses remembers fondly. When Andrés approached Angel about creating a demo for the 911 Mambo Orchestra, he knew that his reputation for bringing together top talent would shine in their ambitious 20-piece project. “As a music teacher, Angel was amazing at maintaining a high caliber of musicianship. He always drew from a talented pool of young musicians, elevating them to new heights.”

Mambo contestant Ray Martin leaps in the air while his partner, Lorraine Tovall, keeps the beat during auditions for the Sun-Times Harvest Moon Festival at the Sheraton Hotel, 505 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, on November 9, 1954. ST-17601270, Sun-Times collection, CHM

Eager to capture the classic big band sound synonymous with the 1950s Mambo era, Meneses and Meléndez sought the expertise of Jon Fausty, a legendary Fania Records sound engineer. Fausty was thrilled about the project and committed himself to recording all the musicians simultaneously—just like in the golden days of salsa. This approach served a dual purpose: to recreate that authentic big band mambo sound and to make the most of their recording budget.

The Grammy-nominated album, Angel Meléndez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra (2005).

However, Fausty had one stipulation: the album must be sent to the Grammys for consideration in the fiercely competitive Best Traditional Tropical Album category. This is how what was originally intended to serve as a demo to promote the band, became the first ever Grammy nomination for a Chicago-based salsa project.

The CD release party at The Chicago International Salsa Congress with Jimmy Bosch and Angel Meléndez on trombone, February 16, 2004. Photograph courtesy of Andrés Meneses.

Reflecting on that journey, Meneses describes the experience of working with Fausty as profoundly educational. He credits Fausty’s genius at the soundboard as instrumental to the success of their project. Today, as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Angel Meléndez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra’s historic 2004 Grammy nomination, it’s vital to acknowledge the significant role Chicago plays in the salsa tapestry of America. This moment not only showcased the talent brewing in the Windy City but also solidified its place in the broader salsa narrative—a side of the story that deserves to be told.

Meléndez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra performing in 2016. Photograph courtesy of Andrés Meneses.

CHICAGO (September 18, 2024) – As the Chicago History Museum celebrates major milestones for its costume collection and Costume Council’s history, it is thrilled to announce its newest exhibition, Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective. Opening October 19, the exhibition will offer guests an exclusive look at dozens of extraordinary objects, including some that have never been displayed. Through the exhibition, visitors will explore how clothing captures material, social, and changing cultural values throughout history.

Featuring over 70 artifacts, Dressed in History is an eclectic mix of garments and accessories representing men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing that spans from couture designer ensembles to home-sewn items. Highlighting the long and rich history of fashion, manufacturing, and retail that has been part of the city’s identity for nearly 200 years, the exhibition is divided into four different sections: Everyday/Sportswear, Couture & Designer, Historic Dress, and Art & Fashion. Within the space, guests will be able to see a range of artifacts from a Christian Dior gown to a baby’s wool bathing suit.

“Clothing is an artifact all of us can relate to, and Chicagoans have a long history with fashion as consumers, retailers, designers, and manufacturers,” says exhibition curator, Jessica Pushor. “From the birthplace of mail-order catalogs to the large garment manufacturing industry from 1880 to the 1920s, Chicago has had a major impact on fashion history and continues to do so through the city’s design schools, local designers who call Chicago home, and retail establishments. We hope visitors will leave the exhibition with a better understanding of the holdings in our costume collection and the intriguing stories these objects can tell.”

The Chicago History Museum invites the public to join them in exploring fashion history through this rare behind-the-scenes look at its vast costume collection.

A preview week for Dressed in History will be held October 16‒18, during which members of the press are invited to tour the exhibition and hear from the curator. For more information, please visit the Chicago History Museum’s website or contact the Museum’s press office.

Media kit available here: https://chicagohistory.box.com/s/b5qfpiukm7fu8zob5k1dhxajkkplu7ce

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To learn more or request an interview with a spokesperson, please contact the Museum’s Public Communications Manager.

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